We received more than 200 nominations for the 2023 Giants of Multiple Sclerosis® recognition program! We honored 10 inductees across a wide array of disciplines, including neurologists, physical therapists, nurses, pharmacists, and advocates. In addition, we honored a trailblazer in MS care with the June Halper Visionary Award. The contributions of the inductees to the care of patients with Multiple Sclerosis are exemplary. Their hard work and dedication continue to shape the future of MS care and improve the lives of patients with MS and their families.

Cyndi Zagieboylo

National Multiple Sclerosis Society

Cyndi Zagieboylo became president and CEO of the National MS Society in 2011. Her Society career started in 1985 and she has worked with every CEO of the organization including founder, Sylvia Lawry. Providing global leadership to accelerate  progress toward MS cures while empowering people affected by MS to live their best lives is her life’s work.

Cyndi is a founding member and executive committee chair of the International Progressive MS Alliance which launched in 2013. The Alliance expedites the  development of therapies for progressive MS and includes membership from 19 countries. She serves on the MS International Federation Board of Trustees, Research! America Board of Trustees and executive committee, and the National MS Society Board of Directors as President.

On behalf of the National MS Society USA, Cyndi declared international consensus on the Pathways to Cures Roadmap which was published in the March 2022 issue of Multiple Sclerosis Journal and has endorsements from more than 30 organizations worldwide.

She is passionate about building the MS movement, amplifying the voices of people affected by MS to influence lawmakers, and ensuring people affected by MS know that the National MS Society is here to be a supportive partner in their life journeys. Cyndi received her bachelor’s degree in rehabilitation counseling and psychology from Springfield College and master’s degree in social psychology from the University of Connecticut.

Anthony Feinstein, MPhil, PhD, MD

University of Toronto and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

Anthony Feinstein is a professor of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto and past Chair of the Medical Advisory Committee of the MS Society of Canada. His MS research has focused on determining cerebral correlates of depression and disorders of affect, the use of computers and distracters in eliciting cognitive dysfunction, and the behavioral effects of cannabis and the mechanisms underlying these behaviours. He is currently lead investigator on the CogEx trail, a six-country study determining the efficacy of treating cognitive impairment in people with progressive MS using high intensity aerobic exercise and cognitive rehabilitation.  

A second strand to his research relates to the study of journalists in conflict situations. He has published a series of studies exploring the psychological effects of conflict on journalists covering the Balkans, Iraq, Mexico, Syria, Kenya, Iran, Afghanistan, the refugee crisis in Europe and the aftermath of the 9/11 attack on New York City. He currently consults to a number of news organizations including the Globe and Mail, CNN, the New York Times and Agence France Press.  

Dr. Feinstein is the author of In Conflict (New Namibia Books, 1998), Dangerous Lives: War and the Men and Women Who Report It (Thomas Allen, Toronto 2003), The Clinical Neuropsychiatry of Multiple Sclerosis (Cambridge University Press 1999, with a second edition in 2007), Michael Rabin, America’s Virtuoso Violinist (Amadeus Press, 2005, second edition, 2011; audiobook, 2017), Journalists Under Fire: the Psychological Hazards of Covering War (John Hopkins University Press, 2006), Battle Scarred (Tafelberg Press, 2011), Shooting War (Glitterati Editions, 2018) and Mind, Mood and Memory in Multiple Sclerosis (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2022). His new book Moral Courage (Glitterati Editions) is due out in September 2023. He has published widely in peer-reviewed journals and has authored many book chapters.  

In 2000-2001 he was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship to study mental health issues in post-apartheid Namibia. In 2012, he produced a documentary, “Under Fire” based on his research of journalists in war zones. It was longlisted for an Academy Award and won a Peabody Award.  

Frederik Barkhof, MD, PhD

Amsterdam UMC and University College London

Frederik Barkhof received his MD from VU University, Amsterdam (NL) in 1988 and defended his PhD thesis in 1992, for which he received the Philips Prize for Radiology (1992) and the Lucien Appel Prize for Neuroradiology (1994). Since 2001 he serves as a full Professor in Neuroradiology at the department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine at VUmc. In 2015 he was appointed as full Professor of Neuroradiology at institutes of Biomedical Engineering and Neurology at UCL in London (UK) to translate novel imaging techniques. In 2018 he received the John Dystel Prize by the AAN and NMSS for his unique contributions to MS research. In 2019, he became a senior fellow of the ISMRM.

Prof. Barkhof was the chairman of the Dutch Society of Neuroradiology and the MAGNIMS study group for many years. He is leading the Queen Square MS Centre Trial Unit, involved in analysis of multicenter drug trials. He serves on the Editorial boards of Radiology, Multiple Sclerosis Journal, Neuroradiology and Neurology. He is a fellow of the Royal College of Radiology.

