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Montalban, Xavier
M.D., PhD, FAAN, FEAN, FCAHS
Neurologist. President of Fundació Cemcat and Vice President of the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation (FEM)
OTHER POSITIONS:
Hong Kong Multiple Sclerosis Society (HKMSS)
• Honorary fellow, 2024 - Present
Indian Multiple Sclerosis and Allied Demyelinating Disorders Registry and Research Network (IMSRN)
• Honorary fellow, 2024 - Present
RC2NB - Research Center for Clinical Neuroimmunology and Neuroscience Basel
• Member, Scientific Advisory Board, 2021 - Present
OTHER PREVIOUS POSITIONS:
Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ACTRIMS)
• Member, Advisory Committee, 2018 - 2021
International Advisory Committee on Clinical Trials in MS. National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS)
• Chair, 2023 - 2024
• Vice-Chair, 2021 - 2023
• Member, 2003 - 2020
Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (MSIF)
• Chair, International Medical and Scientific Board (IMSB), 2015 - 2019
• Main Board Member, MSIF Research Staff Network. IMSB Executive Committee, 2015 - 2019
• Member, Scientific Advisory Board, 2007 - 2015
European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis (ECTRIMS)
• President, 2014 - 2016
• Vice President, Committee Member, 2014 - 2016
• Secretary, Committee Member, 2012 - 2013
• Member, Committee Member, 2009 - 2011
• Member, Scientific Committee, 2000 - 2009
European Federation of Neurological Societies (EFNS)
• Member, Scientific Panel on Demyelinating Diseases, 2012 - 2014
International Multiple Sclerosis Cognition Society (IMSCOGS)
• Member, Steering Committee, 2011 - 2017
Magnetic Imaging in Multiple Sclerosis (MAGNIMS)
• Chair, Steering Committee, 2010 - 2014
• Member, Steering Committee, 1997 - 2014
National Multiple Sclerosis Societies (NMSS)
• Member, Advisory Committee on Clinical Trials, 2009 - 2020
• Member, Advisory Committee on Clinical Trials, 2003 - 2006
Controversies in Neurology (CONy)
• Member, International Committee, 2009 - 2011
MS-MR Centre (MS-MRI Research Centre)
• Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Free University, Amsterdam, 2001 - 2004
MS Forum
• Member, Executive Committee, 2000 - 2010
European School of Neuroimmunology (ESNI)
• Member, Scientific Board, 1999 - 2013
Education
MD and PhD in Neuroimmunology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Postdoctoral fellowship at the Lupus Research Institute
Clinical training National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square in London (UK)
Executive Master in Healthcare Organizations Leadership (EMDOS), Esade Business School
Career
Current Appointments
2016-present President of Fundació Cemcat
2025-present Vice President of Multiple Sclerosis Foundation (FEM)
2025-present Co-President of the European Charcot Foundation.
2024-present Medical Director of Ace Alzheimer Center Barcelona
2005-present Chair of Neurology, Neuropsychology and Neurophysiology of Quirónsalud Barcelona Hospital
2022-present Professor of Neurology, Universitat de Vic - Universitat Central de Catalunya (UVic-UCC)
Previous Appointments
2007-2026 Director of the Multiple Sclorosis Center of Catalonia (Cemcat)
2006-2026 Professor of Neurology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)
2012-2024 Head of the Neuroimmunology Research Group, Vall d’Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR)
2017-2026 Head of the Department of Neurology, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron (HUVH)
2017-2020 Director of the BarLo MS Centre, Toronto
2017-2020 Director of the Division of Neurology at the University of Toronto (UofT)
2017-2020 Professor of Neurology at the University of Toronto (UofT)
2012-2017 Head of the Department of Neurology-Neuroimmunology, Hospital Universitari Vall d’Hebron (HUVH)
2010-2012 Clinical Director of Neurosciences, HUVH
2005-2010 Clinical Head of the Department of Neurology, HUVH
1990-2007 Director of the Clinical Neuroimmunology Unit, HUVH
Awards
Fundación Lilly Biomedical Research Award (Clinical research), 2024
Award for Research Trajectory in Catalan Health Institute Hospitals, 2023 (ICS)
Charcot Award from the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation, 2023 (MSIF)
2022 John Dystel Prize for Multiple Sclerosis Research (American Academy of Neurology-AAN & National Multiple Sclerosis Society-NMSS)
2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019 & 2018 Highly Cited Researchers (Web of Science/Clarivate Analytics)
Tribute on the Fundación Merck Salud's 30th anniversary, 2021 (Fundación Merck Salud)
Tribute to individuals whose passion, talent and expertise make the greatest contributions to LACTRIMS in their professional career, 2021 (Latinamerican Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis-LACTRIMS)
Best in Class 2018 (Gaceta Médica & Chair on Innovation and Health Management of the Rey Juan Carlos University)
Award to the 25 Medical Ambassadors of Spanish Health System 2018 (Diario Médico)
ECTRIMS Honorary Member of the Council, 2017 (European Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis-ECTRIMS)
Award for Professional Excellence in Biomedical Research 2012 (Official College of Physicians of Barcelona-COMB)
2009 Multiple Sclerosis Award (Spanish Association of Neurology-SEN)
Projects / Lines of Research / Interests
Prof. Montalban has been in the inception phases and on steering committees of many clinical trials as an expert and key opinion leader in Multiple Sclerosis. He has authored over 750 original and revision publications in International peer-reviewed journals as well as several book chapters.
