AFAN Supports Young Neurologists

By Prisca-Rolande Bassolé, Professor Amadou Gallo Diop, and Professor
Mouhamadou Mansour Ndiaye

Young neurologist Prisca-Rolande Bassolé, (center), meets WFN President Raad Shakir (left) and Amadou Gallo Diop, the Africa Initiative Task and Advisory Force for Africa Trustee, at the first AFAN Conference in Tunisia.

The inaugural meeting of the African Academy of Neurology (AFAN) took place in August 2015 in Dakar, Senegal. In a brief presentation, two young African neurologists identified and summarized the expectations of their generation about this African academy1.

Two years later, the first AFAN conference took place March 15-18 in Yasmine- Hammamet, Tunisia. It was co-organized by the Tunisian Society of Neurology and the Pan Arab Union of Neurological Societies, which met at the same time with the help of the International Auspices. Members of the International Auspices are the World Federation of Neurology, the European Academy of Neurology, the American Academy of Neurology, the Movement Disorders Society, the International League Against Epilepsy, and the Middle East North African Committee for Treatment and Research in Multiple Sclerosis2.

The conference represented a great opportunity to enhance regional and international cooperation with these other societies and organizations and to improve the education of young African neurologists.

Residents and young neurologists with the teachers at the International Course of Neurology on the Peripheral Nerve and Muscular Diseases, presented May 8-9 at Cheikh Anta Diop University.

AFAN is committed to participating in the training and continuing medical education of young neurologists. Two months after this first conference, AFAN organized the International Course of Neurology on Peripheral Nerve and Muscular Diseases with the Pan African Association of Neurological Sciences and the French Society of Neurology. The course took place May 8-9 at Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, Senegal. Seventy residents and young neurologists from 18 countries attended the course. The attendees represented Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Congo, Congo Brazzaville, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Gabon, Guinea Conakry, Ivory Coast, Mali, Maroc, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Tchad, and Tunisia.

Attendees benefited from the interactive topics that were presented over two days by teachers from France, Ivory Coast, and Senegal.

This is an excellent initiative of AFAN that the younger generation of African neurologists encourages. We hope that other courses like this one will be organized periodically to foster interregional and international cooperation and to improve the training of neurologists. •

References

  1. Bassolé PR, Fogang FY, The African Academy of Neurology: Young African Neurologists’ Message and Point of View; World Neurology, 2016 Jul;31(4):6
  2. Gouider R, Grisold W, AFAN-PAUNS Congress: Two societies achieve a milestone of joint regional meetings; World Neurology, 2017 May-Jun;32(3):12

Prisca-Rolande Bassolé is an African neurologist from Burkina Faso. Amadou Gallo Diop is an Africa Initiative Task and Advisory Force for Africa Trustee. Mouhamadou Mansour Ndiaye is the first president of AFAN and a member of the Neurology Department/FANN Teaching Hospital in Dakar, Senegal. The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

From Islamabad to Kyoto: A Dream Come True

By Dr. Qurat Ul Ain
Islamabad, Pakistan

Dr. Quratul Ain (center), Professor Arsalan Ahmad (second from right), and Professor Hideki Mochizuki (third from right) at one of the WCN 2017 events they attended.

The XXIII World Congress of Neurology 2017 took place Sept. 16-21 in Kyoto, Japan. It was organized by the World Federation of Neurology (WFN) and co-hosted by the Japanese Society of Neurology (JSN) and Asian and Oceanian Association of Neurology (AOAN). More than 8,600 delegates attended this conference from 121 countries.

As a medical student and an intern, I have presented papers and posters in local and national neurology conferences in Pakistan over the last three years. When my teacher and mentor, Professor Arsalan Ahmad, asked me to submit our abstract to the WCN in Kyoto, I asked him who would sponsor it. “Apply for a bursary” was his immediate response. I was overjoyed when my abstract was accepted for a poster presentation and I was awarded a travel bursary of $1,000 with free registration. Preparing the poster and traveling to Japan was a long journey from Pakistan, yet an amazing one to write about.

