Awards

David Marsden Award 2024

The award was introduced by Dystonia Europe in 2003 and was presented every two years to stimulate research on dystonia, especially by young scientists in Europe. From 2022, the award is presented every year.
Professor David Marsden (1938 – 1998) was one of the leading neurologists in Europe and DE wishes to honor the enormous part he played in developing knowledge of and interest in dystonia.

Our congratulations to Dr. Stavros Tsagkaris, from the Evelina London Children’s Hospital in London, UK and the David Marsden Award 2024 for his paper:
Metabolic Patterns in Brain 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET Relate to Aetiology in Paediatric Dystonia

Thanks for the great work!

On Saturday 29 June Dr. Tsagkaris was presented with the award by Dystonia Europe Executive Director Monika Benson at the Basal Ganglia Session at the 10th EAN (European Academy of Neurology) Congress in Helsinki, Finland. Dr Tsagkaris expressed his thanks to Dystonia Europe for the award and then presented the work of his research.
Monika Benson, Executive Director of Dystonia Europe says:

“We are delighted that this year’s award goes to Dr. Tsagkaris for his important research on children with dystonia, since this is a field of research within dystonia that needs much more focus. We wish Dr. Tsagkaris good luck and look forward to follow his work”.

About the winner:

Dr Tsagkaris is a senior Paediatrics trainee in London, UK. He is an aspiring Paediatric Neurologist, entering Neurology training.

Dr Tsagkaris completed his medical degree in National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece. He completed a clinical research fellowship at Evelina London Children’s Hospital Complex Motor Disorders Service under the supervision of Dr Jean-Pierre Lin, in collaboration with King’s College London PET Imaging Centre, as a member of Professor Alexander Hammers’ team.

His ongoing research work focuses on the field of movement disorders and particularly dystonia in children, focusing on neuroimaging, neurophysiology and neuromodulation. Dr Tsagkaris’ special interest is functional neuroimaging in children with dystonia, aiming to deepen our understanding of the pathophysiology of the disease.

About the research:

The exact mechanisms via which dystonia symptoms develop are not clearly understood. Brain imaging is a great way to unravel abnormalities that could be related to the disease. There has been extensive research on the structural brain abnormalities related to development of dystonia. However, there is a relative lack of imaging markers revealing the functional characteristics of different brain regions in dystonia, especially in the paediatric population. One way to assess the function of brain areas is Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scanning, where a glucose analogue is injected into the bloodstream and brain images are taken after absorption, to reflect the glucose uptake in the brain.

Dr Tsagkaris along with his colleagues examined the glucose uptake patterns in the brains of patients with different types of dystonia, including genetic as well as acquired dystonia cases. The researchers found that, on the one hand, most aetiologic subgroups shared some patterns of glucose metabolism, possibly reflecting innate characteristics of dystonia. On the other hand, the different groups also had “signature” characteristics, which distinguished them from the rest and therefore pointed towards distinct pathophysiological mechanisms.

The results offer further insights into the pathophysiology of dystonia, enhancing our understanding of the underlying biological mechanisms related to the disease. The various areas of altered brain metabolism revealed from this study relate to disease phenotype, suggesting their potential function on controlling movement and posture. They also introduce the possibility of PET scanning imaging patterns potentially being used as a biomarker for the various disease groups in the future.

Moreover, in combination with information obtained by structural neuroimaging as well as neurophysiology testing, this research work can help better inform decisions on management options, including deep brain stimulation, providing more individualized patient care.

General Information

  • The David Marsden Award is presented every year.
  • The Award sum is € 10,000 for papers (i.e. manuscripts for original publication – no abstracts) on aetiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis or therapies in dystonia or on the psycho-­‐social effects.
  • Applicants should be under 45 years of age.
  • Submitted papers may have been published within the last two years.
  • Unsuccessful applicants may re-­‐present their papers in the following year, if fundamental new scientific findings are involved.
  • The applicant should be the first author.
  • The research must have taken place within Geographical Europe.

Procedure

  • Papers should be submitted by email to the DE Secretariat with a short Curriculum Vitae and a declaration that the paper has not been submitted for any other scientific awards.
  • The deadline for submissions is 28 February 2025.
  • The evaluation of papers will be carried out by the Dystonia Europe Medical and Scientific Advisory Board and a recommendation made to the DE Managing Board.
  • The winner will be invited to make a presentation at the Basal Ganglia Club Session at the EAN Congress 2024 in Helsinki in Finland.

Applications for the DMA 2025 is open from 1 September 2023 through our DMA website

Past Awardees