Olivia Svolgaard has been honoured with a grant from the Torben Fogs Anniversary Fund and Erik Triers Fund – a grant given each year to promising young researchers in multiple sclerosis.

Olivia Svolgaard is 30 years old and medical Ph.D. student at the Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Hvidovre Hospital. She was awarded the grant as recognition for her research in multiple sclerosis and as an encouragement to proceed her scientific work.

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic disabling disease in which the central nervous system is diffusely attacked. It is the most common neurological disease among young people in the Western world and fatigue is one of the most frequent and most disabling symptoms of the disease. It has a huge impact on patients' quality of life and ability to maintain a job, even in the early stages of the disease. The neurological mechanisms underlying fatigue are poorly understood, and we have no effective treatment – therefore many people with MS despite having an apparently high functional level, live a very restricted life due to the invisible fatigue.

Olivia is part of a team of researchers at DRCMR headed by Professor Hartwig Siebner. In close collaboration with Professor Finn Selleberg at the Danish Multiple Sclerosis Center, Rigshospitalet Hospital, Olivia is pursuing a research project in which they aim at finding the neurological mechanism behind fatigue. The project represents a major step in the team´s effort to develop methods that can objectively measure fatigue and which can be used in future clinical treatment trials.

The amount of the grant was 50,000 DKK and it was handed over by the chairman of the foundation Lene Werdelin at a smaller reception Thursday January 28th 2016. The board of the foundation consists of Medical Doctor Peter Fog – Cand.jur Jesper Rothe – Professor, Dr.med. Bente Pakkenberg – Consultant, Ph.D. Annette Oturai – Consultant Merete Karlsborg – Professor Bente Finsen, and Consultant and Dr.med. Lene Werdelin. Every year, on the behalf of the foundation the board selects one or two young sclerosis researchers to receive the grant.

The photo shows Olivia presenting her work when receiving the grant.