The International Conference Center Kyoto is a striking architectural beauty with breath-taking scenery and lakes surrounded by green mountains. The main hall offers an amazing interior and a huge seating capacity; the smaller halls are equally as beautiful.

The scientific sessions, teaching courses, plenary lectures, and the hall filled with research posters and enthusiastic presenters each day was very interesting. The Japanese cultural flavor and politeness displayed throughout the conference was impressive. Professor Edvard I. Moser, the Norwegian Nobel laureate, presented a lecture during the Presidential Symposium that was both exciting and inspiring. A session on the Zika virus with graphic visuals by Professor Andre Pessoa of Brazil also was interesting.

Despite an unexpected typhoon threat, the Opening Ceremony on Sept. 17, in the presence of the prince and princess of Japan, was superb. The reception dinner featured a dramatic Taiko drum performance. The thundering Taiko beats in the air were mesmerizing. It filled the exhibition hall with immense energy.

I enjoyed my brief visit to Kyoto, a city that is rich in tradition, with its sprawling street markets and ancient temples. During my morning walk on Manjuyacho Street near my hotel, I heard the temple bell at 6 a.m. Following the resonance, I reached an ancient Buddhist temple. It provided a serene aura, and the glimpse of that moment will be remembered. I later learned that the temple bell is also called “bonsho” in Japan. It is used to summon monks for prayer or to demarcate time.

The icing on the cake was a dinner hosted by Congress President Professor Hidehiro Mizusawa. I attended the dinner with Prof. Ahmad. It was a majestic traditional event that included a martial arts performance by children and adults as well as a traditional dance performance by Maikos. I had the rare opportunity to talk to a Maiko and learn more about them. This was followed by a sumptuous nine-course meal. Professor Hideki Mochizuki from Osaka University went out of his way to elaborate on the cultural performances and taught me to eat sushi with chopsticks.

The hospitality of the Japanese nation, the energy of the conference, and enlightening lectures from renowned neurologists throughout the conference provides an experience and memories that I will cherish for a long, long time.

From the Editors

By Steven L. Lewis, MD, Editor,
and Walter Struhal, MD, Co-Editor

Walter Struhal, MD

Steven L. Lewis

We are pleased to present the September/October 2017 issue of World Neurology, subsequent to the remarkably successful World Congress of Neurology XXIII held Sept. 16-21 in Kyoto, Japan. This issue opens with WFN President Professor Raad Shakir’s report from the World Congress. Dr. Wolfgang Grisold and Dr. Lewis also summarize many of the key events from the congress, including some representative photographs from this attendance record-breaking event. To round out the congress reports, this issue also offers an enthusiastic report from one of the many young bursary awardees who participated in the congress.

This issue features also reports and images from World Brain Day 2017 from around the globe, with reports from Moldovia; Myanmar; Nagpur, India; and Pakistan. Dr. Grisold also updates us on the outcome of the recent European Board examination as well the World Health Organization meeting that took place in September in Budapest, which the WFN was privileged to take part in.

Professor John D. England, editor-in-chief of the Journal of Neurological Sciences, provides his report of the most recent issue of the journal. This issue’s history article, by Dr. Frank Stahnisch, explores the transition from the Kaiser Wilhelm Society to the Max Planck Society.
Dr. Prisca-Rolande Bassolé and colleagues update us on their thoughts, from the perspective of young African neurologists, two years after the founding of the African Academy of Neurology. Also from Africa, Drs. Philip Adebayo and Funimola Taiwo report on a novel approach to improve neurologic education in Nigeria.

This issue also includes an enthusiastic report from Dr. Vanessa Benjumea-Cuartas from Colombia after her recent Canadian/WFN Department visit at the Montreal Neurologic Institute. You also will find news of the prestigious award recently presented to Dr. Vladimir Hachinksi, past president of the WFN.

We hope you enjoy this issue. We are pleased that so many of you were able to attend the recent World Congress in Kyoto. We look forward to seeing you in 2019 in Dubai.

Regional WHO Meeting Update

By Wolfgang Grisold

The World Federation of Neurology (WFN) was invited to participate in the World Health Organization (WHO) meeting that took place Sept. 11-14 in Budapest.

