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

Neuroimmunologia clínica

IP: Xavier Montalban Gairín
Collaborators: Angela Vidal Jordana, Miriam Izquierdo Sans
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Funding: 108000
Reference: CM10/00032
Duration: 03/01/2011 - 02/01/2014

Research on molecular mechanisms of apoptosis in lymphocytes from patients with multiple sclerosis

IP: Xavier Montalban Gairín
Collaborators: Montserrat Moreno Sánchez, Miriam Izquierdo Sans
Funding agency: Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación-MICINN
Funding: 100980
Reference: JCI-2010-07580
Duration: 30/05/2011 - 29/05/2014

Búsqueda de marcadores de bioactividad del interferón-beta alternativos a la proteína MXA

IP: Manuel Comabella Lopez
Collaborators: Sunny Malhotra Sareen, Xavier Montalban Gairín
Funding agency: Fundación Merck Salud
Funding: 20000
Reference: MERCK-2009-05
Duration: 01/04/2010 - 31/03/2011

Estada al Center for Neurological Diseases, Brigham & Women's Hospital. Harvard Medical School. Boston

IP: Xavier Montalban Gairín
Collaborators: -
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Funding: 2700
Reference: ESTSB/2009/01
Duration: 15/02/2009 - 15/05/2009