Dr Cecilia Smith Simonsen

speaker biog

Dr. Cecilia Smith Simonsen

Cecilia Smith Simonsen is a consultant neurologist and postdoctoral researcher at Vestre Viken Hospital Trust (Drammen), Norway. She graduated with a medical degree from the University of Glasgow, UK, in 2007, and completed her PhD on the contemporary multiple sclerosis patient at Oslo University Hospital in 2022. She currently leads the Lifespan Research Group and the Neurological Biobank at Vestre Viken.

Her research focuses on disease progression and biological ageing in multiple sclerosis, with a particular emphasis on women’s health and the impact of menopause on brain ageing. In 2025, she received a prize for her research on women’s health from the non-profit organisation For Women’s Health.

Dr Simonsen supervises five PhD students working on multiple sclerosis and ageing and is actively involved in national MS studies, as well as international collaborations on ageing, reproductive health, and long-term outcomes in MS.