Activities of the ISN sub-Committee
On behalf of the Neuropathology Training & Development sub-Committee (SC) of the ISN, I am pleased to provide updated reports to the ISN Executive Committee (EC), Council and the membership at large on our activities during the past two years. This long due written report is intended to inform the membership on the training workshops organized and overseen by the ISN SC. The SC is charged to search for potential hosts, organize sponsorship and plan for outreach activities primarily in form of Teaching Workshops since 2008. Previous reports of the SC activities can be found on the ISN website Neuropathology Training and Development Subcommittee| The International Society of Neuropathology (intsocneuropathol.com) This report describing three activities will be added to the collection.
Current members of the SC are Prof David Louis (ex officio, USA), Prof Seth Love (ex officio), Prof Herbert Budka (HB, ex officio), Dr Monika Hofer (Secretary of the ISN) and Prof Raj Kalaria (RK, UK). The ISN SC operates in accord with the original terms of reference established by the previous SC chair Prof Francesco Scaravilli in 2009. The SC has essentially operated following previous guidance to accomplish the outreach teaching activities and workshops. SC recruits experienced international lecture/instructor teams appointed on an ad hoc basis depending on the requested expertise, availability of instructors and suggestions made by local hosts at the training sites intended to be visited. The local hosts are primarily responsible for supporting and securing the venue, advertising, local delegate attendance, meals and ground transport. The ISN provides limited support in terms of air/ground travel and faculty accommodation at the venue of the workshops. In addition, the SC has occasionally facilitated the provision of key textbooks or training manuals to needy organizations or individuals involved in the practice of neuropathology particularly in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). Partners and Co-sponsors in the recent past have been the International Brain Research Organisation (IBRO; http://ibro.info/) and the British Neuropathological Society (BNS; http://www.bns.org.uk/)
Recent Workshops in two different continents: 2023-2024
In the past two years, the ISN SC has held or shared in three workshops; a relatively busy period, possibly to catch up with the inactivity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Brief reports on the training workshops held in the Balkans organized solely by the ISN SC or in collaboration with IBRO (Kenya) are provided below. It is heartwarming for the SC and the entire instructor team that the feedback from all trainees at these workshops was very positive on the whole with a strong message that such activities spearheaded by the ISN should continue in future years, even revisiting some venues.
In organizing the ISN workshops several challenges can arise. To overcome some of these challenges an important step is to make an early start with the organization after identifying potential hosts, a versatile lecture team and a suitable venue where the lecture auditorium is within easy reach of the catering and accommodation facilities, especially if these are not within the same complex. Identifying a cloistered venue is also beneficial so attendees do not ‘wander off’ too far. All aspects including local transport, registration on site, comfortable accommodation, provision of meals usually proceed smoothly with enthusiastic and generous hosts. The venue staff need to be cooperative to our every need and ensure the AV equipment and accessories worked properly.
Skopje, N Macedonia, 5-7 June 2023
Over the past few years we have had several invitations to organize teaching workshops in different locations in the LMICs. For many years the Balkans were a particular target of the ISN SC. The Middle East including Iran has been another region for discussion but the war and conflict have dampened enthusiasm. In June 2023, the SC and instructor team held a successful ISN workshop in Skopje, North Macedonia.
The Skopje ISN Teaching Workshop was held 4-6 June, 2023 in co-operation with the Macedonian Association of Pathology, Institute of Alzheimer`s Disease and Neuroscience, and Institute of Pathology, Medical Faculty, University "Ss Cyril and Methodius", Skopje, N. Macedonia. Our generous hosts were Professors Gordana Petrushevska (Institute of Pathology), Gabriela Novotni (University Clinic of Neurology), and Slavica Kostadinova Kunovska (University and Macedonian Association of Pathology). They warmly welcomed the ISN Team and all others in attendance (~100) including pathologists, neurologists, neurosurgeons and some allied health sciences practitioners. The host team conveyed that this event was very important for medical education in Skopje. The hosts had selected a large easily accessible Amphitheatre at the Medical Faculty Located in the Clinical Center Mother Theresa (see photos).
