We are delighted to report on the EAN Spring School 2026, which once again took place in the beautiful venue of Steinschaler Dörfl in Lower Austria on 29 April – 3 May 2026.
In the stunning surrounding of the mountains around the river Pielach, this year we welcomed 120 participants from 30 different countries: Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Austria, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Estonia, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Italy, Kyrgyzstan, Lithuania, Moldova, Morocco, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Spain, Switzerland, Tunisia, Türkiye, Ukraine, the United Kingdom and Uzbekistan.
The event format consists of three morning lectures for all participants, and three afternoon workshops per day. For the workshops, the group was divided into three small groups in order to give everyone the opportunity to ask questions and facilitate discussions with the faculty.
The first day was declared as General Neurology Day and devoted to the topic of Heart & Brain. The lectures were given by Maurizio Paciaroni (Ferrara, Italy), Slaven Pikija (Graz, Austria) and Jean-Marc Burgunder (Bern, Switzerland). The speakers introduced the participants to the topics Treatment synergies in cardio-/neurovascular diseases; Anticoagulant treatment of the ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke; and Genetics at the heart and brain: monogenic and polygenic drivers of vascular disease.
In the evening, the whole group went on an excursion, had the opportunity to visit the Melk Abbey (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and enjoy a relaxed dinner in a typical Austrian restaurant.
The speakers on the second day were Helena Untersteiner (Vienna, Austria), Sandra Morais Cardoso (Coimbra, Portugal) and Jutta Keller (Hamburg, Germany). This day was dedicated to Gut & Brain, and our faculty held lectures on The role of lifestyle and diets to prevent or treat neurological disorders; The role of gut microbiota in neurological disease pathogenesis; and Gut-brain axis: emerging therapeutic strategies. The lecture and workshops of Jutta Keller were organised in cooperation with the United European Gastroenterology (UEG).
The morning lectures finished with a presentation given by the Treasurer of the EAN Resident and Research Fellow Section (RRFS), Antonio Malvaso (Pavia, Italy). He introduced the participants to the opportunities and benefits that come with their membership of this section.
The evening programme started with six selected participants who had the opportunity to present their case reports: Yana Leven (Germany), Jusri Kajoshaj (Albania), Gonçalo Pinho (Portugal), Ketevan Mamasakhlisi (Georgia), Poornima Jayadev Menon (UK) and Federico Giovanni Galbiati (Italy).
The best presentation was chosen by the faculty with the presenter receiving an award the day after. Federico Giovanni Galbiati took the win with his case presentation and received a prize of free registration for a future EAN congress.
The third day of the school was dedicated to the topic Breath & Brain, covered by the faculty of the day: Poul Jørgen Jennum (Copenhagen, Denmark), Ramin Khatami (Barmelweid, Switzerland) and Raffaele Dubbioso (Naples, Italy). Their lectures focused on Sleep apnea before and after stroke; Sleep related breathing disorders and epilepsy; and Multidisciplinary supportive care in late stages of ALS.
After a successful exam, the participants received their certificates of attendance and celebrated their success at the farewell dinner.
We cordially thank all participants and speakers for joining us at the EAN Spring School and look forward to seeing all of you again soon at another EAN event in the future.
If you are interested in participating in any of the other EAN Schools, you can find more information on our website about the EAN Autumn School and the EAN Science School.
