French neurologist Professor Sandra Vukusic won the 2026 Rachel Horne Prize for her contributions to multiple sclerosis research, focusing on women’s health and pregnancy. She will receive the international award on October 23, 2026, at the joint ACTRIMS-ECTRIMS Congress in Toronto, Canada.
Professor Vukusic has been studying women's health in multiple sclerosis for more than two decades.
Overturning Pregnancy Assumptions in Multiple Sclerosis Care
Multiple sclerosis affects an estimated 3.1 million patients worldwide and occurs up to three times more frequently in women than in men, according to neurology data compiled on the condition. Because the diagnosis typically happens between ages 20 and 40, many female patients receive their diagnoses during their reproductive years.
For decades, physicians often advised women with multiple sclerosis against having children due to concerns that it would worsen the disease. Clinical studies led by Professor Vukusic over a career spanning two decades have helped overturn the long-held belief that pregnancy worsens short- and long-term MS courses. Her work also examined how assisted reproduction interacts with multiple sclerosis evolution and helped establish structured approaches for managing therapies around pregnancy.
These findings build upon historical milestones in the field. The prospective Pregnancy in Multiple Sclerosis study, originally published in 2004, demonstrated that relapse rates drop during pregnancy—particularly in the third trimester—before rising during the first three months postpartum and returning to prepregnancy levels.
“When I started my career, women living with MS were still being told not to have children. Over the past twenty-five years, there has been an explosion of scientific knowledge and the introduction of a wide range of treatments, which now allow us to plan pregnancy more confidently, assess risks more precisely, and manage MS treatments before, during and after pregnancy using an increasingly evidence-based approach. I am deeply honoured and grateful to receive this prize.”
Professor Sandra Vukusic
Recent research by Professor Vukusic and her team uncovered sex-based disparities in how clinicians prescribe high-efficacy drug therapies. Women of childbearing age faced a significantly lower likelihood of receiving high-efficacy treatments compared to men, largely driven by unfounded anxieties regarding potential future pregnancies. This phenomenon, known as therapeutic inertia, carries the risk of greater long-term disability for female patients.
To combat these gaps, Professor Vukusic led the development of the 2022 French MS society guidelines on pregnancy. Those recommendations cover family planning, postpartum relapse prevention, reproductive assistance, breastfeeding, and disease-modifying therapy management.
The 2026 ACTRims-ECTRIMS Congress Award Ceremony in Toronto
The Rachel Horne Prize recognizes female scientists making exceptional contributions to women-specific health issues in multiple sclerosis. The international award is judged through International Women in MS.
A selection committee composed of international women leaders in science and neurology, presided by Dr. Marwa Kaisey, reviews applications for the prize. Professor Vukusic is the fourth recipient, following past winners Prof. Dr. Rhonda Voskuhl in 2023, Professor Kerstin Hellwig in 2024, and Dr. Kristen Krysko in 2025.
“Throughout her career, Professor Vukusic has deepened our understanding of MS and, importantly, of how the disease affects women. Her research combines scientific excellence with a strong commitment to improving the lives and care of women living with MS. She is a highly deserving recipient of this prize.”
Rachel Horne, award founder
Professor Vukusic will accept the prize during the joint ACTRIMS-ECTRIMS Congress scheduled for October 23, 2026, in Toronto, Canada. Alongside the announcement, she joined award founder Rachel Horne and podcast host Brett Drummond for a special ECTRIMS Podcast episode discussing treatment disparities, breastfeeding, family planning, and unanswered questions surrounding menopause and wider women’s health in neurology.