As a chief of the Neuroimmunology Research Group at the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), he is also working on MR imaging and biological prognostic factors of disease evolution and treatment response, immunological mechanisms of the disease and other aspects of clinical management of MS. Of note in Medicine education is the UAB postgraduate online Master's Degree in Neuroimmunology offered to physicians with some experience in the field.
His research interests include clinical aspects of MS: he has directed the development of the first Spanish (second worldwide) Multiple Sclerosis Clinical Practice Guidelines. He also has led the European Guidelines for Treatment of MS, of which Prof. R. Gold is co-chair.
He has authored over 800 original and revision publications in national and international peer- reviewed journals with over 52.000 citations plus several book chapters, while his Scopus H-Index is 101.
Bio
Tintore M, Cobo-Calvo A, Carbonell P, Arrambide G, Otero-Romero S, Río J, Tur C, Comabella M, Nos C, Arévalo MJ, Midaglia L, Galán I, Vidal-Jordana A, Castilló J, Rodríguez-Acevedo B, Zabalza de Torres A, Salerno A, Auger C, Sastre-Garriga J, Rovira À, Montalban X. Effect of Changes in MS Diagnostic Criteria Over 25 Years on Time to Treatment and Prognosis in Patients With Clinically Isolated Syndrome. Neurology. 2021 Oct 26;97(17):e1641-e1652. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000012726. Epub 2021 Sep 14. PMID: 34521693
Hauser SL, Kappos L, Arnold DL, Bar-Or A, Brochet B, Naismith RT, Traboulsee A, Wolinsky JS, Belachew S, Koendgen H, Levesque V, Manfrini M, Model F, Hubeaux S, Mehta L, Montalban X. Five years of ocrelizumab in relapsing multiple sclerosis: OPERA studies open-label extension. Neurology. 2020 Sep 29;95(13):e1854-e1867. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000010376. Epub 2020 Jul 20. PMID: 32690791.
Rotstein D, Montalban X. Reaching an evidence-based prognosis for personalized treatment of multiple sclerosis. Nat Rev Neurol. 2019 May;15(5):287-300. doi: 10.1038/s41582-019-0170-8. Review. PubMed PMID: 30940920.
Montalban X, Arnold DL, Weber MS, Staikov I, Piasecka-Stryczynska K, Willmer J, Martin EC, Dangond F, Syed S, Wolinsky JS; Evobrutinib Phase 2 Study Group. Placebo-Controlled Trial of an Oral BTK Inhibitor in Multiple Sclerosis. N Engl J Med. 2019 Jun 20;380(25):2406-2417. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1901981. Epub 2019 May 10. PubMed PMID: 31075187.
Tur C, Kalincik T, Oh J, Sormani MP, Tintoré M, Butzkueven H, Montalban X. Head-to-head drug comparisons in multiple sclerosis: Urgent action needed. Neurology. 2019 Oct 29;93(18):793-809. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000008319. Epub 2019 Oct 7. Review. PubMed PMID: 31591277.
Arrambide G, Tintoré M, Espejo C, Auger C, Castillo M, Río J, Castilló J, Vidal-Jordana Á, Galán I, Nos C, Mitjana R, Mulero P, de Barros A, Rodríguez-Acevedo B, Midaglia L, Sastre-Garriga J, Rovira À, Comabella M, Montalban X. The value of oligoclonal bands in the multiple sclerosis diagnostic criteria. Brain. 2018 Apr 1;141(4):1075-1084. doi: 10.1093/brain/awy006. PubMed PMID: 29462277.
Montalban X, Leist TP, Cohen BA, Moses H, Campbell J, Hicking C, Dangond F. Cladribine tablets added to IFN-β in active relapsing MS: The ONWARD study. Neurol Neuroimmunol Neuroinflamm. 2018 Jul 11;5(5):e477. doi: 10.1212/NXI.0000000000000477. eCollection 2018 Sep. PubMed PMID: 30027104; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC6047834.
Montalban X, Gold R, Thompson AJ, Otero-Romero S, Amato MP, Chandraratna D, Clanet M, Comi G, Derfuss T, Fazekas F, Hartung HP, Havrdova E, Hemmer B, Kappos L, Liblau R, Lubetzki C, Marcus E, Miller DH, Olsson T, Pilling S, Selmaj K, Siva A, Sorensen PS, Sormani MP, Thalheim C, Wiendl H, Zipp F. ECTRIMS/EAN Guideline on the pharmacological treatment of people with multiple sclerosis. Mult Scler. 2018 Feb;24(2):96-120. doi: 10.1177/1352458517751049. Epub 2018 Jan 20. Erratum in: Mult Scler. 2020 Apr;26(4):517. PMID: 29353550.
