Though it seems a while ago now, I hope you all had a good break over the mid-winter/Christmas period, or over the southern summer. This year promises to be a busy and interesting one for IFCN.
We have had a high number of good quality symposia proposals, and so are confident of a programme combining excellent clinical neurophysiology practice with some outstanding scientific sessions.
With this in mind, we are excited to announce that the deadline for abstract submissions has been extended to 23 February. This year, we are excited by the return of the option of submitting abstracts for consideration of oral presentation, with prizes for the best in Cartagena. In addition, trainees who submit abstracts can submit for a travel grant, if eligible. Click here for more information.
Readers are reminded that IFCN has an open call for Fellowships available annually to candidates to enhance their skills in a specific area not currently available to them in their home country. The aim is to support training throughout the world and to support individuals to learn areas of clinical neurophysiology not available more locally. Candidates will learn techniques and gain experience they can transfer to their home institution and colleagues.
For more information and how to apply IFCN Fellowship Program
IFCN starts its 2026 Masterclass program with Dr. Marc Nuwer this month. Dr. Nuwer, one of our past-Presidents and who is the first IFCN named Mark Hallett Plenary lecturer for ICCN2026 in Cartagena, will lecture on “IOM over the Years” on Valentine’s Day, Saturday, February 14, 2026, at 11:00 (EST). In this lecture, he will review the early years of IOM, with an emphasis on evoked potentials. If you would like to attend, please register HERE.
Time never stands still and we are always planning ahead. While IFCN is focusing on the forthcoming 2026 congress, we are beginning the search for a home for our 36th International Congress of Clinical Neurophysiology in 2030. If your society is interested in hosting for ICCN 2030, please contact the IFCN Secretariat at kzaiss@ifcn.info
Relevant considerations include the geographical distribution of ICCN’s in past years, accessibility and attractiveness of your city to our global community. The goals are to have an excellent scientific and clinical congress, a rich social programme and to end with a financial surplus. The last few ICCNs have been in Jakarta, Indonesia, 2024, Geneva, Switzerland, 2022, and Washington USA, in 2018. Since the next one is in Rotterdam in 2028, (now that ICCNs are on a two-yearly cycle), member societies outside the EMEAC Chapter are especially welcome. The one condition is that your society must be in good standing with IFCN, i.e. has paid its dues!
Nominations are being sought for the election of IFCN Officers for 2026-2030. The Officers will be elected in July 2026 by member societies in good standing, for a term of 4 years. Officers will begin their service in September 2026, following the IFCN Congress in Colombia. For a description of roles and responsibilities of each position, and the nomination process, click here IFCN 2026 Election information Nominations close on March 20, 2026.
Lastly, I mentioned several workshops supported under this programme in my last letter. Recently there has been one more. As part of its Global Outreach Programme, the IFCN supported a workshop on nerve conduction studies/electromyography (NCS/EMG) organized by the Society of Clinical Neurophysiology of Bangladesh (SCNB) and IFCN on the 8-9 November 2025.
The NCS/EMG workshop, the first of its kind in the country, was held in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The workshop trainers included local experts from SCNB, Prof. Dr. Sk Mahbub Alam, Prof. Dr. Hasan Zahidur Rahman and Prof. Dr. Rajib Nayan Chowdhury as well as trainers from IFCN, Dr. Rajiv Wijesinghe (Australia) and Prof. Dr. Nortina Shahrizaila (Malaysia).
The programme included lectures, case-based demonstrations and hands-on practical sessions. The workshop was well attended by local neurologists, including young trainees, and received excellent feedback with requests for similar teaching programmes to be held in future.
The faculty, participants and industry sponsors of the workshop
When we asked people in low- and middle-income countries how IFCN might best assist education they asked for high quality teaching close within their own country, with access to local and international experts. This, and the previous workshops are excellent examples of this, and we hope the initiative will grow. Thanks to all involved.
Lastly I hope it is permitted to mention an article which readers may have read on our website. Memories of Mark. Personal reflections by those in IFCN who worked with Mark Hallett, (by David Burke, Robert Chen, Andrew Eisen, Marc Nuwer, Walter Paulus, Paolo Rossini, John Rothwell, Eric Stålberg, and Jonathan Cole) has now been published, (Clinical Neurophysiology, 184, 2026, 2111590, ISSN 1388-2457, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clinph.2026.2111590). Though primarily to celebrate Mark’s work in IFCN, it reminds us that while science and medicine may appear rather academic intellectual pursuits, they are always nurtured better with mutual appreciation and friendship.
Global Outreach in Namibia. Attendees and faculty, Imen Kacem, Melody Asukile, Kate McMullen, Jo Wilmshurst.
Warm Wishes,
Jonathan Cole