30 September 2026
Recognising excellence in women’s MS research
Professor Sandra Vukusic has won the 2026 Rachel Horne Prize for research that has improved pregnancy, treatment and care for women living with MS.
Congratulations to Professor Sandra Vukusic who has been recognised for her work advancing research into women’s health and MS.
Thousands of women living with MS have benefited from Professor Sandra Vukusic’s research. Her work has helped improve understanding of pregnancy, family planning and treatment decisions in multiple sclerosis. In recognition of this impact, she has been awarded the 2026 Rachel Horne Prize for Women’s Research in MS.
Professor Vukusic is a neurologist at the University of Lyon and Scientific Coordinator of France’s national MS registry, OFSEP. For more than 20 years she has led research that has improved care for women living with MS.
What difference has her work made to women?
Her research has helped prove that women living with MS can safely consider having children. This has given many women more confidence when making decisions about starting a family. It has also helped healthcare professionals give better advice and support.
More recently, her research has looked at differences in the care women receive. Her work found that women of childbearing age are less likely than men to be offered some of the most effective MS treatments. By highlighting this issue, her research is helping improve care and ensure women have the information they need to make the best decisions for their health.
Accepting the award, Professor Vukusic said:
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, allowing us to manage pregnancy and MS with an increasingly evidence-based approach.
Professor Vukusic is the fourth recipient of the international award, which recognises researchers whose work has made a meaningful difference to the lives and care of women affected by MS. The prize will be presented at the joint ACTRIMS-ECTRIMS Congress in Toronto on 23 October 2026.
Rachel Horne, founder of the prize, said:
Throughout her career, Professor Vukusic has deepened our understanding of MS and how it affects women, combining scientific excellence with a strong commitment to improving the lives and care of women living with MS.
The Rachel Horne Prize for Women’s Research in MS is awarded each year to a researcher whose work has improved the lives and care of women living with MS.
