by Tony Marson, Programme Committee Chair
Dear EAN members, friends and colleagues
Just like last year, I am delighted to be writing to you with only a few weeks to go until our annual congress, to give you some timely reminders of what you can look forward to. Unlike last year, however, there is an extra element of excitement. As successful and enjoyable as our last two congresses were in 2020 and 2021, the one factor they were both missing was the opportunity to meet in person. I and my colleagues on the EAN Board could not be happier that this year we will finally enjoy a long-awaited reunion at the 8th Annual Congress of the European Academy of Neurology in Vienna.
As I wrote back in January, we have not taken anything for granted, fully aware that circumstances could prevent a face-to-face congress. Thankfully, the conditions are favourable and current registration numbers suggest we will see a return to the vibrant congress atmosphere of previous years. We will, however, expect participants to be either recovered, tested, or vaccinated and will encourage the wearing of masks in close contact situations. For those of you who are understandably still cautious about or prevent from travelling, we are proud to be offering a hybrid congress, continuing the online streaming of sessions that has served us so well over the last two years.
Our overarching theme this year is ’Getting evidence into practice’, which you will find built into numerous sessions throughout the programme. A range of workshops and symposia will feature leading specialists tackling key questions surrounding issues of transferring clinical evidence into practical settings, covering clinical trial design, diagnostic testing, guideline implementation and much more. As ever, the EAN Programme Committee has taken great care to ensure that this overarching theme extends to sessions aimed at every category of participant, from trainees to veterans, whether clinician or scientist, general or specialised.
The programme we have assembled this year, I believe will rank among the best of any EAN congress, thanks in no small part to the second highest number of abstracts we have ever received. It has been extremely heartening to witness the enthusiasm of the international neurological community for engaging with our society and with each other by being part of our congress. But, of course, some of the most highly anticipated sessions of the congress are often those featuring invited speakers, such as the Opening Session and the Presidential Symposium. This year, each of the distinguished scientists presenting the Opening Lecture, the three Named Lectures, and the Brain Prize Lecture have all provided us with short teaser videos, to give you a little taste of what to expect from their talks. To get yourself in the mood for what are sure to be among the most popular sessions of EAN 2022, click here.
The congress will be packed with joint sessions with many of our partner societies from the world of neurology; special time zone sessions will again take place at times scheduled to be convenient for viewers on other continents; and for the first time, we will place a special focus on one subspecialty for a day. The Sub-Specialty Track on Sleep-Wake Disorders comprises four sessions selected by the Programme Committee and spread throughout the first day of the congress to provide a unique event for sleep specialists, which can even be accessed with a special one-day ticket, separate from the wider congress. For more information, click here.
Our industry partners will also be a big part of EAN 2022, where they will provide an extensive programme of satellite sessions and once again fill up a physical exhibition space. You will be able to interact with a wide variety of pharmaceutical and technology companies (PDF), not only onsite but also in our online exhibition areas, and catch up on their latest developments; as well as our partner societies in the Neurohood (PDF).
Of course, we will also be ready for you at the EAN Booth where you can stop by and pick up any information about EAN that you need, and there will be plenty of opportunity to engage with colleagues and friends, old and new, in the members’ lounge, in the exhibition area, and particularly at our networking on Monday evening in the city centre (more details to be announced soon).
With little time left and another huge choice of sessions to tackle, I urge you to dive into the online programme overview and start planning. If you have not already done so, there is also still time to register, with substantially lower fees for EAN members (including virtual participation free of charge).
I look forward to welcoming you onsite in Vienna, or online, to EAN 2022 on June 25!
Tony Marson, Programme Committee chair
