PREVIEW: ABN Annual Conference 2018

Conference details: ABN annual conference 2018, 8-11 May, 2017; Birmingham, UK.
Published online: 25/2/18

Jon Sussmann

Birmingham, the first manufacturing town in the world contributed to advances in science, technology, and economic development that laid many of the foundations of modern industrial society, as well as being the home of a broad-based political radicalism which had a pivotal role in the creation of British democracy. Birmingham looks to the future but always with an eye to the past. In this spirit, we will enjoy many facets of this heritage, historic, academic, cultural and culinary.

The conference opens on Tuesday 8 May with the Foundation Doctor Session and the ABNT Registrar Training Session, including the research workshop, now in its 5th year. We are also holding another ‘Need to Know Neurology’ session for GPs.

We are delighted to announce that Chris Kennard is the 2018 ABN Medallist. On Wednesday 9 May, John Trojanowski, from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine will deliver the 24th Gordon Holmes lecture. In addition, Bastiaan Bloem, Nijmegen will deliver the Practical Neurology lecture on Friday morning.

On Thursday morning our AGM will be extended to include a business session featuring models of acute neurology care delivery. The Special Interest Groups will run sessions on Thursday and Friday mornings. This meeting’s SIGs include, Muscle diseases, Cognitive Disorders, Functional disorders, Multiple Sclerosis & Neuroinflammation, Movement Disorders, Peripheral Nerve and Neuro-opthalmology. The SIG meetings offer an opportunity to hear updates in the field, to discuss interesting cases and meet with friends and future clinical and research collaborators.

The plenary sessions this year features Neuroinflammation, including an update on vasculitis, Sjögren’s disease and new treatments for MS. From genes to the environment will showcase up to the moment data on new therapy for Huntington’s chorea, Nutritional deficiencies – from famine to feast, and on the 100th anniversary of the First World War we’ll hear about the significant contribution of war to neurology. The Acute Neurology session will look at our contribution to care on the obstetric unit and the ITU. With exciting new developments in vascular neurology, we’ll hear about the role of thrombectomy as well as the diagnostic dilemmas of embolic stroke of unknown origin and strokes in the young. In addition there will be video sessions with fascinating contributions on Sleep, Epilepsy, Neuro-ophthalmology and Movement disorders. Once again there’ll be a CPC in which you can compare your analytic skills with David McKee, though unlike him, you can keep your diagnosis to yourself…if required.

2018 has seen another record number of abstracts submitted, assisted by the early career researcher abstract bursary, and we will have six parallel platform sessions and two guided poster sessions in addition to the ever popular case presentations competition. The Annual General Meeting will be held on Thursday 10 May at 1145. The Gala dinner will be held in the beautiful historic Birmingham City Council House. In addition we have a fun run and a historic walking tour of Birmingham. We hope you enjoy the meeting in the multifaceted heart of the Black Country.

For the full programme download the ACNR PDF from the link below or see here. For information the ABN Trainees see here.