Kenneth P. Johnson Memorial Lecture

ACTRIMS is proud to present an annual lecture named in honor of the late Dr. Kenneth P. Johnson who spearheaded the foundation of ACTRIMS. The lecture provides an opportunity to hear from a prestigious clinician or researcher selected for their knowledge, accomplishments, and contributions related to multiple sclerosis. To learn more about Kenneth P. Johnson and past lecturers, click here. 

2027 Lecturer: Etty (Tika) Benveniste, Ph.D., UAB Heersink School of Medicine

Dr. Etty (Tika) Benveniste is the Senior Vice Dean of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Heersink School of Medicine and Associate Vice President for Medicine and Basic Sciences. She is a Professor in the Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology and Co-Director of the UAB Multiple Sclerosis Center.

As founding Chair of the Department of Cell, Developmental and Integrative Biology, she advanced interdisciplinary collaboration and faculty recruitment. Her current leadership responsibilities include strategic research programs, strategic recruitment initiatives, research infrastructure, space allocation and management, and institutional governance, including service on or leadership of more than 100 committees.

A neuroimmunologist, Dr. Benveniste studies glial cells and immune cells involved in Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson's Disease. She has served as Principal Investigator on numerous major grants from federal and private sources, including the NIH, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS) and the Michael J. Fox Foundation. Her research has advanced understanding of immune cell-glial cell interactions, the signaling pathways that impact neuroinflammatory responses, and identified potential therapeutic targets for neuroinflammatory diseases. She has published over 260 peer-reviewed articles and has served or currently serves on editorial boards for the Journal of Neuroinflammation, Journal of Immunology, Journal of Neuroscience, Frontiers in Neurology and GLIA.

Dr. Benveniste has trained/mentored more than 320 high school students, undergraduate students, graduate students, MSTP students, postdoctoral fellows, and early-career faculty. Her commitment to scientific rigor, professional development, and leadership has earned honors including the UAB Graduate School Dean's Award for Excellence in Mentorship.

She previously served as President of the American Society for Neurochemistry and President of the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) Group on Research Advancement and Development. She chairs the NMSS Scientific Advisory Board and serves on the SONTAG Brain Tumor Foundation Scientific Advisory Board and the NIH National Cancer Institute Board of Scientific Counselors. Dr. Benveniste has been an active participant in ACTRIMS since 2017, serving on the Program Committee and Abstract Selection Committee, and currently leads the America’s School of Neuroimmunology with Dr. Wee Yong.  She has delivered more than 200 invited presentations.

Dr. Benveniste is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and was inducted into the NMSS Volunteer Hall of Fame as a Scientific Researcher in 2018. In 2026, she was named an American Association of Immunologists Distinguished Fellow and an AAMC Distinguished Service Member.

Dr. Benveniste’s career exemplifies integrated excellence in academic scholarship, leadership and mentorship. Her work continues to influence the field of neuroimmunology, institutional development and academic medicine.