In the opening session the needs for neuropathology were discussed. The intensive programme consisted of didactic lectures, interactive Q&A sessions and digital pathology reviews. One of the first talks was on the spectrum of neuropathology diagnostics at the Institute of Pathology in Skopje given by Dr Rubens Jovanovic (Skopje). Dr Matthew Clarke (ISN London) covered the WHO update on pathology and molecular genetics of tumors followed by an overview of the patterns of CNS Tumours in N Macedonia by Drs Boro Ilievski and Panche Zdravkovski (N Macedonia). Zane Jaunmuktane (ISN London) delivered two excellent lectures on neurodegeneration I and II covering the whole spectrum of neurodegenerative diseases. Prion disorders and nerve and muscle diagnostics were discussed by Herbert Budka (ISN Vienna). Raj Kalaria (UK) covered the spectrum of cerebrovascular diseases as well as an update on epilepsy. Afternoon sessions were spent on viewing a range of cases with digital pathology. There were also case discussions lead by the morning faculty members. Professor Aleksander Stankov (Skopje Coroner’s office) gave the key lecture on the collection of Brain Tissue for Neuropathology Research – Collaboration Between Institute of Forensic Medicine, Medical Faculty, Skopje and State Psychiatry Institute, Department of Neuropathology, Columbia University, New York, USA. Herbert sent us off with his ever popular discourse on the Future of Neuropathology. In the feedback from the attendees many conveyed it was on the most intensive course they had attended. The ISN Faculty also able to advise and suggest on several aspects of best practice including postmortems and tumour work load during an all-inclusive tour of the Pathology Institute.
The workshop closed with warm messages of gratitude from the hosts. The ISN Team profusely thanked the local organisers who generously gave of their valuable time, provided delicious dinners and arranged time for social exchanges. The ISN Team particularly appreciated the unforgettable hospitality of Prof Gabriela Novotni, Dr Rubens Jovanovic, and guiding the ISN Team on an exceptional and illuminating tour of historical Skopje.
Hunter’s Lodge, Makindu, 27 November to 1 December 2023
A Workshop on Neurodegeneration Dementia and Mental Health was organised jointly by the International Brain Research Organisation and the International Society of Neuropathology (ISN), Sub-Committee (SC) on Neuropathology Training & Development with the co-operation of the African Mental Health Research & Training Foundation (AMHRTF), Nairobi, Kenya
Towards the end of 2023, the ISN SC contributed to an exciting workshop in collaboration with IBRO. It was another successful training even, this time in colourful Africa. Although IBRO has sponsored many neuroscience schools in Kenya over the last 20 years, this was the first time the ISN partnered with IBRO in Kenya. The AMHRTF host team (Drs David Ndetei and Victoria Mutiso, Nairobi) arranged for this Workshop to be held at an ideal cloistered site, Hunter’s Lodge, Kiboko in Makindu, about 161 km from Nairobi off the Mombasa Road. Twenty two postgraduate trainees, from Ethiopia, Nigeria, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya, were selected from a pool of 100 applicants. The course was delivered by nine expert faculty members (Juzar Hooker, Kenya; Herbert Budka, Austria; Syokau Ilovi, Kenya; Raj Kalaria, UK; Symon Kariuki, Kenya; Desire Tshala-Katumbay, DRC Kinshasa- USA; Viktor Korchuluk, UK; David Ndetei, Kenya and Evelyne Sernagor, UK). The trainees and faculty travelled by coach from Nairobi City or the JK International Airport in Nairobi to Hunter Lodge. Given the verbal (100%) and written (60%) feedback this IBRO and ISN sponsored event was enthusiastically received and a tremendous success with a high quality programme. At the opening of this five-day IBRO-ISN workshop the Government of Makueni County, Health Chief (Dr Paul Musila) warmly welcomed all and commended the organisers to bring such a robust teaching event to rural Kenya.
