The Rita Levi Montalcini Prize was born in 1999 to recognize the commitment of researcher in scientific research on multiple sclerosis. With the Rita Levi Montalcini Prize the Italian MS Foundation wants to exploit the extraordinary human capital represented by researchers as the true driving force for a world free of multiple sclerosis. 

During the annual Scientific Congress, which takes place online on November 26th and 27th, the Italian MS Foundation nominated three women neurologists for their committment in the research of the relations between Covid-19 and multple sclerosis - doctor Cinzia Cordioli, doctor Lucia Moiola and doctor Marta Radaelli  - for the assignment of the Rita Levi Montalcini Prize 2020. 

In the image above: from the left, Dr Paola Zaratin, Director of Scientific Research Italian MS Foundation, the three Rita Lavri Montalcini Prize awardee Cinzia Cordioli, Lucia Moiola, Marta Radaelli. Below the italian Ministry of University Gaetano Manfredi, who attended the opening of the Annual Scientific Congress of the Italian MS Foundation.

Doctor Cordioli is a Neurologist at the Multiple Sclerosis Center, Spedali Civili in Brescia. She is an expert within Multiple Sclerosis research and is involved in MS clinical studies. Her research is focused on the diagnosis and on the treatment of multiple sclerosis with immunomodulators, immunosuppressants and monoclonal drugs, and she is a member of the committee in chrge of updating the procedure for assigning the EDSS score according to international standards. She has authored and co-authored more than 55 articles in peer-reviewed journals. She has been invited speaker for numerous nationally and internationally scientific conferences. 

Doctor Moiola is an expert neurologist in Multiple Sclerosis. Since 2011 she has been the Coordinator of the Multiple sclerosis Centre in the Department of Neurology at Ospedale San Raffaele, Milan, Italy. Since 2009 has been tenured professor for the Specialization School in Neurology of the Università Vita-Salute San Raffele, Milan.  She is involved in many MS research projects and MS Clinical trials, including post marketing observational phase IV trials such as those on pediatric MS. Over the past two years, Dr. Moiola's research interest has focused on infections associated with Disease Modifying Treatments (DMTs) and its prevention. Furthermore, she has experience of cases within inflammatory diseases within the Central Nervous System, particularly primary Central Nervous System vasculitis and secondary vasculititis, especially Neurolupus regarding the latter. Doctor Moiola is authored and co-authored of more than 100 articles in peer-reviewed journals. She has been invited speaker for nationally and internationally scientific conferences and is part of the reviewer board for Neurological Sciences and Multiple Sclerosis journal. 

Doctor Marta Radaelli is a Neurologist at Papa Giovanni XXIII Hospital, Bergamo, Italy. Doctor Radaelli is an expert of multiple sclerosis and is involved in MS research projects and in clinical trials on MS disease modifying treatments, including post marketing studies.  She has been particularly interested in stem cell therapy for MS and she has participated to hematopoietic, mesenchymal and neural stem cell trails.  In the last 5 years she was involved in an international project on wearable technologies with the aim to identify characteristic patterns for predict relapse or deterioration in different disease and also in an Italian project on the same topic specific for MS. Morover in the MS area she works also on a project to determine the usefulness and feasibility of remote monitoring in the assessment in disability progression and mood changes.  Dr. Radaelli has authored and co-authored more than 55 articles in peer-reviewed journals. 

The Italian MS Society and its Foundation is honoured to assign the 2020 Rita Levi Montalcini Prize to Doctor Cordioli, Moiola and Radaelli for their commitment in translating research into answers for people affected by MS during COVID-19 pandemic, and for their active participation in the development of the International Multiple Sclerosis and COVID-19 data collection, MuSC-19.