MS Society will honor 2 VCU researchers at 2026 Dinner of Champions in Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. — Next month, the MS Society will celebrate two trailblazers at the leading edge of research into multiple sclerosis as well as into patient care.

Bill Fitzgerald will host the 2026 Dinner of Champions: Richmond at the Omni Hotel which comes as the MS Society marks 80 years of advocating for patients and leading the way in the search for a cure.

Danny Sterling, the executive director of the Virginia/West Virginia chapter of the MS Society, says the honorees, Dr. Unsong Oh, M.D. and Dr. Myla Goldman, M.D, have been at the vanguard of advancing critical research.

"We want to celebrate and honor the people that are really making a difference in the lives of people living with MS," said Sterling. "And the two people that we're talking about here from VCU Health are amazing trailblazers. They love what they're doing. They're passionate about it."

The Dinner of Champions is Sept. 10 at the Omni Hotel Richmond at 6 p.m.

Sterling points out VCU has a dedicated multiple sclerosis lab, a rare resource in the fight against the disease.

"That's where Dr. Oh does his best work. That's where he likes to be," Sterling said. "He doesn't really like the spotlight. He wants to be back there making a difference. And they're both making a huge difference. So fortunate to have that level of care here in Richmond."

CBS6 viewers may recall the station has a robust cycling team that takes part in the Colonial Crossroads Bike MS event evey year, raising tens of thousands of dollars. Team CBS6 was the fifth highest fundraising team in 2026, raising more than $38,000.

Sterling says such events are a critical part of the MS Society's work in promoting research into a cure and ensuring patients and the families get the services they need.

"We're making huge strides every day in this," said Sterling. "Our work is supported by events like Bike MS and the Dinner of Champions and the donations that people give to the MS Society. That's how we're leading and helping people like Dr. Oh really get in and do the research that they need to do and make a difference. And as you said, just a few years ago there were basically no treatments. Now there are more than 30 diffferent drug therapies with new ones coming on the market every day."

Sterling says the dinner will highlight important voices among those living with MS.

"We'll also have people living with MS to share their stories too," said Sterling. "In addition, the CEO of the MS Society, Tim Coetzee, is going to be joining us as well and giving some new updates on what the Society is doing now, sharing the expectations and plans on things to come over the next few years."

Dr. Unsong Oh, M.D., is an Associate Professor of Neurology at VCU School of Medicine and Director of the VCU Multiple Sclerosis Clinic. A graduate of VCU School of Medicine, Dr. Oh completed his neurology residency at Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center and fellowship training in Neuroimmunology at the National Institutes of Health. His research focuses on the pathobiology of multiple sclerosis, including immune regulation, neuroinflammation, axonal degeneration, and biomarker discovery. In addition to his work caring for individuals living with MS, Dr. Oh has dedicated his career to advancing MS research and education and has been a longstanding advocate for the MS community in Richmond.

Dr. Myla D. Goldman, MD, MSc, FAAN, is Professor, Interim Department Chair of the Neurology Department and Vice Chair of Faculty Development at VCU School of Medicine. She received her medical degree from Rush Medical College, completed her neurology residency at the University of Virginia, and completed fellowship training in Clinical Neuroimmunology at the Cleveland Clinic’s Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis Treatment and Research, where she also earned a master’s degree in clinical research. Before joining VCU, Dr. Goldman spent more than a decade at UVA, where she directed the Multiple Sclerosis Clinic and served as Chief of the Division of Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology. She joined VCU in 2019 with a focus on expanding specialized MS care, advancing patient-centered research, and training the next generation of MS specialists, and has helped strengthen VCU’s multidisciplinary MS program and its impact across Virginia.

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