2025 Winner
Dr Kristen Krysko
Neurologist at the BARLO MS Centre at St. Michael's Hospital and an assistant professor at the University of Toronto in Canada
Dr Kristen Krysko is the winner of the 2025 Rachel Horne Prize for her outstanding research into how best to guide and treat women with MS during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
Her work includes how to optimise treatment strategies, and understanding the safety of MS therapies before and during pregnancy and postpartum while breastfeeding. Her research has also focused on the increased risk and prevalence of peripartum mental illness in mothers with MS.
"Dr Krysko's pioneering research on women's health in MS, especially around pregnancy and childbirth, is already shaping how we counsel and care for women with MS, with the potential to transform quality of life for countless families. Recognising rising stars like Dr Krysko is vital to the future of our field and underscores the importance of continued investment in MS research to improve the lives of those with MS."
Dr Marwa Kailey, chair of International Women in MS, the organisation that oversees the review and judging process.
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"This year we wanted to reward a 'rising star' in the MS scientific community. Dr Krysko is a perfect fit for this international prize. Not only is she an outstanding clinician scientist, but she has already made important advances to women's health research in MS so early in her career."
Rachel Horne, founder of the prize.
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Dr Krysko completed her neurology residency at the University of Toronto, followed by a clinical research fellowship in MS and a Master's degree in Advanced Study in Clinical Research at the University of California San Francisco, supported by a Sylvia Lawry Physician Fellowship award from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (2017-2020). She has written editorials and commentaries related to women's health issues in MS and has contributed to publications including in Lancet Neurology, Neurology, and the MS Journal. Dr Krysko has been an invited speaker on pregnancy and MS at international conferences and alliance meetings.