Xavier Montalban Gairín

I am director of the Multiple Sclerosis Center of Catalonia (Cemcat) at Vall d'Hebron University Hospital since 2007 and Head of the Neuroimmunology Research Group at Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) since 1995. I am Professor of Neurology at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) since 2006 and at Universitat de Vic – Universitat Central de Catalunya (UVic-UCC) since 2021. Additionally, I serve as Senior Consultant in the Department of Neurology at Vall d'Hebron University Hospital.

Institutions of which they are part

Head of group
Clinical Neuroimmunology

Vall Hebron Institut de Recerca

Neurology

General Hospital

Director

Multiple Sclerosis Centre of Catalonia

Xavier Montalban Gairín

Institutions of which they are part

Head of group
Clinical Neuroimmunology

Vall Hebron Institut de Recerca

Neurology

General Hospital

Director

Multiple Sclerosis Centre of Catalonia

I obtained my MD (1983) and PhD (1990) from UAB, specializing in Neurology at Vall d'Hebron University Hospital (1988) and completing my postdoctoral fellowship at St Thomas’ Hospital and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (London). I earned a Diploma in Comprehensive Healthcare Institutions Management from ESADE (2005).

From 2012 to December 2024, I served as Chair of the Neurology Department at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital. Between 2017 and 2020, I was Professor of Medicine and Director of the Division of Neurology at the University of Toronto, as well as Director of the MS Center at St Michael’s Hospital, Toronto.

I am past President (2014-2016) and current Honorary Member of the European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS). I also served as Co-Chair of the Steering Committee of Magnetic Imaging in Multiple Sclerosis (MAGNIMS) and a member of the Steering Committee of the International Progressive MS Alliance. Since December 2024, I have been Vice President of the European Charcot Foundation. Additionally, I chaired the International Advisory Committee on Clinical Trials in MS, sponsored by ECTRIMS and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS), until December 2024.

My scientific output includes over 800 peer-reviewed publications, with more than 65,000 citations and a Scopus H-Index of 110 (January 2025). Over the last seven years, I have been among Clarivate’s most cited researchers. I have been Principal Investigator (PI) or collaborator in over 35 competitive projects (€8.5 million) and more than 150 clinical trials.

Notably, I received the 2022 John Dystel Prize (AAN and NMSS), the 2023 Charcot Award (MSIF) for lifetime achievements in MS research, the 2024 Fundación Lilly Award for Biomedical Research, and the 2023 ICS Career Research Award for clinical and scientific excellence.

Projects

Medició del nivell d'activitat física i anàlisi dels factors associats a l'adherència en persones amb esclerosi múltiple

IP: Carme Santoyo Medina
Collaborators: Jaume Sastre Garriga, Ingrid Galán Cartaña, Montserrat Janer Cabo, M Jesus Arevalo Navines, Edwin Roger Meza Murillo, Xavier Montalban Gairín, Helena Llorente Blasco
Funding agency: Societat Catalano_Balear de Fisioteràpia
Funding: 3000
Reference: SCBF/2023/SANTOYO
Duration: 18/12/2023 - 17/12/2026

TACTIC: Explorando soluciones a los retos de salud mediante ciencia disruptiva, terapias avanzadas y medicina de sistemas

IP: Begoña Benito Villabriga
Collaborators: Carmen Escudero Iriarte, Laia Ventura i Expósito, Susana Otero Romero, Ignacio Ferreira González, José Antonio Barrabés Riu, Carlos Nos Llopis, Pablo Velasco Puyó, Jose Fernando Rodríguez Palomares, María Rosario Pérez- Torres Lobato, Sunny Malhotra Sareen, Belen Perez Dueñas, Jaume Sastre Garriga, Joan López Hellin, Antonia Sambola Ayala, Jordi Rio Izquierdo, Nuria Rivas Gandara, Jordi Perez Rodon, Aroa Soriano Fernández, Manuel Comabella Lopez, Antonio Rodríguez Sinovas, Gisela Teixido Tura, Antonia Pijuan Domenech, Roser Ferrer Costa, Joaquin Seras Franzoso, Carmen Tur Gomez, Maria Cristina Díaz de Heredia Rubio, Laia Yañez Bisbe, Julia German Cortes, Maria Jose Pérez García, Miguel Segura Ginard, Diego Baranda Martínez-Abasca, Cristina Auger Acosta, Neus Bellera Gotarda, Herena Eixarch Ahufinger, M Mar Mañu Pereira, Deborah Pareto Onghena, Lorena Valero Arrese, Aitor Uribarri Gonzalez, Jordi Bañeras Rius, Alex Rovira Cañellas, Mar Tintore Subirana, Bruno García del Blanco, Maria Teresa Salcedo Allende, Marisol Ruiz Meana, Ana Belén Méndez Fernández, Xavier Montalban Gairín, Simon Schwartz Navarro, Anna Llort Sales, Carmen Espejo Ruiz, Raquel Hladun Alvaro, Angels Alcina Mila, Sandra Mancilla Zamora, Zamira Vanessa Diaz Riascos, Ana Zabalza de Torres, Marc Miquel Moltó Abad, Javier Inserte Igual, Luciana Midaglia Fernandez, Elizabeth Pando Rau, Gabriela Guillén Burrieza, Ana Laura Cazurro Gutierrez, David Gómez Andrés, Alvaro Cobo Calvo, Alvaro Calabuig Goena, Joaquin Castillo Justribo, Lydia Dux-Santoy Hurtado, Lucas Moreno Martín-Retortillo, Andres Miguez Gonzalez, Josep Roma Castanyer, Laura Dos Subirá, Nicolás Miguel Fissolo, Maria Nazarena Pizzi, Tian Tian, Fernanda Raquel Da Silva Andrade, Diana Fernandes de Rafael, Andrea Guala
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Funding: 2494527.53
Reference: FORT23/00034
Duration: 01/01/2024 - 31/12/2027

Convocatoria Juan Rodés (Preliminar: Enfermedades neurológicas mediadas por anticuerpos antineuronales)

IP: Mar Tintore Subirana
Collaborators: Genoveva Arqueros Sánchez, Xavier Montalban Gairín, Helena Ariño Rodríguez, Miriam Izquierdo Sans
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Funding: 180000
Reference: JR22/00071
Duration: 20/02/2023 - 19/02/2026

Incorporación al CIBER de enfermedades neurodegenerativas como grupo de esclerosis múltiple

IP: Manuel Comabella Lopez
Collaborators: Jordi Rio Izquierdo, Carmen Tur Gomez, Xavier Montalban Gairín, Luciana Midaglia Fernandez, Joaquin Castillo Justribo, Rucsanda Pinteac, Nicolás Miguel Fissolo
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Funding: 48000
Reference: CB22/05/00047
Duration: 13/12/2022 - 12/12/2023