Margarida Maia, PhD,  science writer—

Margarida is a biochemist (University of Porto, Portugal) with a PhD in biomedical sciences (VIB and KULeuven, Belgium). Her main interest is science communication. She is also passionate about design and the dialogue between art and science.

Articles by Margarida Maia

AdventHealth recruiting for study of IDP-023 in progressive MS

The AdventHealth Neuroscience Institute is recruiting patients for a Phase 1b clinical trial testing IDP-023, an off-the-shelf cell-based treatment that Indapta Therapeutics is developing for primary or nonactive secondary progressive multiple sclerosis (MS). The company delayed the study’s expected launch in the second half of last…

Deescalating DMTs increases risk of disease activity in RRMS

People with multiple sclerosis (MS) who switch from a high- to a moderate-efficacy disease-modifying therapy (DMT) increase their risk of disease activity, especially younger adults and those having inflammatory disease activity before a switch, a study finds. Knowing these factors “can help guide future studies on deescalation,” researchers…

30-year MS patient advocate nets John Studdy Award

Multiple sclerosis (MS) patient Lynda Whitton has been granted MS Australia’s 2024 John Studdy Award in recognition of her advocacy, leadership, and fundraising efforts for MS and other neurological diseases in her hometown of Bunbury and across Australia. The nonprofit’s top award is given each year to people…

Munich neurologist wins Barancik Prize for MS research

Mikael Simons, MD, a neurologist at Technical University Munich, has been awarded this year’s $125,000 Barancik Prize for his extensive research on myelin, a protective coating that sheathes nerve cells and becomes damaged in multiple sclerosis (MS). Run by the National MS Society and funded by the Charles…

New website offers information for MS caregivers

A new website aims to provide support to caregivers of people with multiple sclerosis (MS). The site, MS Care Partner Connection, brings together information on how caregivers can care for themselves while tending to those living with the disease, how to navigate the healthcare system, and how to…

Cannabinoids seen to ease MS spasticity, meta-analysis finds

Nabiximols and other cannabis-based preparations sometimes used with multiple sclerosis (MS) appear to work well for controlling spasticity, a common disease symptom that occurs when muscles stiffen or tighten, a meta-analysis of findings in published studies reported. Larger studies into cannabis-based treatments of spasticity for these patients…

FDA clears upgraded software to aid MRI analysis in MS

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared an extended version of Neurophet Aqua, an MRI analysis software that uses artificial intelligence (AI) to measure disease-related changes in brain scans. Earlier clearance enabled Neurophet‘s software to analyze brain atrophy using T1-weighed MRI scans in people with neurodegenerative conditions.

MS nursing scholarship fund granted $100K by EMD Serono

The Foundation of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers (FCMSC) has received a $100,000 donation from EMD Serono, known as Merck Kgaa outside North America, to honor the foundation’s late CEO June Halper by supporting a nursing scholarship fund in her memory. Halper was a former nurse practitioner…

Ocrevus, rituximab may not slow disability progression in PPMS

Anti-CD20 therapies like Ocrevus (ocrelizumab) and rituximab appear to be ineffective at slowing disability progression in people with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS), a form of the disease characterized by symptoms that steadily worsen over time, according to data from a real-world study in France. The study,…