Regional Director Zsuzsanna Jakab (left) speaks with WFN Professor Wolfgang Grisold, WFN secretary general.

The agenda included a review of the current work of the WHO, presented by the regional director, Zsuzsanna Jakab. Statements came from the Hungarian government (Prime Minister Viktor Orban) and individual European countries. WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus explained his ideas on the future development of the WHO.

The WFN was invited as a permanent member. Several non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and non-state actors participated, including the World Stroke Organization (WSO), represented by Professor Patrik Michel.

WHO Director General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus outlines his vision of the WHO during its regional meeting for Europe.

The WFN was invited to provide a statement, which it chose from agenda item 5b referring to the environment and neurology. This statement was developed by using the work done by a WFN applied research group on neurology and the environment. This research group met in 2016 in Strasbourg and emphasized the importance of the environment and its effect on neurologic diseases. The final version of the report as accepted is posted at who.int/en/. The written statement has been posted at euro.who.int/en/about-us/governance/regional-committee-for-europe/67th-session/statements-from-non-state-actors.

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, the patron of WHO European region, speaks at the WHO Regional Committee for Europe.

Also present were the WSO and several other NGOs with overlapping fields in neurology, such as palliative care, occupational therapy, and student representation (IFSMA).

The cooperation of the WFN with the WHO is important and has included several successful projects, such as the Atlas of Neurology, the ICD-11 classification, and future work on non-communicable diseases.

The WFN participating with the WHO in regional meetings is extremely important as it gives neurology a local voice in the important regional aspects of WHO work. 

The XXIII World Congress of Neurology Kyoto: A Successful Congress by all Measures

By Raad Shakir

Raad Shakir, MD

The biennial World Congress of Neurology is the WFN’s window to the world. Holding the congress in various parts of the world ensures its diversity and uniqueness. This was definitely the case in Kyoto.

There is no doubt that the XXIII World Congress was a huge success. The congress was the largest so far, with 8,634 participants from 121 countries. We are all delighted with the excellent organization, scientific content, and education throughout the five days of the congress. The plenary sessions provided a major insight into the scientific basis and the global situation of neurology. Lectures from three Nobel laureates opened doors for all of us and made us think of all of the possible pathways for translational research.

Researchers and clinicians presented many major topics of interest. There were 3,500 abstracts with 10 simultaneous sessions each day.

Each World Congress of Neurology has its own flavor, and this one was no different. The Japanese society and the WFN scientific program committee worked tirelessly to produce varied and interesting scientific and teaching programs. The brain alliance partners and neurology specialty organizations offered sessions that enriched the program. The regional neurological association sessions explored topics of their choice to complement the scientific programs.

(From left) WFN President Raad Shakir, WFN medalists Professor Jun Kimura and Professor Angela Vincent, and WFN President-Elect William Carroll.

During the congress, Professor Jun Kimura, MD (Japan/U.S.), received the WFN medal for service to international neurology. He has worked tirelessly for decades to promote neurology, and in particular neurophysiology, around the world. The medal for scientific achievement in neurology was awarded to Professor Angela Vincent, MBBS (U.K.), for her decades of dedicated work in the field of neuroimmunology. Professor Jagjit Chopra (India) was recognized with a lifetime achievement award for his work to promote and advance neurology in the developing world.

The Council of Delegates was held on Sept. 17. The agenda focused on activities of the WFN during 2016 and 2017. The delegates reviewed the work of the WFN education programs and training centers, with an emphasis on centers branching out from Africa to Latin America. Further expansion to Southeast Asia was discussed. All of these activities are not possible without a solid financial base. The WFN treasurer presented the fiscal report. The WFN is in good financial health and will continue to provide funding for training, education, and research around the world.

The delegates approved the annual report and conducted the election of officers and trustees. The WFN is fortunate to have several able candidates wishing to serve in various positions. There were six candidates — two for each of the three posts.

  • President: Bill Carroll (Australia) and Wolfgang Grisold (Austria)
  • First Vice President: Ryuji Kaji (Japan) and Renato Verdugo (Chile)
  • Elected Trustee: Riadh Gouider (Tunisia) and Man Mohan Mehndirata (India)

WFN President Professor Raad Shakir (left) greets WFN President-Elect Professor William M. Carroll.

