by Giacomo Sferruzza, former Chair of the EAN Residents & Research Fellows Section
Dear RRFS members, friends, and colleagues,
As we approach the end of the eleventh year of the EAN Residents & Research Fellows Section (RRFS)—measured, as always, from congress to congress on the EAN calendar—I would like to reflect on a period that has been both intense and transformative for our community.
Over the past twelve months, a series of events has unfolded that will, I believe, reshape our section of the society, making it more transparent, more effective, and more deeply integrated into the EAN as a whole.
In December, the EAN Board formally endorsed the RRFS Standard Operating Procedures. This charter, painstakingly prepared by successive RRFS Offices, clearly defines our community’s aims and governance mechanisms. For a rapidly expanding section like ours, this milestone was essential: it provides the transparency and structure we need to continue growing responsibly.
This year also saw the launch of the EAN Artificial Intelligence Task Force, an initiative that began as an RRFS proposal. Under the guidance of the EAN President, Prof. Elena Moro and Education Committee Chair Prof. Nathalie Nasr, the Task Force is already laying the foundations for ambitious educational programmes that will unfold over the coming years. Alongside the wellbeing task force, the EAN Schools, and our collaborative work on access to endovascular treatment, the AI Task Force is the latest in a long line of ventures that began within the RRFS and have since been embraced by the wider EAN—tangible proof of the vibrant partnership between our energetic group and the society’s leadership.
Our commitment to AI was further recognised by the selection of our past‑president Alice Accorroni to serve together with EAN General Secretary Prof. Antonio Toscano as the EAN’s delegate to the European Brain Council’s Charter for the Responsible Development of Neurotechnologies. A result we can all be proud of.
Meanwhile, RRFS membership continues to grow, and the network of national RRFS representatives keeps expanding. Over the past year, we have also strengthened our relationship with the Polish Neurological Society and its young section, which graciously hosted the RRFS Representatives’ Meeting in February.
All these achievements have been years in the making; the result of daily work by successive Offices and the steady support of EAN President Prof. Moro and the constructive dialogue with the EAN Board.
On a personal note, this EAN year closed with a significant professional change for me, which required that I step down as RRFS Chair and from the Office. While I am excited about my new path, I admit I felt a touch of melancholy in leaving a journey that has meant so much to me.
Now, though, I can look back with pride at what we have built together and simply enjoy the view.
I wish each of you an inspiring and rewarding congress in Helsinki, and I look forward to seeing what the RRFS will accomplish in the year ahead.
A presto,
Giacomo
The RRFS has a great range of activities lined up at this year’s EAN Congress to suit trainees and other young participants. Read all about them at RRFS Activities – ean.org
