Our preparations for the ICCN in Cartagena are hotting up. The scientific programme is in place, and we have had an encouraging number of abstracts submitted and with them a good number of applications for meeting support. But this still leaves room for Late, Breaking Abstracts which have a submission deadline of 30th April. In our organising committee we discussed whether the abstracts should be ‘breaking,’ i.e. new exciting work which needed fast communication, or just ‘late’ in the sense of being submitted after the main call. The answer is either or both. If you have not already, we suggest you consider submitting an abstract and attending the ICCN. The programme will be excellent.
The IFCN Education Committee is pleased to announce the launch of our Global Outreach Training Programme for nerve conduction and electromyography studies (NCS/EMG). The target participants are trainees in limited resource settings who do not have access to local neurophysiology/neuromuscular training. The programme serves as a guide to gauge the evolution of trainees knowledge and skill in the core skills of NCS/EMG. Though a pilot program with a maximum of 40 participants only, it is still a major new initiative for IFCN and a further step for the Global Outreach Programme. For more information : IFCN Global Outreach Training Programme
Our open call for Fellowships remains open for a few more weeks. These annual awards offer fellowships to candidates to allow them to travel to another department to learn anew or enhance their skills in a specific area not currently available to them in their home country. Having gained experience, the aim is for Fellows to then transfer this new knowledge to their home institution and colleagues subsequently. For more information and how to apply: IFCN Fellowship Application. Rather than read more from me about how useful and inspiring these can be, here are the experiences of some past Fellows.
‘I would like to sincerely express how happy I am with my fellowship experience. It exceeded my expectations and provided an excellent learning environment. I have had the opportunity to see a wide range of interesting cases on a daily basis and to discuss them with leading experts in the field, which has been incredibly valuable for my development.Thank you once again for this wonderful opportunity.’ – Ekatarine Kurua‘I would also like to express my sincere gratitude for this fellowship opportunity. It is truly an exceptional educational experience, and words cannot fully express my appreciation. I hope to contribute in a meaningful way to the clinical neurophysiology community and give back something valuable to the society in the future.
Thank you again for your guidance and support throughout this process.’- Abdulrahman Zarzor
‘I greatly appreciated the networking opportunities of my experience, including team working in the environment of my host department. Moreover, I anticipate presenting my results in different international conferences, thus further increasing my networking possibilities.’ – Daniel Litewczuk
IFCN plans to keep in touch with our Fellows to see their progress.
The YNN continues to thrive and grow. IFCN’s hope is to assist in the development of a global network of young clinical neurophysiologists, facilitate opportunities to collaborate with colleagues and mentors, engage in training to aid the advancement of career and, of course, develop friendships along the way. The main criteria to be a YNN member is that you must be under the age of 40 years.
Recently, the group has put on regular ‘Chat with the Experts’ events which are informal conversations where YNN members can ask questions to experts on topics such as career paths, training resources, and work-life balance. YNN has also established an important new project concerned with digital learning, with a title which is more self-explanatory than brief, “Digital Educational Resources in Clinical Neurophysiology Training: Mapping the Landscape for the Modern Trainee.” It has also condensed some of our extensive IFCN educational library into accessible “Key Insights” to aid the groups’ engagement.
YNN also plans to have activities at ICCN 2026 in Cartagena, which will allow further engagement and networking. If you are interested in participating in YNN, please apply here: YNN Application
Though our focus and efforts are towards Cartagena, please be advised that the next ECCN is in sunny Malaga, Spain, 18-22,October 2027. You’ll be aware that the next ICCN in 2028 is in Rotterdam. The venue for ICCN 2030 will be voted on at our General Assembly in Cartagena.
I have mentioned before the amazing work which our social media editor Eishi Asano does for IFCN. Recently he has added accounts on BlueSky and Mastodon for those reluctant or unable to access other sites. So, there is no excuse not to keep up with IFCN events in new and exciting ways beyond even the cutting-edge President’s letters.
Warm Wishes,
Jonathan Cole