His research interests focus on white matter disease, dementia, and glioma. He (co)authored >1300 papers referenced in PubMed, has an H-factor of 167 (Google Scholar) and is listed among 3000 most influential scientists world-wide by Thompson-Reuters. He is the author of the books “Neuroimaging in Dementia”, “Clinical applications of functional brain MRI” and “Clinical Neuroradiology – the ESNR textbook” with >250k chapter downloads.

Cumulatively, he has received >25 million euro of grant money from various national and international funding agencies and performed contract research for all major pharmaceutical companies with cumulative contract value of > 15 million euro. More than 70 PhD students graduated under his supervision and 4 of them have subsequently attained a full professorship.

Robert P. Lisak, MD, FRCP, FAAN, FANA

Wayne State University School of Medicine

Dr Robert Lisak received his BA from the University College of Arts and Sciences of New York University (Heights campus) cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa and his MD from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University. He did his PGY1 at Montefiore Hospital in the Bronx followed by a fellowship as a Research Associate in the Section of Biochemistry, Laboratory of Clinical Sciences at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, MD with Dr Marian Kies. . He did his PGY2 in Internal Medicine at Jacobi Hospital/Albert Einstein College of Medicine and then his residency in Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania and during his PGY4 year also was a fellow in Allergy and Immunology.  He was appointed Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania in 1972, Associate Professor with tenure in 1976 and Professor in 1980. He served as Vice-Chair of Neurology from 1985-1987. At Penn he was also a member of the Graduate Immunology Group and an Associate Member of the Neuroscience Institute.  From 1978-79 he was a honourary fellow at University College and Queen Square National Neurologic Hospital, University of London.  In February 1987 he was appointed Professor and Chair of Neurology and Professor Immunology and Microbiology, now Biochemistry, Microbiology and Immunology, at Wayne State University School of Medicine. He stepped down as Chair in February 2012, having served in that position for 25 years. He was appointed the first Parker Webber Chair in Neurology at WSU in 2002 and served until March 2023 as Parker Webber Chair and Professor of Neurology and BMI and was appointed Professor Emeritus of Neurology in March 2023. Although emeritus he continues with research in neuroimmunologic diseases.  He also served as chief of neurology at Harper University Hospital and its predecessors and as Neurologist in Chief at the DMC.  

Dr Lisak has had an outstanding career in research and scholarly activity, education, clinical care, academic and scientific community service, mentoring and administration.  

One of the pioneers of modern Neuroimmunology, he was doing translational research in neuroimmunologic diseases before the term was being used. Dr Lisak’s research in neuroimmunologic diseases started in 1964 in medical school with myasthenia gravis and in MS in 1966 at NIMH. His research, from the most basic through to clinical trials, includes seminal observations in many diseases including multiple sclerosis and ADEM, as well as animal models of MS, particularly experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE).  He did studies on the role of T cells and antibodies in EAE as well as in MS and ADEM. He was a leader in development and characterization of CNS and PNS primary tissue cultures as well as using these cultures to examine the role of cellular and humoral immunity in disease pathogenesis. He did seminal studies in compartmentalization of the cellular immune response in EAE and within the CNS in MS. The first study showing that normal individuals had circulating autoreactive T cells was from Dr Lisak and his colleagues. In collaboration with several colleagues at WSU, McGill and Penn he demonstrated a novel mechanism of how B cells can damage oligodendrocytes.   His publications have appeared in high impact journals including Science, Nature, New England Journal of Medicine, Brain, Annals of Neurology, Neurology, Lancet, Journal of Immunology and many others. He served as editor in chief of the Journal of the Neurological Sciences for 16 years.  

Dr Lisak was involved in many MS clinical trials. He provided care for patients with MS and related disorders as an attending physician at the University of Pennsylvania and Wayne State University/Detroit Medical Center for over 50 years. He was director of the MS Clinics at both institutions for many years.  

Dr Lisak’s honors include Founders’ Day Award from NYU, Fulbright Scholar, Fellow ‘by distinction’ of the Royal College of Physicians of England, Gold Medal for Distinguished Research by the Alumni Association of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University, Lifetime Achievement Award from the Consortium of MS Centers, the Trailblazer Award from WSU School of Medicine and election to the WSU Academy of Scholars. He has been honored for his teaching by the American Neurological Association and at Penn including the Lindbach Foundation Award. He won a College teaching award, multiple teaching awards from the Neurology residents and Dean’s Faculty Mentoring Award at WSU/SOM. 

Marie Namey, APRN, MSCN

Independent Multiple Sclerosis Nurse Consultant; Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research, Cleveland Clinic (retired)

Marie A. Namey received her Master of Science degree in nursing from Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University. She received her bachelor of science degree in nursing from Villa Maria College (now Gannon University), Erie PA.

