Prof. Steven Lewis, new WFN president, presents his vision and goals for the organization during his tenure.
By Prof. Steven L. Lewis
Steven Lewis
I’d like to warmly welcome all neurologists — and anyone interested in neurology and brain health worldwide — to the first World Neurology issue of 2026. As this is also the first issue under my tenure as World Federation of Neurology (WFN) president, I’d like to introduce you, our readers, to the WFN. I would also like to briefly introduce myself and our goals for my presidential tenure.
The WFN is a federation of neurological societies, which was formed during the First International Congress of Neurological Sciences in Brussels in July 1957.1 The WFN has grown over the 70 years since its founding to include 126 neurological societies as members. The member societies are broadly categorized into six regions of the world with six major independent regional organizations.
They are:
- Africa: African Academy of Neurology (AFAN)
- Asian/Oceanian region: Asian Oceanian Association of Neurology (AOAN)
- Central and South America: Pan American Federation of Neurological Societies (PAFNS)
- Europe: European Academy of Neurology (EAN)
- North America: American Academy of Neurology (AAN)
- Pan Arab region: Pan Arab Union of Neurological Societies (PAUNS)
The WFN represents and advocates for neurologists and neurological care globally. Our stated mission is: “To foster quality neurology and brain health worldwide, a goal we seek to achieve by promoting global neurological education and training, with the emphasis placed firmly on under-resourced parts of the world.”
WFN Goals
Prof. Riadh Gouider (left) and Prof. Steven Lewis at the World Congress of Neurology (WCN) 2025 in Seoul, South Korea soon after being elected first vice president and president of the WFN, respectively.
As my predecessor Prof. Wolfgang Grisold has described so well in his presidential columns over the last four years, the WFN pursues its goals through our work in multiple domains. Some of our many endeavors include initiatives in the following categories:
- Education. These initiatives include our WFN-accredited training centers and department visits, educational conferences such as our eLearning Days and World Congresses of Neurology, and many other educational activities, such as the distribution of the AAN’s Continuum to low- and low-middle-income countries. The WFN also offers its eLearning Hub, which connects neurologists with free international educational activities from our collaborating organizations.
- Advocacy. The WFN’s advocacy work includes efforts with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.N. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). We have also established World Brain Day as an annual event highlighting brain health initiatives worldwide.
- Publications. WFN’s official research journals include the Journal of the Neurological Sciences, eNeurological Sciences, and this publication, World Neurology.
- WFN Specialty Groups. These groups have fostered the establishment and nurturing of academic collaborations in the neurological community.
The WFN has a myriad of other longstanding and ongoing initiatives which, along with the above, will be discussed in future editions of World Neurology.
The WFN has also been critically and firmly involved in the overarching goal of promoting brain health worldwide, a concept that has grown exponentially and globally over the last few years and has been long ingrained in the WFN’s motto.
WFN Organizational Structure
Marianne de Visser
As a U.K.-registered charity, the WFN must remain compliant with U.K. charity laws in all the work performed as we undertake this important mission on behalf of our member societies. Responsibility for the WFN actions and initiatives, and adherence to U.K. charity laws, is shared by all WFN trustees. In addition to the president, these positions and trustees currently include the following new and continuing members:
- First vice president: Newly-elected Prof. Riadh Gouider brings years of dedication and experience as a WFN trustee to this position.
- Treasurer: Prof. Morris Friedman
- Elected trustees: Prof. Mohammed Wasay, Prof. Chandrashekhar Meshram, Prof. Tissa Wijeratne
- Acting Secretary General: Prof. Marianne de Visser, who was recently named by the trustees to this position, and completes the remaining year of my secretary general term. The trustees thank Prof. de Visser, a highly respected neurologist with years of experience with the WFN as a trustee and committee chair, for taking on this role, adding her expertise and insights to the team.
A Little About Me
I’ve been a WFN trustee for over 11 years, most recently as the secretary general. My main responsibilities included overseeing the secretariat in London and overseeing compliance with U.K. charity laws.
With my career interest in education, I’ve chaired the WFN Education Committee and have helped hone and grow the many activities my predecessors shaped under their leadership. My non-WFN U.S.-based educational endeavors have included stints as chair of the organizations that certify neurologists and accredit residency and fellowship training programs in the U.S.
As a former and current editor-in-chief of several neurological journals/publications, I have enjoyed bringing high-level, evidence-based, contemporary neurologic education to a global audience.
As a general clinical neurologist, I’m privileged to be involved in recent global initiatives to advocate for the importance of general neurology as a viable clinical and academic career option. These initiatives include the EAN’s General Neurology Task Force,2 an endeavor rooted in the interest of improved global access to neurological care.
