As we enter the first quarter of 2026, there are many exciting things happening behind the scenes at the Child Neurology Society (CNS).
Annual Meeting: The Scientific Selection and Program Planning Committee has been hard at work reviewing over 60 submitted proposals, including those from international submitters. The CNS 55th Annual Meeting will be held October 14-17, 2026, at the Palais des Congrés de Montréal, Québec, Canada. Please remember to renew your passport and check your country’s visa requirements.
Additional CNS Annual Meeting details:
- Pre-meeting Programming: On October 13, 2026, the following ticketed items will be offered: the Genetics Summit, the Pellock Seminar (for trainees), and the Biomedical Writing Workshop.
- The Child Neurologist Career Development Program-K12 (CNCDP): The CNCDP retreat will be uncoupled from the CNSAM this year due to potential international travel restrictions for NINDS/NIH employees. Instead, it will take place November 6-8, 2026, at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. We encourage CNCDP participants to attend the CNSAM for other learning, career development, and networking/socializing opportunities.
- Legacy Awards: Recipients of these awards will be announced very shortly. The Annual Meeting will officially begin on the morning of October 14, 2026, with the Kenneth F. Swaiman Opening Address and Awards, which are open to all registrants.
- Abstracts: The abstract submission portal will open in early March 2026, and Special Interest Group submissions will open in April 2026.
- Industry Partners: We continue to forge strong relationships wth industry partners, so don’t forget to check out the Exhibit Hall.
- New This Year: The Guided Abstract tour, which previously took place in the Exhibit Hall, will now be called the NeuroNook. It will feature key abstract presentations and a dedicated series highlighting FDA-approved neurology therapies, offering timely, high-impact updates and practical insights for the child neurology community.
CNS Elections: Open positions are Councilor for the West, Councilor for the South, and President-Elect. Nominations are accepted from June 1-30, 2026. In early July, the CNS Nominating Committee will select two nominees to run for each open position. Finalists will submit a biography, and voting will extend from August 1-31, 2026. For more information, reach out to current or past board members or click here. As some of you know, I submitted my name for Councilor for the East in 2017 and didn’t even make it to the ballot. I tried again and was successful in 2023.
Fellow of the Child Neurology Society: We are thrilled by the overwhelming enthusiasm for the FCNS designation! A reminder that applications for the third group of fellows are due March 1, 2026. Here are the details on eligibility and requirements.
Advocacy: We continue to work with LobbyIt to meet with Congressional staffers about vaccines, telemedicine, and healthcare costs. Next, I hope we can address the inability of undocumented children and families, as well as others concerned about deportation, to obtain safe primary care and access novel therapies for previously fatal neurologic conditions. Other updates:
- American Brain Coalition: We renewed our longstanding membership with the ABC as part of our ongoing commitment to advocacy, education, and community engagement on behalf of child neurologists, as well as the patients, families, and caregivers we serve. Read more about this here.
- CNS Signs-on to Letter to Congress Regarding Dr. Walter Koroshetz: We were one of 40 organizations representing neuroscience researchers, clinicians, and patients living with neurological conditions to express our significant concern regarding Dr. Walter Koroshetz, Director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), not being renewed for another five-year term. Read the full letter here.
- Vaccine Action Task Force (VAX-TASK): We are in the final stages of completing the VAX-TASK deliverables. The video team developed three terrific bite-sized sessions on vaccine-preventable neurologic diseases: Influenza A-associated necrotizing encephalitis, measles encephalitis, and pneumococcal meningoencephalitis and stroke. We shared these on LinkedIn and with other consortia, including, but not limited to, the American Academy of Neurology, the American Epilepsy Society, and the American Academy of Pediatrics. Videos can be viewed here. We will release our one-page summary for clinicians by the end of Q1 2026.
- Leucovorin Use in Autism and Related Disorders: The Practice Committee has submitted its final draft of this statement for review by the CNS Executive Board and Board of Directors. Stay tuned for its release by the end of Q2 2026.
With that, I bid you peace and stamina. The Winter Olympics remind us that, in some cases, it’s not a sprint but a marathon.