Rebecca is the leader of the Genomics of Rare Movement Disorders research group within the Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research at the University of Tübingen in Germany. Whilst she conducts research across a spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases, she has a special interest and focuses on HSP on which she is widely published and recognised as a global leader in the field. Rebecca created and developed the Spastic Paraplegia Rating Scale (SPRS) which is the only widely accepted and used measure of HSP status currently. Rebecca combines clinical practice as a neurologist with her research. She has practical outcomes focus on the research that she does for the benefit of the people affected. Rebecca has undertaken several clinical trials in HSP and has followed the progression of HSP in around 600 patients for around 10 years. She is in the process of authoring a natural history of SPG4, the predominant form of HSP and is studying potential biomarkers of disease severity in HSP. She is coordinating the international TreatHSP treathsp.net network, an association of HSP clinicians and researchers with the aim to develop, prepare and implement novel therapies for people affected by HSP.