Marie had been part of the interdisciplinary team at the Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation since its inception in 1985. Marie retired from the Cleveland Clinic OCT 2020 . She is still continuing work in the MS field as a consultant, educator and advocate. 

She has published on topics of bladder and bowel function and adherence. She has been a member of the Consortium of Multiple Sclerosis Centers 1986 and has served as secretary, vice president and President of this organization. She is a founding member and a Past President of the International Organization of Multiple Sclerosis Nurses (IOMSN). Currently she chairs the scholarship committee. 

She is a recipient of the June Halper Award for excellence in MS Nursing, inducted into the National MS Society Health Professional Volunteer Hall of Fame and received the Excellence in Advanced Practice Nursing Award from the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses 2011. 

She has also received the lifetime achievement award from CMSC. 

She has volunteered as a healthcare provider participating in medical missions to Honduras since 2012 in association with Honduran Children's Rescue Fund.  

Kathleen Costello, MS, ANP-BC, MSCN

Can Do MS

Kathleen Costello is the Chief Operating Officer for Can Do Multiple Sclerosis, where she leads the Programs, Marketing and Development teams ensuring that Can Do MS delivers health and wellness education, provides support, and assists people with MS to become powerful self-advocates for their healthcare. She is also adjunct faculty in the Department of Neurology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland.  

Ms. Costello has written and lectured extensively on MS and MS care with several books designed to help people navigate the many challenges they face because of MS. For over 25 years, she worked in academic medicine as a clinical trial coordinator, nurse educator and nurse practitioner. Ms. Costello led efforts on professional workforce expansion and education for the National MS Society. She is a past president of the International Organization of MS Nurses and previously chaired the MS Specialist Certification Committee for the Consortium of MS Centers. She has worked with the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation on efforts to add MS medications to the World Health Organization essential medicines list. 

Ms. Costello earned both her Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees at the University of Maryland. She is an adult nurse practitioner and has specialized in MS care for more than 25 years. 

Brian G. Weinshenker, MD, FRCP(C), FAAN

University of Virginia; Mayo Clinic (Emeritus)

Brian G. Weinshenker is Professor of Neurology at University of Virginia, having recently retired from the Mayo Clinic, Rochester MN, where he had practiced for 30 years. Dr. Weinshenker's major research interests are directed at the understanding of inflammatory demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system including multiple sclerosis including: 1) natural history of multiple sclerosis; 2) defining clinical and radiologic differential diagnosis of inflammatory myelopathy; 3) classification, diagnosis, and treatment of severe inflammatory demyelinating syndromes of the central nervous system including neuromyelitis optica; 4) McArdle’s sign, a recently rediscovered clinical sign that is highly specific for multiple sclerosis.  He was awarded the John J. Dystel award for multiple sclerosis research in 2011 by the American Academy of Neurology and National Multiple Sclerosis Society (USA) and an honorary doctorate of medicine by the University of Southern Denmark. 

Shilpa A. Klocke, PharmD, BCPS

Kaiser Permanente Colorado

Shilpa Klocke, PharmD, BS Pharm, BCPS has been a clinical pharmacy specialist for Kaiser Permanente in Colorado for more than 20 years where she has specialized in Neurology for than 17 years. In this role, she provides multiple sclerosis (MS) disease modifying therapy - related patient counseling, helped to create an MS population management safety monitoring program that utilizes a collaborative drug therapy management protocol and trains and provides mentorship to pharmacists throughout Kaiser Permanente who will become specialists in MS. She publishes research activities in MS and epilepsy, and precepts pharmacy students and residents. She is also employed as a part-time consultant on the Editorial Advisory Panel for Wolters Kluwer Health, Clinical Effectiveness Division and is an appointed member of the Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid Program) Drug Utilization Review board. In addition to MS, her clinical practice interests include epilepsy, headache, movement disorders, as well as, designing patient safety and medication cost-effectiveness processes. Dr. Klocke earned her Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and completed PGY1 and PGY2 pharmacy practice residencies at Parkland Health & Hospital System in Dallas, Texas. 

Gary R. Cutter, PhD

UAB School of Public Health

Dr. Cutter is Professor Emeritus of Biostatistics at UAB.  He has directed numerous coordinating centers. He is a member of numerous Data and Safety Monitoring Boards and advisory committees for NIH, Pharmaceutical Companies and foundations.  He served on the International Clinical Trials Committee of the National MS Society and International Federation of MS Societies for over a decade as well as being on the editorial boards of the Multiple Sclerosis Journal, Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, the journal Neurology Clinical Practice as a contributing editor and an Associate Editor of Alzheimer’s Disease Translational Research.  He is a member of the Statistics Editorial Board for the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology (JASN). He is a past President of the Consortium of MS Centers and is a member of the Scientific Steering Committee of the MS International Federation and Charcot Foundation: Patient Reported Outcomes Initiative for MS (PROMS). He serves as a mentor on numerous K awards, PhD and master’s students and teaches in various national and international short courses.  

