New Year’s Greeting from the ESNR

Another very successful year for the European Society of Neuroradiology (ESNR) ended with pride and happiness.

We are proud to announce that ESNR continued to grow in 2012 and now forms a big family of Neuroradiologists all over the world. This year, during the General Assembly of the ESNR in Edinburgh, UK, the applications of 75 full, 111 junior, and 57 associate members were approved so that ESNR now reaches a total of 1,200 individual members. We have members not only from Europe, but also from all over the world: America to Asia, Australia, and Africa, including Chili, Brazil, Mexico, USA, Canada, Singapore, Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and many more countries. Recently, neuroradiological societies and sections of Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, The Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Turkey joined the ESNR as institutional members. With these participants, ESNR now represents more than 4,000 neuroradiologists all over the world. This continuing increase in the number of our members was mainly based on our sustained policy of “being inclusive rather than exclusive.”

Education in Neuroradiology remains a main objective of our society. The European School of Neuroradiology (ESONR) had a very busy and successful year. “Galen Foundation Course of Basic Neuroradiology” of ESOR and ESONR was organized from April 26 to 28, 2012, in Novi Sad, Serbia, by Prof. Milos Lucic. At the “second level,” the final module of the 11th Cycle of the Pierre Lasjaunias European Course of Neuroradiology (ECNR) on “Trauma, Metabolic, Degenerative and Inflammatory Diseases” was organized by Prof. Massimo Gallucci in Milan, Italy, from April 12 to 16, 2012. During the new 12th cycle of ECNR, the course venue will alternate between Turkey and Greece. The cycle started with the module on “Anatomy, Embryology Development and Malformations of CNS,” organized by Prof. E. Turgut Tali in Antalya, Turkey, from November 1 to 6, 2012 (Fig. 1). The next module on “CNS Tumors” in this cycle will be organized by Prof. Athanasios Gouliamos in Athens, Greece, from April 8 to 13, 2013. There have been participants from all over the world including South and North American countries to Asia, Australia, and Africa. Most courses are fully booked months in advance, proving their outstanding quality. Seventy-six neuroradiologists who completed the four courses in previous years took the final board examination in Edinburgh; 66 of them were successful and received “The European Certificate of Neuroradiology”.

Fig. 1

View of the audience with students during the ECNR course in Antalya

At the “third level”, a number of different initiatives were taken in the fields of pediatric, interventional, and spine neuroradiology. An Advanced Hands-On Stroke Course was organized by Prof. Mario Muto in Napoli, Italy, on June 18 and 19, 2012. An Advanced Course of Higher Qualification in Endovascular Interventional Neuroradiology, Aneurysms, and Chronic Ischemia was organized in Villepinte, France, from December 3 to 5, 2012, under the chairmanship of Prof. Michaël Söderman. An Advanced Course of Higher Qualification in Spinal Interventional Neuroradiology was organized in Paris, France, from December 5 to 7, 2012, under the chairmanship of Prof. Jacques Chiras. The sixth European Course of Pediatric Neuroradiology (ECPNR) will take place in Genoa, Italy, from January 24 to 29, 2013, and will be organized by Prof. Andrea Rossi, Prof. Maria Argyropoulou, and Prof. Nadine Girard. This course is jointly organized by the ESNR, the European Society of Pediatric Radiology, and the European Society of Magnetic Resonance in Neuropediatrics.

The 36th Annual Meeting of ESNR, the 20th Advanced Course in Diagnostic Neuroradiology, and the 4th Advanced Course on Interventional Neuroradiology took place in Edinburgh, UK, from September 20 to 23, 2012 and were organized by Prof. Robin Sellar. Over 700 delegates attended this very successful and pleasurable congress. The topic for the Advanced Course in Diagnostic Neuroradiology was “Cross Sectional Tumor Imaging,” while the theme of Interventional Neuroradiology was “Acute Stroke and Spinal Vascular Disease”. The scientific program of the meeting offered a well-balanced mix of diagnostic and interventional neuroradiology topics with refresher courses, state-of-the-art sessions, scientific sessions (including multiple parallel sessions), and poster presentations. The American Society of Neuroradiology–ESNR joint session was successfully completed and enriched with Prof. Greg Sorensen’s teleconference lecture; it was followed by teleconference discussions with the USA, which was a first for our congresses.

Prof. Anne G. Osborn from Salt Lake City, USA, and Prof. Giuseppe Scotti from Milano, Italy, were elected as the honorary members of ESNR in recognition of their outstanding contributions to Neuroradiology (Figs. 2 and 3).

Fig. 2

Prof. Parizel and Prof. Tali handing the diploma to the new ESNR honorary member, Prof. Anne G. Osborn

Fig. 3

Prof. Parizel and Prof. Tali handing the diploma to the new ESNR honorary member, Prof. Giuseppe Scotti

ESNR was represented by Prof. Paul Parizel and Prof. E. Turgut Tali at the launch of the Russian Society of Neuroradiology with a Symposium in Moscow, Russia, witnessing an important moment of neuroradiology history in Russia and Europe taking shape. “Honorary Membership” was awarded to Prof. Parizel and Prof. Tali by the new RSNR through the hands of President of RSNR Academician Prof. Kornienko and Vice President Prof. Pronin (Figs. 4, 5 and 6).

Fig. 4

Slide at the Launch of RSNR, underlining the close future collaboration between ESNR and the Russian Society of Neuroradiology

Fig. 5

Prof. Parizel receiving the “Honorary Member of RSNR Diploma” from the President of RSNR Prof. Kornienko and Vice President Prof. Pronin

Fig. 6

Prof. Tali receiving the “Honorary Member of RSNR Diploma” from President of RSNR Prof. Kornienko and Vice President Prof. Pronin

Our aims of training, representing, and defending all neuroradiologists within European and World Radiology, and also within the world of neurosciences where Neuroradiology continues to play an ever increasing role, continue with a persevering motivation.

For our journal Neuroradiology, 2012 has also been a success. The number of submissions is increasing, and the impact factor remained almost stable. It is important to note that the Editorial Board has decided not to accept case reports any longer, in line with other neuroradiological journals.

The year 2012 has been, on all accounts, a very successful year for ESNR. We sincerely hope that all of you are proud, enjoyed being a member of our Society, and will continue to participate in the activities of the ESNR. None of what we have accomplished together would have been possible without you. We would like to convey our sincere gratitude, especially to the ESNR Executive Committee, as well to all the committee chairmen and members, for their hard work and also to all who contributed to the success of ESNR.

On behalf of ESNR, we wish you and your beloved a happy, healthy, and successful 2013.

E.Turgut Tali

President, ESNR

Guido E. Wilms

General Secretary of ESNR & Editor-in-Chief, Neuroradiology