Interviews

Dr. Elena Moro, a young neurologist with multi-national and multi-continental training and experience, will be the new EDITOR-IN-CHIEF of Neuropenews. With the help and enthusiasm of Dr. Tim von Oertzen, the web-Editor, they will shortly propose a brand new web journal of our Academy, to the European Neurology community.

Gian Luigi Lenzi (GLL): The EAN website is to become the primary source of information on European neurology. Can you briefly describe/illustrate your plans to achieve this? Tim von Oertzen (TvO): The website is an essential tool for EAN to communicate and interact with its members and with the public. To fulfill this role its users should easily find the information they are looking for within an intuitive design. We will provide information on the EAN, its programmes and initiatives as well as on neurology in Europe.

Gian Luigi Lenzi (GLL): The EAN – European Academy of Neurology is the platform by excellence for all European neurologists. Can you briefly outline the mission of The Michael J. Fox Foundation to the neurologists and Neuropenews readers?

As in the previous year, Neuropenews asked EAN committee members, panel chairs, speakers, … which session one should not miss at the upcoming congress in Berlin, June 2015. Please find their answers below …

Gian Luigi Lenzi (GLL): As Member at Large to the EAN, can you illustrate the role you give to EAN within the community of European Neurologists? Per Soelberg Sorensen (PSS): As member at Large to the EAN I am proud to be a part of this new important amalgamation of ENS and EFNS. It is the aim of the new board to develop EAN into a European organisation that can match the American Academy of Neurology in worldwide importance.

Gian Luigi Lenzi (GLL): How do you see the role of patient and carers organisations in society, and, specifically, Alzheimer Europe? Jean Georges (JG): Most Alzheimer associations were initially set up for three principal reasons: to provide information on Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, to provide support to people with dementia and their carers and to raise the awareness of the general public. Since the early days of the Alzheimer movement, some associations have taken on additional tasks such as lobbying governments for a greater recognition of dementia as a public health priority or funding dementia research.

As in the previous year, Neuropenews asked EAN committee members, panel chairs, speakers, … which session one should not miss at the upcoming congress in Berlin, June 2015. Please find their answers below …

Gian Luigi Lenzi (GLL): As President of the European Stroke Organisation, can you illustrate the role you would like EAN to cover within the world of European Neurology? Kennedy Lees (KL): EAN should represent specialists in neurology to ensure that their contribution to stroke care is recognised, and in countries where this is under-represented should work to promote their involvement. It should offer an educational function, teaching general neurologists about the latest and most important aspects of stroke that they may encounter in their practice. 

Gian Luigi Lenzi (GLL): As Coordinator of the European Affairs Sub-Committee of the EAN, can you illustrate the role you give to EAN within the community of European Neurologists? Wolfgang Oertel (WO): EAN represents all European Neurologists – from Uzbekistan to Portugal, from Malta to Island and neurologists from all countries which are and/or wish to be closely related to Europe - for example countries around the Mediterranean area. EAN is the one and only professional European society for neurologists. It speaks for the first time ever in the 160 year long history of European neurology with one voice – through the president and the officers. Every neurologist should realize that she/he now has a professional home and a united and powerful society to represent and pursue her or his interest. And neurologists should use this new chance.

Gian Luigi Lenzi (GLL): As Chair of the MDS-European Section, can you illustrate the role you would like the EAN to cover within the world of European Neurology? Olivier Rascol (OR): In my view, the EAN has crucial strategic and practical roles to cover in order to reinforce the knowledge of neurological disorders and improve the care of neurological patients in Europe and worldwide.

Gian Luigi Lenzi (GLL): Can you briefly describe the Alliance for Biomedical Research in Europe (Biomed Alliance). Gustave Moonen (GM): The Alliance for biomedical research in Europe (Biomed Alliance) is a non-profit organisation founded in 2010 by four societies namely the European Cancer Organisation (ECCO), the European Respiratory Society (ERS), the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD).

The Nobel Prize in physiology and medicine for 2014 has been awarded to three neuroscientists; John O’Keefe, May-Britt Moser and Edvard I. Moser.  They have received the prize for their discoveries of cells that constitute a positioning system in the brain. May-Britt and Edvard Moser is a young, married couple from Trondheim, Norway, that during the last decade has published a series of Science and Nature papers on the grid cells in the entorhinal cortex of the brain. They show how the brain creates a map of the space surrounding us and how we can navigate through a complex environment by using these cells.

Gian Luigi Lenzi (GLL): As Chair of the Liaison Committee, can you illustrate the role you give to EAN within the community of European neurologists? David Vodušek (DV): We Europeans have become accustomed to “European institutions”. Although – related to… Continue Reading

by Gian Luigi Lenzi Neuropenews has recently received the request to publish in the „Interviews“ section an interview where an eminent neurologist A was interviewing a second eminent neurologist B who had been awarded a prize in the country of… Continue Reading

Richard Frackowiak is head of the department of clinical neurosciences at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland, and co-director of the Human Brain Project. He is also chairman of the Medical Science Committee of Science Europe.