Dr. Cutter has directed numerous coordinating centers of multiple randomized trials, cohort studies and registries: He directed the coordinating center for the Combination Therapy in MS (COMBIRx) Trial; most recently the Early Biomarkers of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Infants with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex and the randomized Preventing Epilepsy Using Vigabatrin in Infants with Tuberous Sclerosis (PREVeNT trial) both NINDS funded studies. He has been the Deputy Director of the Operations Center and Director of the Coordinating Center for Neurofibromatosis Consortium.  He directed the coordinating center for the NHLBI Chronic Hypertension in Pregnancy (CHAP) and the Autoantibody-Targeted Therapy for Acute Exacerbations of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (STRIVE) clinical trial funded by NHLBI.  He was the PI of the completed Trial of Thymectomy plus Prednisone versus Prednisone alone in the treatment of non-thymomatous Myasthenia Gravis (MGTx). He is a past Director of the NARCOMS multiple sclerosis patient registry and the Myasthenia Gravis patient registry. He is the Director, Biostatistics/Bioinformatics Resource (BBR) Core in the O’Brien Center for Acute Kidney Injury Research; served as Associate Director, National Center for High Impact Clinical Trials in Rehabilitation Medicine and currently co-chairs the Data Quality and Analysis Committee for the national Molecular Transducers of Exercise (MoTrPac) study.  

Patricia Bobryk, MHS, MSCS, PT, ATP

UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center

Patty Bobryk, MHS, PT, MSCS, ATP received her physical therapy degree from Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, and her master’s degree in neuro-dysfunction from the University of Florida. She was an integral member of the team that established the Orlando Health MS Comprehensive Care Center in Orlando, FL where she provided rehab services for persons living with MS for over 25 years. Currently, she is caring for individuals with neurological conditions at UCHealth Yampa Valley Medical Center in Steamboat Springs, CO. She has been an MS Certified Specialist (MSCS) since 2004, as well as an Assistive Technology Professional, assisting individuals to obtain complex rehab technology. Patty’s service to the MS community includes Co-Chair of the International Organization of Multiple Sclerosis Rehabilitation Therapists, Treasurer for the Executive Committee of the Consortium of MS Centers (CMSC), a member of the National MS Society’s (NMSS) Healthcare Provider Council Mountain West and NMSS Medical Advisory Committee. She received the “ARTY” award for excellence in MS rehabilitation care from the CMSC in 2018.

Randall T. Schapiro, MD, FAAN

The Schapiro Multiple Sclerosis Advisory Group

Randall (Randy) T. Schapiro, M.D. was born and raised in Minnesota. After graduating from Occidental College (Los Angeles, CA) in Biology, he graduated from the University of Minnesota Medical School. He trained in internal medicine at the Wadsworth VA Medical Center (UCLA) in Los Angeles and then in neurology under A. B. Baker, M.D. at the University of Minnesota. Following a short stint as a faculty member and director of the MS Clinic at the University of Minnesota, he founded the first private practice comprehensive MS Center in the United States in 1977, The Fairview MS Center, which was renamed, The Schapiro Center for Multiple Sclerosis at the Minneapolis Clinic of Neurology in 2004. He was the first elected president of the Consortium of MS Centers, an organization which he helped found. He has participated in the development of the Heuga Center (now called Can Do MS), a wellness center for MS based in Colorado and was given their “Can Do” award. He has been elected to the National MS Society Hall of Fame and has served on numerous advisory committees for them including the Medical Advisory Board. He was presented the prestigious Starfish Award by the National MS Society and the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Consortium of MS Centers. In 2015, he was given the Lifetime Achievement Award of the Multiple Sclerosis Association of America in Washington DC. He also served on the International MS Society’s Medical Advisory Board. He served five years on the National Board of the National MS Society as well as 34 years on the Minnesota board of the NMSS and five years on the Colorado Board. He has lectured and written extensively on all topics associated with MS Management nationally and internationally. He retired from private practice in 2009 devoting more time to teaching and consulting on topics related to MS, including serving as President of the Schapiro Multiple Sclerosis Advisory Group. From 2009 to 2018 he was the Marketing & Patient Education Programming Director for Neurodegenerative Diseases at EMD Serono, Inc. While he has participated in numerous research studies he is best known for his educating and patient management style often using humor to teach some sensitive topics. He now lives with his wife, Cathy, in Peoria, AZ.