CNS President
Dear Colleagues:
Last year’s fall annual meeting in Washington, DC was well attended and well received, drawing over 1000 participants and more than 65 exhibitors. I thank Jon Mink and the Scientific Program Committee, our speakers, our award winners, our sponsors and exhibitors, the CNS office and all the individual participants for making this a success. We are very excited about the 45th CNS Annual Meeting to be held in Vancouver, October 26-29. Marc Patterson is leading the Scientific Program Committee in reviewing 34 proposals submitted on-line by CNS members from December 15 to February 8. Several proposals included one or more outstanding international speakers. We are gifted with many wonderful speakers within our society, but it seems most appropriate for our venue in Vancouver to expand our horizons and invite outstanding international people that may offer members a unique viewpoint.
This year’s Wednesday Neurobiology of Disease In Children Symposium (NDC) will feature Neurofibromatosis. The Child Neurology Foundation is planning a Saturday afternoon seminar on Cannabidiols. Senior residents in child neurology will want to monitor the CNS website and the CNS Connect Junior Member workspace for updates regarding the two-day CNS John M. Pellock Residents Epilepsy Symposium held prior to the start of the annual meeting. Child Neurology and NDD residents and med students are encouraged to submit abstracts on-line for individual platform and poster presentation March 1- April 15. Once again, registration fee waivers will be available to Junior Members of the CNS whose abstract is accepted for presentation by the review committee. The Outstanding Junior Member Award will be given to Junior Members submitting the top four ranked abstracts; the award includes airfare and hotel, a plaque, recognition at the Friday morning general session, and waived registration fee. Recipients of the past 20 years of Outstanding Junior Member Awards will also be recognized at this year’s meeting, enriching our appreciation of the breadth and depth of past, present and future progress made by CNS members and the important work presented at the CNS Annual Meeting.
With the help of the Bylaws and the Executive Committees, I would like to craft a mission statement for the Child Neurology Society in the coming months. A mission statement adds to our clarity of purpose, providing a compass to help direct future endeavors of our society. Although the exact words have yet to be forged, we need to acknowledge the primary goal of our profession, which is to improve the healthcare and wellbeing of children with neurologic problems. But we also need to acknowledge that the Child Neurology Society’s mission is to function as a professional society, and to support the career development, education, research and clinical practice of our members.
Best regards.
Kenneth J. Mack, MD, PhD
President
Child Neurology Society