Dear EAN members, friends, and colleagues,
I am delighted to be writing my first Executive Page in our anniversary year and already sharing some fantastic news: abstract submission for the 10th Congress of the European Academy of Neurology closed on 2 February with an all-time record number of submissions. We received a total of 2,777 submitted abstracts for EAN 2024 in Helsinki, smashing the previous record with an increase of 14%!
Significantly, that previous record was set in 2020. Abstract submission that year closed shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic fully impacted Europe, and you may remember the decision was then made, at short-notice, to hold a purely virtual congress. Considering the circumstances that affected everyone in the subsequent years, it is understandable that enthusiasm for direct participation initially dipped, but we saw an encouraging rise in 2022 and 2023 (which saw the then-second-highest submission total). It is truly tremendous that the level of engagement with our congress has now not only returned to its previous level, but greatly exceeded it. I take this as a clear sign, not only that we are moving in the right direction in terms of what the congress offers, but that our wonderful EAN community are with us all the way. I offer a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to everyone who has contributed to this incredible collective endorsement.
Further good news arrived recently about one of our freshest undertakings. The first ever module of the EAN Advocacy Training programme took place on 18 January, online, and was a tremendous success, with participants joining from around the world. After the programme was announced last year, we received more than 120 applications, which were carefully filtered down to 53 accepted participants. I am informed that this first module, which focused on ‘Basics of Advocacy’ got the programme off to a fantastic start, with an encouraging level of engagement from those taking part and excellent input from the key speakers: Neerja Chowdhary, from the WHO Department of Mental Health and Substance Use, Brain Health Unit, and our own Matilde Leonardi, EAN Communication Committee Chair.
I am thrilled that our efforts to increase the readiness of neurology professionals to advocate for our specialty by offering this training have been so well received. Of course, it is no surprise that many colleagues are keen to step forward and equip themselves with these skills when we are all aware of the importance of advocating for neurology and neurological patients at every level. In the long-term, this programme – which I should note is being offered free of charge to EAN members – will gradually establish a network of trained advocates, armed with the specific communication skills that will enable them to stand up and transmit the key messages from within neurology to a variety of audiences, ranging from lay people to political organisations.
All of this, of course, fits neatly in line with the broader aims of the Brain Health Mission, which has been gathering attention recently, and picking up a growing number of partners, including the American Academy of Neurology. Several new activities are also currently in progress, or in planning, to help raise the profile of the mission; perhaps the most exciting of which is the Brain Health School Challenge. The school challenge aims to get young people and their teachers thinking about the concept of brain health, by offering prizes for engaging in activities that encourage them to express their unique perspective through mediums like posters, short videos, songs, texts, comics, or dances. The challenge is up and running in Austria (where the EAN Head Office is based) and Finland (the destination for our congress this year), with plans to extend to other countries in the future. There are also some exciting activities related to the Brain Health Mission lined up to take place at the congress in Helsinki, which I look forward to sharing more information about soon.
On the immediate horizon is Brain Awareness Week 2024, taking place on 11-17 March, and the EAN has lots of activities taking place during this special week of observance. Bookending the week will be the second module of the EAN Advocacy Training, which will be held on the 11th, and the EAN Science School will run from the 15th to the 19th. In the middle of the week, on the 13th, there will be a webinar on Cognition & Dementia, which is part of our European Journal of Neurology 30th anniversary webinar series. Excitingly, we have also timed the presentation of the prize presentation for the winners of the Austrian Brain Health School Challenge to be revealed in the same week, during the Austrian Society of Neurology Congress. We know that many of our national member societies are also planning activities, which is great! As always, please keep an eye on all EAN media for further announcements.
A major event of this year will be our next European Brain Health Summit, which will take place on 7 May 2024. The full-day event will be streamed live from Brussels on social media and the EAN website, with a programme ranging from diagnosis and treatment of neurological diseases to brain research on prevention and promotion of brain health.
As I mentioned at the start of this piece, we are celebrating 10 years of the EAN in 2024, and we have a number of initiatives in the works to mark this special milestone, including several activities at the annual congress in Helsinki, such as an EAN sticker album, with stickers covering various EAN-related topics to collect at different stations throughout the venue, and an exciting essay contest with a time-travelling theme, which will be announced shortly.
Most of all, I am looking forward to highlighting our anniversary year with an appropriately busy and vibrant congress. I am optimistic that our new abstract submission record is an indication that we can anticipate a high turnout in Helsinki. Registration for the 10th Congress of the European Academy of Neurology is of course still open, with reduced early fees still available until 24 April and further discounts for participants who have confirmed EAN membership before 31 May. I urge you to join us in Helsinki for what promises to be an unmissable event as we celebrate together!
Best wishes
Paul Boon, EAN President