I also want to reiterate my sincere appreciation and acknowledgment to the WFN past presidents whom I have had the privilege of serving under within the WFN. These include, in order from earliest to most recent: Prof. Raad Shakir, Prof. William Carroll, and Prof. Wolfgang Grisold. All three individuals have served as role models exemplifying unique leadership skills and profound institutional knowledge and fairness. I have also had the pleasure of interacting with Prof. Vladimir Hachinski, the immediate predecessor of those I served directly under. I will not hesitate to consult with these four outstanding neurological leaders for their wise counsel and experience.
My Goals for the WFN
My immediate goals for the WFN include continuing to expand, with our trustees, upon the work of my predecessors with regard to global neurologic education and training (especially in under-resourced areas of the world), global advocacy endeavors — including with the WHO and the U.N. — and our many other ongoing and growing global activities.
I will work to ensure inclusivity, engagement, collaboration, and visibility of the WFN and the practice of neurology on the global stage. All these endeavors must be performed while maintaining careful fiduciary stewardship of the WFN’s financial and human resources.
My vision is that each of our 126 member societies will be increasingly engaged with the federation and recognized for what each brings to the global table regarding neurology, neurological access, equitable and inclusive care, and commitment to brain health. The WFN can assist these member societies — small and large around the world — in communicating and collaborating to achieve synergies as we encounter the many issues confronting our field globally.
The trustees and I look forward to a highly collaborative relationship with each of the six regional organizations and their leaders. They are:
- Prof. Christopher Chen, AOAN
- Prof. Amina Gargouri, PAUNS
- Prof. Elena Moro, EAN
- Prof. Natalia Rost, AAN
- Prof. Lawrence Tucker, AFAN
- Prof. Renato Verdugo, PAFNS
We will work closely together as we fulfill our mutual missions, especially regarding access to the highest quality of neurology and neurological education and care globally, and advocacy and support of our remarkable profession worldwide.
Prof. Alla Guekht delivering the WFN’s formal statement on Jan. 27, 2026, at the 2026 U.N. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Partnership Forum. The WFN was the only medical organization invited to give a plenary intervention. The intervention was prepared by Prof. Lewis, Prof. Guekht, and Dr. Ksenia Pochigaeva. Also, Dr. Pochigaeva delivered three statements from the WFN at the 158th Who Executive Board Session in February 2026.
The WFN also will enhance the communication and potential collaborations initiated by my predecessors with international subspecialty organizations; analogous world federations such as the World Psychiatric Association, the World Federation of Neurological Societies, and the International Child Neurology Association; patient organizations; disease-based organizations and others. We can work together as we encounter overlapping issues and learn best practices from each other.
The WFN (with our 126 member societies) will also be a prominent and highly visible proponent and advocate of Brain Health on the global stage, creating programs and collaborating with the exponentially growing multi-stakeholder initiatives devoted to Brain Health worldwide.
The WFN Administrative Team
I want to call out our hardworking and always available executive team in our London-based secretariat, who are critical to these missions and goals. They are:
- Laura Druce, CEO
- Jade Levy, project manager
- Carlos Hunte, administrative assistant
- Chiu Keung Man, IT consultant
Each of these outstanding individuals is committed to the organization. Their expertise, support, availability (especially given the multiple time zones), and professionalism are especially beneficial to me, the trustees, our member societies, and the success of our complex initiatives.
Upcoming WFN Activities
In the spirit of equity and access and the WFN’s overarching mission, I am pleased to introduce the theme of World Brain Day 2026 (chaired by Prof. Tissa Wijeratne and co-Chaired by Prof. David Dodick). Continuing the recent years’ themes of Brain Health, the World Brain Day theme of 2026 will be: “Brain Health and Access for All.” This theme will highlight and champion “access” in all respects, such as access to overall neurologic care, essential medications, and access to training.
Mark your calendars for Oct. 28-29 for the World Federation of Neurology Digital Update Course and the World Congress of Neurology (WCN) in October 2027 to be held in Cape Town, South Africa.
Finally, please see Nominate Candidates for WFN Secretary, Attorney General, in this issue for the call for nominations for elected trustee and secretary general.
In closing, I want to thank the WFN’s Council of Delegates for its support and confidence in electing me to this position in such an exciting time in neurologic care and clinically meaningful preventative, diagnostic, and therapeutic discoveries that can have a profound global impact. I look forward to working with all member societies in our mutual goals of enhancing neurologic care and access and training globally and equitably. •
References:
- Aarli J. The History of the World Federation of Neurology. Oxford University Press, 2014.
- Bassetti CLA, Accorroni A, Arnesen A, et al. General neurology: Current challenges and future implications. Eur J Neurol. 2024 Jun;31(6):e16237. doi: 10.1111/ene.16237. Epub 2024 Mar 28. PMID: 38545838.
