Neurologist Emeritus Professor Michael Pender has been recognised for significant service to medicine, particularly neurology and multiple sclerosis research, and to tertiary education in the 2024 King’s Birthday Honours.

He is among more than a dozen specialists included in the 2024 honours list, having been appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM).

Professor Pender dedicated his working life to finding the cause of MS and seeking an effective treatment.

In the early ‘90s, he discovered apoptosis of autoreactive T cells in the central nervous system were a fundamental mechanism of recovery from autoimmune attack and in 2003, he proposed that MS is caused by an accumulation of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-infected cells in the brain.

His hypothesis led to a world first clinical trial of EBV-specific adoptive T cell therapy in MS, that showed T cell therapy is safe and may be beneficial in stopping the progression of MS and that further trials are warranted.

Now retired, Professor Pender trained as a physician and neurologist at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney, before going on to become a research scholar in the field of multiple sclerosis at the Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London, and being awarded a PhD from the University of London and Queen Square Prize for Research in 1983.

At the University of Queensland, Professor Pender held multiple positions including director of the University’s Multiple Sclerosis Research Centre (2009-2014) and Neuroimmunology Research Centre (1991-2007).

He also worked as a consultant neurologist at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, where he established a Multiple Sclerosis Clinic in 1996.

Professor Pender received Multiple Sclerosis Australia’s 50 Years President’s Medal in 2022 and the John Studdy Award in 2019 for outstanding achievements in research into MS, particularly into progressive forms of MS.

“He has been an inspiration to the MS community for decades and many people have spoken of the uplifting impact of Professor Pender’s assistance to them in the course of their disease,” MS Australia said at the time.

He was also the Sir Raphael Cilento Orator of the Royal Australasian College of Medical Administrators for 2009 and the W Ian McDonald Lecturer of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Neurologists for 2014.

Meanwhile, Dr Lynette Masters received the Medal of the Order (OAM) “for service to medicine as a neuroradiologist”.

Dr Masters has worked at I-Med Radiology Network since 2009, while juggling multiple roles with the Brain and Mind Centre at the University of Sydney, including Clinical Director of MRI and Researcher of the Computational Neuroscience Team.

Her radiological skills and interests include spine imaging, functional MRI, research and artificial intelligence applications in neuroradiology.

Dr Masters obtained her FRACP in neurology before training in radiology.

She completed a two-year diagnostic neuroradiology fellowship at New York Hospital/Cornell Medical Center and the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and a two-year interventional neuroradiology fellowship at NYU Medical Center.

She remained in New York for another four years as a consultant neuroradiologist before returning to Australia.

Each year, the limbic scours the lists for specialists joining the Order of Australia honours. If you believe someone has been left off, please get in touch at [email protected].