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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 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.

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

Unitat de Neuroimmunologia Clínica (UNiC) - Centre d'Esclerosi Múltiple de Catalunya (CEM-Cat)

IP: Xavier Montalban Gairín
Collaborators: Herena Eixarch Ahufinger, Miriam Izquierdo Sans
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Funding: 144000
Reference: CD09/00363
Duration: 08/01/2010 - 19/08/2014

Búsqueda de nuevos tratamientos para la esclerosis múltiple mediante screening masivo de librerías de fármacos basado en perfiles de expresión génica usando mapas de conectividad

IP: Manuel Comabella Lopez
Collaborators: Jordi Rio Izquierdo, Xavier Montalban Gairín
Funding agency: Fundación Invest. Médica Mutua Madrileña
Funding: 73250
Reference: FMMA/04/2008
Duration: 04/09/2008 - 04/09/2011

Grup de Neuroimmunologia Clínica

IP: Xavier Montalban Gairín
Collaborators: Miriam Izquierdo Sans
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Funding: 109440
Reference: CD08/00187
Duration: 01/01/2009 - 22/04/2013

Unidad Central de Investigación en Ensayos Clínicos Vall d'Hebron (UCIEC-VH)

IP: Rafael Simó Canonge
Collaborators: Manuel Hernández González, Joan Montaner Villalonga, Mercè Boada Rovira, Ramon Charco Torra, José García Arumí, Albert Pahissa Berga, Josep Sánchez de Toledo Codina, Juan Lorente Guerrero, Miquel Casas Brugué, Monica Anglada Baguena, Miguel Vilardell Tarres, Sara Marsal Barril, Joan Sahuquillo Barris, Cristina Hernández Pascual, Ester Carceller Delgado, Xavier Montalban Gairín
Funding agency: Instituto de Salud Carlos III
Funding: 781267.51
Reference: CAI08/01/0034
Duration: 01/01/2009 - 31/12/2012

Related news

Her nomination means that she will represent UPF in the national competition held annually.

The Lancet Neurology publishes the new criteria, the result of a global expert consensus led by Dr Xavier Montalban.

The Barcelona Risk Score is a flexible, generalisable clinical tool that will play a key role in selecting the most effective treatment for each person with multiple sclerosis

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