The RIMS Fellowship Exchange Programme supports early career professionals in advancing their expertise in MS rehabilitation through short-term training visits to leading RIMS Member Centres. Each year, up to four fellows are awarded €1,000 to support an exchange aimed at fostering multidisciplinary learning and cross-centre collaboration.

We are proud to introduce the 2025 RIMS Fellowship recipients: Rebecca Cardini and Barbara Von Glasenapp. Their work exemplifies the programme’s mission to promote innovation, knowledge exchange, and professional growth in the field of MS rehabilitation.

Rebecca Cardini (Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi, Italy)

As part of the 2025 RIMS Fellowship Programme, Rebecca will visit the Centre d’Esclerosi Múltiple de Catalunya (CEMCAT) in Barcelona.

Her fellowship visit will focus on deepening her expertise in rehabilitation approaches for people with multiple sclerosis, with particular attention to motor function, balance, and gait. 

By working closely with CEMCAT's clinical and research teams, Rebecca aims to explore innovative therapeutic interventions and learn about cutting-edge treatment protocols currently in use.

In addition to hands-on learning, the visit will serve as a valuable platform to build connections for future collaboration—particularly in the areas of clinical trials and research development in MS rehabilitation.

Barbara Von Glasenapp (University Medical Center Hamburg - Eppendorf

This RIMS Fellowship is currently supporting a six-month research stay at Aarhus University, within the Department of Public Health and Sports Biology, which commenced in March 2025.

The research involves conducting a scoping review on pain modulation and exercise in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS), alongside developing advanced expertise in exercise assessment methods and the management and interpretation of performance tests in exercise research.

The fellowship also offers valuable opportunities to observe how research findings are integrated into clinical rehabilitation practice through the department’s close collaboration with the Danish MS Hospitals.

We are proud to announce that the recipient of the 2025 RIMS Grant Programme (RiGra) is Blanca De Dios Perez (University of Nottingham, UK), for her innovative and impactful project: Measuring Value in MS Rehabilitation: A Comprehensive Evaluation Framework (MVMR-CEF).

Rehabilitation plays a crucial role in supporting people with multiple sclerosis (MS) to live well and independently for longer. However, rehabilitation interventions are complex by nature, leading to challenges in measuring changes in clinical and functional outcomes. To date, there is no standard approach to measure outcomes in MS rehabilitation, and there is extensive variability based on outcomes selected, how these are collected, by whom, and when, which can lead to challenges evaluating rehabilitation programmes.

Rehabilitation plays a critical role in enhancing the quality of life for people with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). Yet, its impact is often difficult to assess due to the complexity of interventions and variability in outcomes. The MVMR-CEF project aims to address these challenges by:

• Identifying key outcome domains and measures collected across European MS rehabilitation centres
• Developing a harmonised evaluation framework for MS rehabilitation
• Strengthening evidence-based practice across the MS rehabilitation field

The MVMR-CEF project represents a major step forward in building consistent, meaningful metrics that can help clinicians, researchers, and patients better understand the impact of rehabilitation in MS.

This project is a collaborative effort, led by Blanca De Dios Perez, and supported by a distinguished team of co-investigators from across Europe:

• Roshan das Nair, SINTEF and University of Nottingham, Norway
• Inger Løyning, MS Centre Hakadal, Norway
• Daphne Kos, National MS Center Melsbroek, Belgium
• Lars Hvid, The Danish MS Hospitals, Denmark
• Jessica Podda, Fondazione Italiana Sclerosi Multipla, Italy
• Päivi Hämäläinen, Masku Neurological Rehabilitation Centre, Finland

Special thanks are extended to mentors from the University of Nottingham—Prof. Kate Raford, Prof. Denise Kendrick, Prof. Nikos Evangelou, and Prof. Roshan das Nair—for their invaluable support and guidance.

We extend our warmest congratulations to Blanca and her team on this well-deserved achievement, and we look forward to seeing the progress and impact of the project in the months to come.

About RiGra

The RIMS Grant Programme (RiGra) supports early-career researchers in the field of MS rehabilitation by funding high-quality, practice-oriented research that enhances care and outcomes for people living with MS.

The RIMS community mourns the loss of Professor Giancarlo Comi, a visionary neurologist and pioneer in the field of multiple sclerosis research, President of the European Charcot Foundation. A pioneer in proposing early treatment of multiple sclerosis, his groundbreaking contributions extended beyond pharmacological advances, shedding light on the biological effects of rehabilitation in multiple sclerosis. With his strong support to the PROMS initiative, he was a great advocate of people living with the disease towards their active contribution to MS research and care.

Professor Comi's work emphasized the critical role of rehabilitation in modulating neuroplasticity and improving patient outcomes. We honor his legacy and enduring impact on science, medicine, and the lives of those with MS worldwide.

You can apply for the RIMS fellowship programme until December 31, 2024. Read all about it HERE.