The XVIIIth International Congress of Neuropathology was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in September 14-18. It was hosted for the first time in Latin America, organized by Brazilian and Argentinian neuropathologists, with the contribution of a highly qualified international scientific committee, which worked hard to produce a very successful scientific program, including many distinguished speakers, that was complemented by a lively and friendly atmosphere in the setting of a wonderful landscape with very enjoyable social events.
The scientific program covered a full range of interest, promoting the exchange of expertise between the various areas of neuropathology and other fields of neuroscience, including neurologists, neurosurgeons, neuro-oncologists, neuroradiologists, geneticists, basic neuroscientists and others, who contribute with information to aid in the diagnosis and treatment of patients.
Outstanding talks on tumours and neurodegenerative disease opened the congress late afternoon on Sunday 14th, after a whole day pre-congress symposium entirely devoted to discussion of pediatric brain tumors, with the contribution of pediatric neuro-oncologists.
At the opening ceremony, after the usual formalities, the audience was briefly exposed to our history and one of our cultural patrimony (music and dance), followed by a cocktail facing the private beach of Sheraton Rio Hotel & Resort.
The congress included a number of parallel themed symposia, poster viewing or lunchtime meetings and workshops. Selected posters were chosen for short oral presentations at lunchtime.
In the evening, before social events, there was an interactive quiz session, when men and women have competed on various subjects, not only neuropathology (women won!!) and the diagnostic slide seminar.
The last day was devoted to summaries of most subjects presented during the congress, in sessions entitled “Practice Changes Updates”, which was followed by a discussion about neuropathology training nowadays, an excellent presentation by the winner of the Young Investigation Nissl Award, Melissa Murray, and then the closing ceremony, at which awards to the best oral presentations were announced.
The initiative of the ISN to donate bursaries to young neuropathologists from developing countries, and copies of the latest editions of the ISN books as prizes is greatly acknowledged, as are the British Neuropathological Society/Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology, who sponsored speakers from the UK/BNS members. Also EuroCNS/Clinical Neuropathology, Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology, Brain Pathology and many national societies helped in promoting the Congress.
Abstracts are published online in Brain Pathology. A mobile phone application with the full program and abstracts was developed and made available to download.
Registration fees were kept affordable, particularly for students, young researchers, trainees, and participants from economically disadvantaged countries.
There were 434 participants, including 148 Speakers, 12 invited chairs and 17 students/residents/fellows from Brazil. The Pre-Congress symposium was attended by 119 people.
Participants were from 36 countries, most from Brazil, followed by the USA, Japan, United Kingdom, France, Canada, Germany, Argentina, India, Australia, Mexico, Italy, China, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands, Portugal, Czech Republic, Denmark, Switzerland, Hungary, Russia, Austria, Belgium, Chile, Jordan, Colombia, Finland, Israel, Jamaica, Malaysia, Mozambique, Pakistan, Poland, South Africa and Thailand.
On behalf of the Organizing Committee, I want to thank all the speakers who accepted our invitation to contribute with their expertise in the discussion of many important and polemic issues of the increasingly complex field of neuropathology, and the highly qualified scientific committee, particularly Beatriz Lopes and the vice-president Gustavo Sevlever, for their suggestions and contributions to the scientific program. I am also grateful to all those who came to attend the congress, most of whom contributed with presentation of results of their most recent research.
Leila Chimelli
Congress President
A number of images from the Congress are included, but if anyone would like an image removed please contact davidhilton@nhs.net