Bill Carroll, Ryuji Kaji, and Riadh Gouider were elected. Warmest congratulations to all. I am positive that the WFN is in excellent hands and will continue to move ahead. The officers will start their duties on Jan. 1, 2018. I have to point out that all candidates are highly qualified and dedicated to the WFN’s mission and goals.

The Council of Delegates had another important decision to make. The biennial congresses are held around the world and are chosen four years in advance. The 2021 congress is to be held in Europe. Two years ago, applicants were solicited, and the WFN reviewed six cities wishing to be considered. Two withdrew for various reasons; this left Copenhagen, London, Marseille, and Rome in the running. With the assistance of Kenes, the official WFN Professional Conference Organizer (PCO), each site was visited, and a report was prepared. 

The four candidate cities made formal presentations, and the PCO summed up the opinion on each of the sites. It is obvious that each has its merits and difficulties, which were discussed and debated. The decision is always made by the delegates in a secret ballot. Two rounds of voting were needed to identify a clear winner. It has been decided that the 2021 XXV World Congress of Neurology will be held in Rome. The Italian society will work closely with the WFN to produce a scientific, education, and social program. A timetable was discussed, and work started immediately.

The WFN will now concentrate on the 2019 XXIV World Congress of Neurology in Dubai, and the committees are working hard to produce a balanced and interesting program. The Emirates Neurological Society, represented by Dr. Suhail Arukn (WCN XXIV president), promoted the Dubai congress in Kyoto and made sure that all delegates know about Dubai and the preparations that are underway.

During the Education Committee meeting, the Education Committee chair and the secretary general presented their reports on the exciting progress of our Teaching Centers in Africa and Latin America, and one that will come in Asia. Centers in Cairo, Dakar, Rabat, and soon Cape Town are progressing well. Mexico City also will start as a WFN Teaching Center in 2017.

The WFN leadership made it clear that this is the most cost-effective way to promote neurology in low- and low middle-income countries. The WFN is grateful for national and regional neurological societies that have shared the cost of training. We are indebted to the French and British neurological societies for their contributions. Our partnership with the American and European academies continues to blossom and progress at all levels, including support for regional teaching courses.

The Japanese Society of Neurology (JSN) held the WCN XXIII in collaboration with the regional association. The Asian Oceanian Association of Neurology (AOAN) served as a partner in organizing the congress, and its attendance was noticeably large. It is now clear that the financial support for Asia will flow from the JSN following the huge financial success of the WCN in Kyoto. It is quite noticeable that half of the attendees are younger than 45. This encouraging trend has continued since the Marrakesh World Congress in 2011.

The WFN is moving ahead with all of its activities, which are cemented by the election of officers and trustees who are dedicated and will definitely build on the current situation in years to come.

Zika Virus Update: Report of the WFN Task Force

By John D. England, MD

John D. England

Government and health officials met June 20-23 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, to discuss the current global situation regarding the Zika virus and the current situation in the Americas.

Participating were representatives from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), UNICEF, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Honduras (UNAH), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the WFN. They met with government officials from Honduras, health care professionals, public health officials from other countries in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean, and dignitaries from the French government.

Students, residents, and professors from the Medical Sciences of the National Autonomous University of Honduras attended the Zika meeting June 20-23 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

Three members of the WFN Task Force on Zika (Dr. Tarun Dua from the WHO, Dr. Marco Medina from UNAH, and I) attended the meeting. The specific countries that were represented at the meeting were Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Paraguay.

A large part of the meeting was devoted to developing proactive programs and the dissemination of measures for the care and support of people and families affected by complications associated with the Zika virus. Speakers and the other participants re-emphasized that the major complications of the Zika virus infection are the congenital Zika virus syndrome and Guillain-Barre syndrome. However, it was noted that other neurological complications, such as meningoencephalitis, myelitis, and sensory polyneuropathies, have also been reported.

