EULAR Edgar Stene Prize Competition
Every year, the competition is co-ordinated by EULAR PARE. Competition details are distributed to the EULAR PARE member organisations so they can run the competition nationally. The Edgar Stene Prize is awarded at the Opening Plenary Session of the EULAR European Congress of Rheumatology to the person with an RMD submitting the best essay describing their individual experience of living with their condition around a specific topic.
Participate in the next competition through your EULAR PARE national member organisation!
2026 EULAR Edgar Stene Prize topic:
“Is it all in the genes, or not? How rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) shape and reshape family connections”.
Congratulations to the 2026 winner and finalists!
First Prize
Yusra Momade, Portugal
“I used to think our lives were written in our genes, like a script we inherit without choice… Then scleroderma entered my life, and suddenly the script flipped... When you’re born with a disability, your family grows around it… But when you acquire one, it’s as if the whole family is shoved into a new life without warning, without training, without instructions.”
Read Essay
Second Prize
Mai-Britt Wagnild, Norway
“I sit there, staring at her crooked fingers... I think quietly to myself: I NEVER want to end up like that! I never want to get that ill!... The years passed. Grandma found peace. Time just flew by, and I could barely keep up. Then it hit... Maybe my body had been trying to send me signals; little flashing warning lights that I elegantly ignored while chasing something bigger, better, faster... That summer I got the diagnosis... I tried everything. Medicine after medicine... The passing of generations, yes. Grandma, me, and now my daughter: three generations of hands, each carrying their own story.”
Third Prize
Annemarie Van Zonneveld-Dorjée, Netherlands
“In recent years, I lost the balance between work and family. During my rehabilitation process last fall, the turning point came: I learned what really matters. I discovered that I can speak up at home when something is not going well, that I don't have to keep going until my battery is completely empty and that strength lies in enjoying small moments of happiness together.”
Meet the EULAR Edgar Stene Prize 2026 Jury
Corinna Elling-Audersch
Edgar Stene Prize Jury Leader
Prof. Chris Edwards
EULAR Treasurer
Dr. Sarah Bennett
HPR Knowledge Translation Sub-Committee Chair
Sophia Marantidou
Young PARE Working Group Member
Stine Wasenius Dahl
First Deputy Chairman and Board member of the Norwegian Rheumatism Association
About the Edgar Stene Prize
First awarded in June 1975 during the EULAR European Congress of Rheumatology in Helsinki-Finland, the Edgar Stene Prize was created by EULAR to honour the memory of Edgar W Stene.
Related Information
Stene Prize Booklets
Access the Stene Prize booklets from previous competition editions to read the inspiring and moving stories from its winners:
EULAR in the context of persons living with RMDs
EULAR exists to reduce the burden of RMDs on individuals and society, and to improve treatment, prevention and rehabilitation outcomes. It demonstrates the impact of RMDs on society, the economy and individuals – including families and loved ones.
The EULAR family gives its time to share experiences of living or working with a condition, and to raise awareness of the need for early diagnosis and the right treatment at the right time.