SIG Meetings during 30th RiMS Congress
During the 30th RiMS Congress taking place in Barcelona and in parallel, multiple SIG lectures and meetings will be taking place, providing a platform for deep discussion, project development, and peer learning.
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Blanca De Dios Perez
Senior Research Fellow ｜Centre for Rehabilitation and Ageing Research & NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre｜ University of Nottingham｜ Dr Blanca De Dios Pérez is a Senior Research Fellow in Rehabilitation Research at the Centre for Rehabilitation and Ageing Research within the School of Medicine at the University of Nottingham. Dr De Dios is also affiliated with the NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre. Dr De Dios obtained a bachelor’s degree in Psychology (specialisation in Neuropsychology) at Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain) before moving to the United Kingdom to further her education and a career in academia. Her research at the University of Manchester involved collaborations on various projects aiming to understand cognition and language deficits in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and stroke survivors. Dr De Dios has extensive expertise in vocational rehabilitation, intervention development, complex interventions, and implementation research, among other methodologies. In 2024, she was awarded the Early Career Fellowship from the UK MS Society to develop her work on job retention and vocational rehabilitation interventions for people with MS. This work focuses on the support needs of people with MS and their employers to optimise employment outcomes and prevent a premature workforce exit for people with MS. -
Carla Kloet
Multiple sclerosis nurse consultant at St. Antonius Hospital in the Netherlands. Provides guidance, education, and support to people living with multiple sclerosis. Brings extensive nursing experience with a strong focus on patient-centered care and quality of life. -
Hans Bogaardt
Dr. Hans Bogaardt is an internationally recognised speech pathologist and clinical epidemiologist whose work is transforming our understanding of communication disorders in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). With over 25 years of experience across clinical, academic, and industry settings in Europe and Australia, he currently serves as Associate Professor and Director of Speech Pathology at Monash University. Dr. Bogaardt’s research focuses on how MS affects language, speech, and cognitive communication function. He has led major international initiatives to develop and validate person centred assessment tools—including the CLAMS and SMS questionnaires—that capture the lived experience of communication changes in MS. His work has illuminated the impact of word-finding difficulties, language impairments, and communicative participation, and has identified the influence of fatigue, depression, and cognitive load on communication outcomes. His research is distinguished by strong interdisciplinary collaboration and deep consumer involvement, ensuring that patient experience drives clinical priorities and intervention design. Dr. Bogaardt has authored more than 80 peer reviewed publications, with over 1,200 citations. -
Inger Grethe Løyning
Research and Development Leader at the MS Center Hakadal in Norway. Experienced occupational therapist with a focus on fatigue management and everyday participation in MS. Chairs the RIMS Special Interest Group on Occupation, contributing internationally to rehabilitation practice. She is also Chair of RIMS SIG Occupation. -
Jalesh Panicker
Consultant Neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, and Reader in Uro-Neurology at UCL. Internationally recognized expert in bladder, bowel, and sexual dysfunction in neurological disorders, leading pioneering multidisciplinary services for people with MS and related conditions. -
Jessica Podda
Jessica Podda is a psychologist with a Ph.D. in Bioengineering and Robotics from the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) (Genoa, Italy). She currently serves as Scientific Coordinator of Research in Cognitive and Psychosocial Sciences at the neuroBRITE Research Center of the Italian Multiple Sclerosis Foundation (FISM), the research foundation of the Italian Multiple Sclerosis Association (AISM), in Genoa (Italy). She obtained the National Scientific Qualification as Associate Professor in the Italian higher education system (call 2023–2025; Ministerial Decree n. 1796/2023; disciplinary field 11/E1–General Psychology, Psychobiology and Psychometrics). She is also Contract Professor of General Psychology at the University of Genoa, where she teaches and supervises undergraduate and master’s students in Psychology, Physiotherapy, and Bioengineering, and coordinates the mentoring activities for psychology trainees at the Rehabilitation Service of AISM Liguria (Italy). She has authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications (h-index 13, Scopus) with research on cognition and mood in MS, digital health, and technology-enhanced assessment and rehabilitation of cognitive and motor functions. Since 2022, she serves as Chair of the Special Interest Group “Mood and Cognition” of the International Network for Best Practice and Research in Multiple Sclerosis Rehabilitation (RiMS). -
Klaus Krogh
Clinical Professor in Hepatology and Gastroenterology at Aarhus University, Denmark, specializing in neurogastroenterological issues in neurological conditions like MS and spinal cord injury. His research addresses neurogenic bowel dysfunction, fecal incontinence, constipation, and treatment approaches including sacral nerve stimulation. -
Leena Maria Heikkola
Professor (UiT, Norway) & Associate Professor (Åbo Akademi, Finland) in Speech-Language Pathology. Leads work on cognitive fatigue and language skills in MS, with interests in neuro- and psycholinguistics, interfaces between music & language, and how linguistic and cognitive processes are affected in MS. She is also Chair of the SIG Communication & Swallowing. -
Marcia Finlayson
Occupational therapist and researcher based at Queen’s University in Canada, with over two decades of work aimed at improving the daily lives of people with MS and their caregivers. Her research spans self-management programs, access to rehabilitation and wellness services, and evaluating how rehabilitation can reduce disparities in outcomes. -
Noreen Barker
MS Consultant Nurse at the National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery (NHNN), London, with more than 20 years’ experience. Initially trained in continence and urology, since 2008 has worked in MS care across community and acute settings, leading MS clinical nurse specialist teams. Passionate about improving self-management, multidisciplinary care, and equitable access to services. -
Vicky Leavitt
Clinical neuropsychologist and researcher at Columbia University and NewYork-Presbyterian, with a focus on cognitive impairment and non-cognitive changes in people with MS. Studies how lifestyle factors (sleep, diet, exercise, social support) influence cognition, and develops new tools for measuring cognitive change. Co-founder & Chief Scientific Officer of eSupport Health, offering virtual peer-support groups for people living with MS.