Although the Zika virus does not appear to be spreading as aggressively as in previous years, the virus is still infecting large population segments in the affected regions. The WHO estimates that nearly 100 million people, and more than 1 million pregnant women in the Americas, could be infected, suggesting that tens of thousands of children may have the congenital Zika virus syndrome.

Pilot Programs

(From left) French Ambassador Dr. Pierre Christian, Dr. John England, Julio Raudales, and Marco Medina during the Zika meeting.

As more cases of the Zika virus infection emerge, there is a great need to strengthen health systems to enhance surveillance and to provide improved care and programs in the affected countries. The Honduran government, in association with the Institut Francais, PAHO, UNAH, UNICEF, the WHO, and the WFN, has stepped to the forefront of these efforts to institute pilot programs to help patients and families. Health care representatives from other Central American countries also are interested in joining these efforts.

The WHO help is central to the success of these efforts. Much work has already been done by the WHO to provide the information and tools that are necessary to provide a systems approach to fulfill these goals. A major part of the meeting in Honduras centered on discussions about the WHO Toolkit for the care and support of people affected by complications associated with the Zika virus.

The toolkit serves as a blueprint to enhance country and health care systems’ preparedness for Zika virus outbreaks and its complications. The WHO Toolkit consists of three manuals, each with several modules. There are separate manuals for public health planners and managers, health care professionals, and community workers. All participants agreed that the general principles outlined in the toolkit would help in developing comprehensive care and psychosocial support mechanisms for people affected by the Zika virus. There also was recognition and consensus that the toolkit would have to be adapted to fit the unique national and regional needs and context prior to formal implementation.

Participants pledged to plan future meetings and collaboration with health ministers and government officials from their respective countries and regions with the goal of instituting as many of the recommendations as possible. All participants recognize that governmental and health care system commitments and financial support are necessary to ensure the success of these efforts.

There also is hope that providing the resources and infrastructure for patients affected by the complications of the Zika virus will serve as a model for providing care and support of patients affected by other diseases in these countries and regions.

All of the participating organizations, including the WFN, pledged continuing support of these important goals in global health. Only by working together will there be success in these areas of public health. 

John D. England, MD, is the chair of the WFN Task Force on Zika. He also is editor-in-chief of the Journal of the Neurological Sciences.

From the Editors

By Steven L. Lewis, MD, Editor,
and Walter Struhal, MD, Co-editor

Walter Struhal

Steven L. Lewis, MD

We are very pleased to introduce the July/August 2017 issue of World Neurology, and just ahead of the World Congress of Neurology. Fittingly, WFN President Prof. Raad Shakir opens this issue with his column highlighting the importance of world congresses, and an invitation to readers to attend the World Congress of Neurology to be held September 16-21, 2017, in Kyoto Japan.

Among the many diverse contributions in this issue, Prof. Ahmed Abdelalim provides his announcement of the new stroke unit at Cairo University, and Prof. Peter Wolf and Prof. Alla B. Guekht describe the 25-year history of Russian-German Neurologic Collaboration. Professors Chandrashekhar Meshram and Gagandeep Singh report on the successful International Tropical Neurology Conference that was held in Mumbai, India, in March.

Prof. John D. England, chair of the WFN Task Force on Zika, reports on the meeting held in in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, in June to discuss in general the current situation on Zika virus. Professor Wolfgang Grisold reports on the 13th Congress of the Peripheral Nerve Society that took place in Sitges, Spain, July 8-13, 2017. Prof. William Howlett, Prof. Marieke Dekker, and Prof. Sarah Urasa report on the Practical Neurology course recently held in Moshi, Tanzania. This issue also features reports from WFN Junior Travelling Fellowship awardees from Nigeria and Cairo, as well as report from the recent recipient of the WFN-Turkish Neurological Society Department Visit Program. Prof. Struhal also provides his heartfelt obituary on Franz Gerstenbrand, an icon of Austrian neurology.

Finally, and importantly, this issue includes the statements from the candidates for WFN President (Prof. William M. Carroll and Prof. Wolfgang Grisold) and WFN First Vice-President (Prof. Ryuji Kaji and Prof. Renato J. Verdugo), for all WFN delegates to review prior to voting at the Council of Delegates meeting in Kyoto.

