Clinical Advisory Board

Wallace J. Brownlee, MD, PhD

Dr. Brownlee is a Consultant Neurologist at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, and Honorary Associate Professor at the UCL Institute of Neurology, University College London. Trained initially in New Zealand and later in the UK, he became clinical lead for MS services in London in 2019. His areas of focus include clinical trials in MS as principal investigator, pediatric-onset MS, and advanced MRI-based prognostic markers. A prolific author and reviewer, Dr. Brownlee also serves as Associate Editor of the *Multiple Sclerosis Journal*.

Celia Oreja‑Guevara, MD, PhD

Dr. Oreja‑Guevara is a Professor of Neurology and Vice Chair of Neurology at the University Hospital San Carlos, Madrid, and an Associate Professor at Complutense University of Madrid. She earned her MD from Complutense University of Madrid and completed her PhD in neuroimmunology at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology in Munich, Germany. She trained in neurology at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany and completed neuroimaging research at San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, Italy. Her work focuses on clinical and neuroimaging correlations in MS and NMOSD, family planning, and evaluation of new drug therapies. She co-chairs the MS scientific panel for the European Academy of Neurology and serves on advisory groups including the European Medicines Agency’s neurology committee. Dr. Oreja‑Guevara also holds leadership roles in Spanish neurology societies and is actively involved in multiple clinical trials as a principal investigator.

Dr. Maria José Montes, MD

Dr. Maria José Montes is an Associate Professor of Rheumatology at the University Hospital 12 de Octubre, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain. She completed her residency and fellowship in Rheumatology at the University Hospital 12 de Octubre. Dr. Montes has a long-standing research interest in systemic sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases. She is an active member of EUSTAR (European Scleroderma Trials and Research Group) and contributes to international collaborations such as ESOS (European Scleroderma Observational Study). Her clinical research focuses on epidemiological and translational studies in systemic sclerosis and autoimmune connective tissue diseases. Dr. Montes has co-authored over 150 scientific articles and book chapters related to scleroderma and rheumatology.

Dr. Christopher Denton, MD

Dr. Christopher Denton is the Director of the Centre for Rheumatology and Connective Tissue Diseases at University College London (UCL) and leads the UCL Scleroderma Service. He earned his medical degree from the University of London and completed his residency and specialist training in Rheumatology at various UK teaching hospitals. Dr. Denton’s research focuses on the pathogenesis and treatment of systemic sclerosis and related fibrotic disorders. He has been involved in numerous NIH- and MRC-funded clinical trials and translational research programs. Dr. Denton is a recognized leader in the field of scleroderma research, has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, and has received multiple awards for his contributions to autoimmune disease research. He is also actively involved in training clinical and research fellows.

Professor Sarah Mackie, MD

Professor Sarah Mackie is a Consultant Rheumatologist and Professor of Rheumatology at the University of Nottingham, UK. She leads the Rheumatology Unit at Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust. Professor Mackie has extensive experience mentoring research students and clinical fellows, and she has received multiple awards for her contributions to rheumatology research and education. She has authored over 300 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. Her research focuses on systemic autoimmune diseases including systemic sclerosis, lupus, and rheumatoid arthritis, with a particular emphasis on clinical trials, disease manifestations, and outcome measures.