Letter from the President – Winter 2025
Dear Friends,
This spring, we are challenged on many fronts as rapid changes occur in research, clinical care, and training, which will affect all child neurologists. What we need to do, individually and as a professional society, is explain with greater urgency and clarity what it is that we do and why our work is so important to everyone. Key points that I recommend we keep communicating to our patients and friends include the following:
Child Neurology Matters.
Neurological disorders affect many children, from infancy through adolescence; optimal diagnosis and treatment will lead to optimal outcomes. Numerous children experience or have a high risk of neurological disorders such as headaches, concussions, tics, and seizures. A vigorous child neurology workforce and robust child neurology research are the keys to optimizing outcomes. Healthy children become healthy adults, to the benefit of all.
Rare Diseases Matter.
Most childhood disorders are rare diseases, also known as orphan diseases. However, in aggregate, as many as 5% of individuals worldwide are affected by rare diseases. That is 1 in 20, which is not that rare. Most people probably know someone with a rare disease but may not always be aware of it. Many rare diseases have a neurological component; thus, child neurologists are needed to treat affected children.
Child Neurologists Matter.
Child neurologists are central to diagnosing and treating children with neurological disorders. Correct diagnoses of epilepsy subtype, concussion severity, rare neurogenetic disorder, and other neurological disorders lead to treatment with small molecule drugs and increasingly sophisticated molecular therapies that continue an upward trajectory of health outcomes.
Research Matters.
There is always room for new diagnostic tools and new therapies, especially for children. Research has led to revolutionary therapies that have saved lives and enabled some children with neurological disorders to function at higher levels than most thought possible a decade ago. However, other children are waiting patiently for research discoveries that can help them, and we do not want to disappoint them.
As many of us speak out individually, what is CNS doing to help amplify our voices and promote our profession? We have determined that a new path is needed for our advocacy efforts. We recently announced a new contract with LobbyIt, a firm that will raise our profile and voice in Washington, DC. Our task force on the future of child neurology training recently wrapped up work on a manuscript and submitted it to a journal for publication so that others can see what we do and how we hope to train child neurologists for the decades to come. Additionally, our Research Committee is rapidly examining pathways to academic success for child neurologists, which is critical to ensure that child neurologists continue to lead the way to new discoveries in our field.
There are many ways to become more involved in the CNS, whether it is by volunteering for a committee, submitting a proposal for an annual meeting session, submitting an abstract for the annual meeting, nominating a candidate for an award, or running for a Board seat. Some of these opportunities are still open or will soon be open for 2025, while others will be open again in 2026.
Our Annual Meeting, scheduled for October 8-11 in Charlotte, North Carolina, will provide us with much-needed opportunities to compare notes and support each other. The CNS annual meetings are critical milestones for us as we celebrate past achievements, take stock of our needs, and plan for more success in the future. Please save those dates.
I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible in just a few months.
My best wishes for continued success until we meet again.