We look forward to seeing many of you in Kyoto in September! 

Candidate Statement, President: William (Bill) M. Carroll, MB BS, MD

William (Bill) M. Carroll, MB BS, MD, FRACP, FRCP(E)

The World Federation of Neurology (WFN) has been a vital and integral part of my life for 18 years. I attended my first Council of Delegates meeting in 1999 to present the Australian bid to host the 2005 World Congress of Neurology, which was decided at the London WCN in 2001. From that time, my admiration, respect, and enthusiasm for the WFN has grown. The development and achievements of the WFN have been outstanding and made possible by the selfless contributions of all involved in the WFN so that the achievements of the WFN, accomplished with limited resources, have engendered a deep respect for our organization.

I have been fortunate to have observed first-hand what I believe to be the essence of the WFN. Not only its mission, “to foster quality neurology and brain health worldwide,” but its sense of fairness and service. It is a sense that sits comfortably with a well-known Australian trait of “a fair go for all.”

The WFN is an organization with relatively limited financial resources, yet its mission is broad and seemingly endless. Its annual spending on operating costs, infrastructure, and personnel comprises almost half of its average annual income. Its permanent staff number is only 2.5 FTE, but it is ably assisted by the 140 members of its 15 committees. With member societies, the regional organizations, and the quality of successive administrations, the WFN is forging a role as a global advocate and neurology educator. The recent formation of the African Academy of Neurology and its first conference in Tunis this year, and the development of four regional training centers in Africa, two each for the francophone and anglophone regions, are testaments to WFN’s strength of commitment to this role, as is the successful biennial World Congresses of Neurology. Such achievements also bring the essential benefit of enhanced visibility of the WFN within its membership and among agencies that assist the WFN.

I regard my two terms as an elected trustee, my term as first vice president, and serving as chair of the Membership, Fundraising, and Congress committees, as well as convener of the Global Neurology Network to have been a privilege and an opportunity to contribute to the team.

Why do I seek the office of president? The reasons are many, but they distill to four principle and complementary reasons.

First, I believe in what the WFN does and that I have the skills, experience, commitment, and understanding of the needs of the WFN to continue to grow the educational programs, such as those established in Africa and elsewhere. I also believe that I possess the vision for the direction for the WFN in the next four years and beyond.

Second, underlying the WFN’s mission is the recognition of the inequality that exists in the development and delivery of neurological care and education. To further tackle these systematically and successfully, the WFN requires an order of priorities. I propose to continue to target the inequity of access to neurological care, expertise, and education by encouraging member societies and their regional organizations to assist in the preparation of an inventory of “most urgent inequalities.” It is likely that some will be common and amenable to a general formulated plan of assistance while others will be specific to a country or region and demand a more individual approach. We must develop a plan, and we should do it together.

Third, and in parallel with developing an inventory of and the plans and programs to tackle inequalities, I will be exploring the opportunities for the WFN and its member organizations to expand their association with both our two largest regional neurology organizations, the AAN and the EAN, and with global government, non-government, and regional intergovernmental organizations. These might include the European Union, the Gulf Cooperation Council, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, the Pan American Health Organization, the World Federation of Medical Education, and the WHO, to mention some.

The approach would be to develop cooperative strategies similar to the Africa initiative and the way the WFN has interacted with the WHO via the World Brain Alliance and the Global Neurology Network. It would likely require the establishment of a task force drawn from within the WFN and, where necessary, from professional expertise outside the WFN. We would seek out potential partners, evaluate the opportunities offered by each, match them to the needs inventory, and prepare an approach for those selected.

Lastly, it has been an honor to have been involved with the WFN up to now and to have been nominated for president by the Australian and New Zealand Association of Neurologists and supported by the Japanese Society of Neurologists. Please see below a list of positions held and papers written for the WFN supporting my candidature. 

