We have a winner! – The Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis Foundation Prize, 2023

It’s that time of year again, when the Foundation is delighted to offer its annual Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis Foundation Prize to a promising neurology trainee with a passion for autoimmune neurology, in collaboration with the Canadian Neurological Society (CNS). We would therefore like to congratulate Dr. Jodie Roberts, MD

Dr. Roberts is a Neuroimmunology and Multiple Sclerosis Fellow at the University of Calgary in Canada. She is additionally completing a portion of her fellowship training at the University of Melbourne in Australia. Dr. Roberts previously completed her neurology residency and a Master of Science in epidemiology at the University of Calgary. She is interested in real-world data analysis of autoimmune neurological conditions and is currently conducting research with MSBase, an international neuroimmunology registry. During her neurology residency, she developed a dataset in Calgary to study individuals who have been tested for autoimmune encephalitis. This dataset is currently being used to examine which tests are typically performed for individuals with suspected autoimmune encephalitis, with the goal of identifying gaps in care which could be addressed with clinical practice guidelines.
Dr. Roberts has accepted an Assistant Professor position in MS and Neuroimmunology at the University of Calgary which will commence in August 2024. She looks forward to a long career providing care for people living with autoimmune neurological conditions.

Dr. Roberts’ winning abstract is titled, Antibody testing for autoimmune encephalitis: a multisite study examining clinical practices in a large Canadian city.

The prize will be awarded during the upcoming Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation (CNSF) Congress, from June 6 to 9, 2023, at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, Banff, Alberta.

We are grateful to the CNSF and CNS for their excellent collaboration which is now in its 5th year. We look forward to this ongoing collaboration which recognizes the work of the next generation of gifted and dedicated physicians in the field of neuroimmunology.

Last but not least, we would like to thank our generous donors without whom this prize would not be possible.