Montalban X, Belachew S, Wolinsky JS. Ocrelizumab in Primary Progressive and Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis. N Engl J Med. 2017 Apr 27;376(17):1694. doi: 10.1056/NEJMc1702076. PubMed PMID: 28445663.
Montalban X, Hauser SL, Kappos L, Arnold DL, Bar-Or A, Comi G, de Seze J, Giovannoni G, Hartung HP, Hemmer B, Lublin F, Rammohan KW, Selmaj K, Traboulsee A, Sauter A, Masterman D, Fontoura P, Belachew S, Garren H, Mairon N, Chin P, Wolinsky JS; ORATORIO Clinical Investigators. Ocrelizumab versus Placebo in Primary Progressive Multiple Sclerosis. N Engl J Med. 2017 Jan 19;376(3):209-220. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1606468. Epub 2016 Dec 21. PubMed PMID: 28002688.
Wattjes MP, Rovira À, Miller D, Yousry TA, Sormani MP, de Stefano MP, Tintoré M, Auger C, Tur C, Filippi M, Rocca MA, Fazekas F, Kappos L, Polman C, Frederik Barkhof, Xavier Montalban; MAGNIMS study group. Evidence-based guidelines: MAGNIMS consensus guidelines on the use of MRI in multiple sclerosis- establishing disease prognosis and monitoring patients. Nat Rev Neurol. 2015 Oct;11(10):597-606. doi: 10.1038/nrneurol.2015.157. Epub 2015 Sep 15. Review. PubMed PMID: 26369511.
Rovira À, Wattjes MP, Tintoré M, Tur C, Yousry TA, Sormani MP, De Stefano N, Filippi M, Auger C, Rocca MA, Barkhof F, Fazekas F, Kappos L, Polman C, Miller D, Montalban X; MAGNIMS study group. Evidence-based guidelines: MAGNIMS consensus guidelines on the use of MRI in multiple sclerosis-clinical implementation in the diagnostic process. Nat Rev Neurol. 2015 Aug;11(8):471-82. doi: 10.1038/nrneurol.2015.106. Epub 2015 Jul 7. Review. Erratum in: Nat Rev Neurol. 2015 Aug;11(8):483. PubMed PMID: 26149978.
Tintoré M, Rovira À, Río J, Otero-Romero S, Arrambide G, Tur C, Comabella M, Nos C, Arévalo MJ, Negrotto L, Galán I, Vidal-Jordana Á, Castilló J, Palavra F, Simon E, Mitjana R, Auger C, Sastre-Garriga J, Montalban X. Defining high, medium and low impact prognostic factors for developing multiple sclerosis. Brain. 2015 Jul;138(Pt 7):1863-74. doi: 10.1093/brain/awv105. Epub 2015 Apr 21. PubMed PMID: 25902415.
Montalban X, Comi G, Antel J, O'Connor P, de Vera A, Cremer M, Sfikas N, von Rosenstiel P, Kappos L. Long-term results from a phase 2 extension study of fingolimod at high and approved dose in relapsing multiple sclerosis. J Neurol. 2015 Dec;262(12):2627-34. doi: 10.1007/s00415-015-7834-0. Epub 2015 Sep 4. PubMed PMID: 26338810.
Comabella M, Montalban X. Body fluid biomarkers in multiple sclerosis. Lancet Neurol. 2014 Jan;13(1):113-26. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(13)70233-3. Review. PubMed PMID: 24331797.
Montalban X, Sastre-Garriga J. Diagnosis and trials of clinically isolated syndrome. Lancet Neurol. 2014 Oct;13(10):962-3. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(14)70202-9. Epub 2014 Sep 2. PubMed PMID: 25192850.
Montalban X, Tintoré M. Multiple sclerosis in 2013: novel triggers, treatment targets and brain atrophy measures. Nat Rev Neurol. 2014 Feb;10(2):72-3. doi: 10.1038/nrneurol.2013.274. Epub 2014 Jan 7. Review. PubMed PMID: 24394287.
Miller DH, Weber T, Grove R, Wardell C, Horrigan J, Graff O, Atkinson G, Dua P, Yousry T, Macmanus D, Montalban X. Firategrast for relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis: a phase 2, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet Neurol. 2012 Feb;11(2):131-9. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(11)70299-X. Epub 2012 Jan 5. PubMed PMID: 22226929.
Gold R, Montalban X. Multiple sclerosis: more pieces of the immunological puzzle. Lancet Neurol. 2012 Jan;11(1):9-10. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(11)70268-X. PubMed PMID: 22172612.