Professional Experience

General

  • 1988-1996 & 2001-2014: Head, Department of Neurology, Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, Perth, Western Australia
  • 1992-2001: President and counselor, ANZAN
  • 1996-2004: Neurology editor, Journal of Internal Medicine
  • 1998-2014: Chair, Multiple Sclerosis Australia Research Management Council
  • 2003-Present: Editor (Asia and Pacific), Multiple Sclerosis Journal
  • 2007-Present: Vice president, Pan-Asian Committee for the Treatment, Research, and Investigation of Multiple Sclerosis (PACTRIMS)
  • 2008-2012: Vice president, Asian and Oceanian Association of Neurologists (AOAN)
  • 2012: Western Australian of the Year — Business and Professions
  • 2016-Present: board member, European Charcot Foundation
  • 2016-Present: Honorary member, Chilean Society of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Neurosurgery

World Federation of Neurology

  • 2001-2006: Elected trustee of the World Federation of Neurology
  • 2005: President, XVIII World Congress of Neurology in Sydney, Australia
  • 2005-2009: Chair, WFN Fundraising Committee
  • 2009-2013: Chair, WFN Membership Committee
  • 2009-2013: Member, Congress (Supervisory) Committee
  • 2013-Present: Chair, Global Neurology Network
  • 2014-Present: Chair, Congress Committee
  • 2014-Present: First vice president, WFN

Papers

  • 2006: Fundraising for the WFN
  • 2010: Fairness in the WFN
  • 2017: The Need for a Global Alliance in Neurology

Candidate Statement, First Vice President: Prof. Renato J. Verdugo, MD

Prof. Renato J. Verdugo, MD, Chile

The Chilean Society of Neurology and the Panamerican Federation of Neurological Societies have honored me with a candidacy for the position of first vice president of the World Federation of Neurology (WFN). Although Latin Americans have actively participated in the WFN since its foundation, we have never had the opportunity to serve in a senior position within the federation.

During the last presidencies of the WFN, there has been a successful effort to expand WFN activities in regions such as Africa, Central Asia, parts of Eastern Europe, and Southeast Asia. As part of this initiative, the Panamerican Federation of Neurological Societies was finally launched, after years of hard work. I had the opportunity to participate in the creation of this federation, acting as its first vice president during the entire process of formation and registration. In this context of global expansion of the WFN, it would be important to ensure fair representation of the different active regions in its directive by incorporating a representative from Latin America.

For more than 10 years, I have been involved in the activities of the WFN, initially organizing the Panamerican Congresses of Neurology, then as a representative of Chile, and finally as president of the World Congress of Neurology in Santiago in 2015 and the launch of the Panamerican Federation of Neurological Societies, in 2016 and 2017. In these activities, I have always worked on a team with different members of the WFN, whose invaluable advice and support have always been fundamental for the success of these enterprises. The position of vice president is a key part of this teamwork, as he or she needs to interact with the president and different members of the board, as well as the representatives of different regions and countries. He or she also must act as supervisor and collaborator of the organization of the World Congress of Neurology every other year, among other concrete tasks.

After almost four years in a fellowship on peripheral nerve disorders in the United States, and later visiting different academic centers in Latin America, I have had the opportunity to know the reality of neurology in developed and developing countries; this is essential to serve in a global federation that must be effective in supporting the development of neurology throughout the whole world. As a member of the editorial board of the Neuromuscular Cochrane review group and member at large of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology, I have had the opportunity to work with professionals coming from different latitudes and backgrounds, establishing permanent and fruitful links among them.

The integration of neurologists from all over the world requires a strengthening of the digital media made available by the WFN, making wise use of the multiple opportunities provided by the internet and social networks. To increase the attractiveness of the WFN to young neurologists, it is important to develop channels of timely information through our website and the creation of Twitter and Facebook accounts, as well as a YouTube channel. These are sources of information widely used by younger generations; our federation could take advantage of them to reach a wider audience. Furthermore, it is necessary to create a special group for horizon scanning on this topic, to keep the WFN always updated on the use of new and always growing technologies. Social networks are also a valuable tool to reach patients and the general public that may benefit from proper information and orientation in neurology and related disciplines.

Ethical issues are of growing concern in the medical sciences in general, and in neurology in particular. The WFN must be a reference on this subject, taking advantage of the numerous experts who come together in its different activities and may produce orientations and consensus in this field.

