Dr Belinda Kaskow is a neuroimmunologist investigating how immune dysfunction influences multiple sclerosis (MS). She is a senior lecturer at The University of Western Australia and a senior research fellow at the Perron Institute.

After completing her genetics PhD at UWA, Dr Kaskow undertook six years of postdoctoral research at Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and the Broad Institute. She returned to Perth and established a translational neuroimmunology program.

Her research examines regulatory and effector T and B cells, immune activity within MS brain lesions, disease-relevant antigens, biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Her work helped define a population of human regulatory memory B cells marked by TIM-1 and TIGIT and demonstrated that these cells are dysfunctional in people with MS. Her current research builds on this expertise to understand immune dysfunction across the MS disease course and identify pathways that could support more targeted treatments.

Dr Kaskow contributes to the $2 million MRFF-supported STOP-MS trial and a US$578,000 National Multiple Sclerosis Society program. Her publications have attracted over 2,300 citations.

As Deputy Chair of the MS Australia Research Management Council and Chair of its Incubator Grants program, she helps shape national research investment. She also represents Perron through AAMRI-WA and the WA Science and Technology Council, advocating for a stronger and more sustainable research workforce.

Dr Kaskow leads the Demyelinating Diseases Consumer Advisory Group and supervises Honours and PhD researchers. She aims to translate deeper understanding of MS into targeted treatments with fewer side effects and better outcomes.

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