The overall goal of this event was also to enhance trainees both biomedical and medical graduates, and residents in neurology and pathology with the idea to build capacity in neuropathology training for general pathologists and inform neuroscientists. Under the general theme of neurodegeneration and with emphasis on mechanisms, the programme topics included neuropathology of common dementias, diseases of the eye, movement disorders, stroke, neurotoxicity, dementia and mental health including depression and affective disorders. Transmissible proteinopathies or prion-like mechanisms, and brain amyloidosis from experimental models to clinical cases were further discussed. Afternoon sessions also featured clinical cases. In the evenings, sessions on research ethics and policies for genetic screening , biobanking and survival skills including research grants and funding mechanisms were discussed. All the trainees also presented 10 min oral talks on their research topic, a project proposal or a pathology case, which were judged by the faculty. The international and local faculty were always present (100% of the time) to address students questions and concerns. The organizers distributed hard copies of the course handbook and the faculty provided their presentations for further assimilation by the attendees. This event also provided profound opportunities to younger colleagues for networking to establish future collaborations.
Organizers were overwhelmed that there was much general as well as specific interest in the workshop. One of the social highlights of the workshop was the excellent barbeque (BBQ) party and to have a piece of the tasty IBRO-ISN cake specially made by the lodge staff and enjoy the sounds of Africa by the river with beautiful birds, not too remote from the snows of Kilimanjaro!
Targu-Mures, Romania, 22-24 April 2024
In April, the ISN SC organised another workshop in the Balkans, this time in Targu-Mures, Romania at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy named after George Emil Palade, the noble prize winner in 1974 for his work on the ultrastructure of the cell. The local host team including Professosr. Roxana Carare (Romania-UK), Rodica Balasa (Targu Mures), Simona Gurzu (Targu Mures) and Mark Slevin (Romania) facilitated a fantastic two- and half-day meeting, 22-24 April, 2024 in the Centre UNIX- The National Centre for Virtual Reality, a new building with a very large modern lecture theatre. This high standard ISN training workshop admirably met the needs for neuropathology training for general pathology trainees and brain researchers in Romania. The peak attendance was 208 that also included some medical students.
After the warm welcome and Introductory session by Roxana Carare (UK-Romania), Rodica Balasa (Romania) and Raj Kalaria (ISN UK), an excellent talk on one year of Romanian Neuropathology: A Review of tumors of the CNS diagnosed at the Bagdasar-Arseni Hospital in 2023 was given by Drs Diana Pasov & Laurentiu Cocosila (Romania). Stephan Frank (ISN Trerasurer, Switzerland) then delivered an interesting lecture on diagnosing gliomas (and beyond) in 2024: how we do it? Further treatises on tumors included pathology of pituitary gland: an update (Laura Chinezu, Romania). The ISN faculty (Zane Jaunmuktane (London) Herbert Budka (Vienna) Stephan Frank (Basel) and Raj Kalaria (Newcastle upon Tyne, UK) covered a number of topics including neurodegenerative disorders, infectious and inflammatory disorders of the CNS, cerebrovascular disorders and dementia, epilepsy and diagnosis with digital neuropathology. Alexandra Bastian (Romania) gave an excellent exposure to nerve and muscle diagnostics in Romania usign interesting case material. In the final session the faculat and local hosts including Roxana Carare, Bogdan Popescu, Mark Slevin led discsuions on the future of neuropathology and brain banking.
In terms of the feedback >90% of the respondents (n =40) scored 4 or 5 on the following items: Purely educational / academic benefits, Networking / engaging with neurosciences/neuropathology community, transformative / inspirational aspects of the experience and overall benefit of the experience. The respondents also suggested several other topics for future workshops.
The ISN Faculty were also given a grand tour of the Pathology department as well as the teaching Hospital and new research laboratories equipped with some the most modern equipment. The faculty advised on several aspects of neuropathology practice.
The generous Romanian hospitality was enjoyed by all the faculty, who were well wined and dined in the evenings. The ISN faculty were also taken on a guided grand tour of beautiful Transylvania region of Romania visiting the historic towns and awesome cities with the Alba Iulia Citadel, Biertan Fortified Church and Sighisoara Medieval Fortress, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And finally, a visit to the Teleki library, also known as Teleki-Bolyai Library and Bibliotheca Telekiana, a historic public library holding ~200,000 volumes was an inspiring highlight!
Reports submitted by Raj Kalaria on behalf of the T&D sub-Committee
Chair of the ISN sub-Committee on Neuropathology Training & Development
Translational and Clinical Research Institute Newcastle University & NIHR, Newcastle NHS Hospitals Trust; Email: raj.kalaria@newcastle.ac.uk
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