It is also important to continue to strengthen the interaction of the WFN with other scientific and medical societies in related fields, such as the continued collaboration with the WHO, which would allow us to channel our expertise and experience in the different topics that are important for the worldwide development of neurology.

The WFN is our shared home, and it needs the continuous work of neurologists from the entire world. If I am elected as vice president, I will be a faithful servant to this goal. If not, I will continue collaborating with the elected directive as I have done for the last 10 years. •

Candidate Statement, First Vice President: Ryuji Kaji, MD, PhD

Ryuji Kaji MD, PhD, Professor of Neurology, Tokushima University, Japan

As a nominee by the Japanese Society of Neurology, I would like to stand for the office of the first vice president at the election.

Background

I graduated from Kyoto University in 1979 and pursued a specialty training in neurology. After completing a PhD course in Kyoto, I moved to Philadelphia in 1984 as a clinical fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, where I became interested in clinical neurophysiology. In the U.S., I met Dr. Jun Kimura, then professor of neurology in Iowa, and we returned to our alma mater together in 1989. Working in his department, I first reported the use of IVIg for multifocal motor neuropathy in 1992, and introduced the use of botulinum toxin for dystonia, which initiated my career in movement disorders.

In 2000, I left Kyoto to chair the newly established Department of Neurology in Tokushima. Thanks to my talented colleagues, I have stayed active in my academic career, publishing more than 500 papers in reputable journals such as Annals of Neurology, Brain, Nature, and New England Journal of Medicine. Our group has discovered two new genes, OPTN and TFG, causing ALS, and another, TAF1, responsible for dystonia.

International Activities

In 2000-2006, I served as an executive member of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology (IFCN). I planned and led an expert meeting to establish a set of diagnostic features for ALS, now known as the IFCN Awaji criteria. I also served as a member of the international executive committee of the Movement Disorder Society (MDS).

WFN Activities

I served the WFN as an elected trustee from 2007 to 2013. Since 2010, I have chaired the newly formed Asia Initiative to promote proper neurological practice in this region, which covers more than 60 percent of the global population. Through the dedicated work by many colleagues involved in this project, the Asian Oceanian Congress of Neurology (AOCN) became one of
the most successful regional meetings under the auspices of the WFN. My current effort concerns the scientific programs of the WCN2017 Kyoto, as one of the co-chairs of the Teaching Course Committee.

Goals and Objectives: Synergy, Communication, and Autonomy

Working as chair of Asia Initiative, I have realized that, like Asia, many developing regions of the world are exploding in population, and the accelerated aging will bring neurological disorders such as stroke and Alzheimer’s disease to the forefront. We need to increase awareness of stroke prevention worldwide and to provide the survivors a means to regain their functional independence.

Through my activities in WFN, I have learned how to coordinate meetings and sessions with other international organizations—to achieve common goals of providing educational opportunities for young neurologists. Having served for IFCN and MDS, I feel myself capable of pursuing this interdisciplinary approach of synergy in promoting the cause of WFN.

A Filipino neurologist, who trained with us in Tokushima, drew our attention to Lubag disease, an endemic dystonia-parkinsonism, or XDP, in her hometown. We collaborated with local neurologists to describe specific pathological findings and to identify its causative gene, which should help find a cure for those patients.

Through this experience, I believe that the same approach of communication, collaboration, and compromise should work well in other parts of the world: All of the efforts must respect developing regions and their neurologists as equal partners.

Many young neurologists from developing countries still find it difficult to attend global meetings such as AAN or EAN. I would like to work to make all regional meetings equally as attractive for young neurologists, particularly as it relates to education. This principle of autonomy, in turn, should strengthen the value of the WFN, especially in the rapidly growing areas such as Arab-Africa and Latin America.

If I am elected first vice president, I will work with all my might to assist the new president to fulfill the mission of the WFN. I could also advise the president how to incorporate the successful Asian experience more globally to the other regions of the world.

I wish to take this opportunity to thank many national societies, which have already endorsed my nomination as first vice president, and hope that others will also be able to support my candidacy. Together, we can improve patient care through education of neurologists regardless of their place of practice.

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