Anita Harding Award Lecture - Awardees

Catherine Lubetzki

Anita Harding Award Lecture
Multiple sclerosis, from biology to clinical translation. A focus on nodes of Ranvier and electrical activity 

Professor Catherine Lubetzki is a distinguished French neurologist, celebrated for her pioneering research in multiple sclerosis (MS). She is an Emeritus professor at Sorbonne University and previously led the Department of Neurology at the Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital in Paris, where she also coordinates the hospital’s MS clinical research centre.

Lubetzki completed her medical training at Paris Descartes University and earned her doctorate from Pierre and Marie Curie University, focusing on myelin and its role in the nervous system. Early in her career, she collaborated with neuropharmacologist Jacques Glowinski at the Collège de France, which inspired her commitment to neurology and MS research.

In 1996, Lubetzki demonstrated the role of electrical activity in the process of central nervous system (CNS) myelination. Her work revealed that action potentials in axons influence myelin formation and conduction velocity, a breakthrough in understanding nerve signal transmission. She further identified the critical role of oligodendrocyte progenitor cells in myelination, paving the way for innovative repair strategies. She also identified several cues acting either on promotion or blockade of CNS myelination. Currently, she is investigating pro-myelinating therapies and the impact of electrical stimulation at the Paris Brain Institute (ICM).

Lubetzki’s numerous accolades include the Grand Prix Scientifique de la Fondation NRJ (2008), the International Pasteur-Weissman prize (2021), and the Charcot Award from the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation (2019), where she was the first female recipient. She continues to serve in key leadership roles, advancing research and improving outcomes for individuals living with MS.