Manuel A. Friese, MD, clinician-scientist at the Institute of Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis of the University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf in Hamburg, Germany was awarded the 2025 Barancik Prize for Innovation in MS Research. He is being recognized for his groundbreaking work studying the interactions between inflammation and nerve cell death (also called neurodegeneration) that drive disease progression. His work has the potential to identify new therapeutic targets for MS. It also brings the field closer to stopping disease progression, a key objective of the Pathways to Cures Research Roadmap.

As chair at Larner, Calabresi will be responsible for the clinical, research, and education missions of the Department of Neurological Sciences, which has a long tradition of outstanding clinical and basic science research in addition to providing excellence in education and training for students, residents, and fellows. At the University of Vermont Health Network, Calabresi’s responsibilities as chair of neurological sciences will include leading physicians, residents, fellows, and staff at the network’s locations across Vermont and northern New York. The Health Network is widely recognized for providing exemplary primary and comprehensive neurological care in the region, with a commitment to comprehensive patient care, high-quality medical education, and clinically oriented research.

Calabresi’s area of expertise is multiple sclerosis. He has received numerous honors for his work, including induction into the American Association of Physicians, the Snyder-Granader Family Professorship in Multiple Sclerosis, a Giants in Multiple Sclerosis Research Award from the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers, the Raymond D. Adams Lectureship from the American Neurological Association, the Barancik Award for Innovation in Multiple Sclerosis Research, and the Stephen C. Reingold Research Award from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

He lends his expertise in several national premier medical professional organizations, including the Scientific Advisory Committee of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and the Scientific Advisory Board of the North American Imaging in Multiple Sclerosis Cooperative. He is co-founder and past president of the International Multiple Sclerosis Visual System Consortium and a Fellow in the American Academy of Neurology and in the American Association of Physicians.

Dr. Bebo leads the National MS Society’s global research strategy and medical affairs function, integrating scientific discovery with evidence-based medical engagement to accelerate life-changing breakthroughs for people with MS.

He earned a B.S. in microbiology and chemistry from Northern Arizona University and a Ph.D. in immunology from Texas A&M University. Following Society-funded postdoctoral training at the Portland VA Medical Center, Dr. Bebo spent more than a decade on the research faculty at Oregon Health & Science University, where he made significant contributions to MS research.

Before joining the Society in 2012, Dr. Bebo held senior leadership roles in the pharmaceutical and nonprofit sectors, including Director of Immunology Research at Elbion GmbH (Dresden, Germany) and Director of Research and Medical Programs at the National Psoriasis Foundation.

As the principal architect of the Society’s Pathways to Cures research roadmap, Dr. Bebo has helped shape a bold, collaborative global agenda to stop MS progression, restore lost function, and ultimately prevent the disease. A frequent speaker at major scientific and medical conferences, he continues to influence the future of MS research and care through strategic leadership and collaboration.

His commitment to MS research is deeply personal—his mother’s diagnosis during his childhood fuels his lifelong dedication to accelerating cures and improving lives.