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President's Column

Read archives from AAN Past President Orly Avitzur, MD, MBA, FAAN, who served from May 2021 to April 2023.

December 2021

The 2022 Annual Meeting in Seattle Will Be…

After two years of collective uncertainty, loss, sacrifice, and separation, we will finally see each other again in April of 2022. The Great Neuro Reunion, planned for April 2 to 7 in Seattle, will present the latest in cutting-edge science and education and reconnect you with the colleagues and friends you have not seen in person since 2019. After a three-year-long absence borne of this pandemic, I no longer take such events for granted, and look forward with Proustian anticipation to the din of convention center hallways and the smell of Seattle-roasted coffee.

While many surprises are planned, I’d like to give you a sneak peek of some of the highlights. Invited speakers include my fellow AAN Board member Bruce Obviagele, MD, MSc, FAAN, who is the recipient of the Robert Wartenberg Lecture; Daniel H. Geschwind, MD, PhD, FAAN, who will present the George C. Cotzias Lecture; and the recipient of the Sidney Carter Award in Child Neurology, Catherine M. Amlie-Lefond, MD, FAAN.

Exciting scientific presentations are also in the works including an intriguing series called Neuroscience in the Clinic (NIC), which will feature topics such as Artificial Intelligence Applications; Neurological Implications of Long-haul COVID Infection; Aducanumab—From Clinical Trials to the Clinic; Brain Health and the Neurovascular Unit. Staged as a dialogue between clinicians and neuroscientists, NICs are created to be a one-stop-shop for attendees from early-career stages to seasoned neurologists, whether specialists or generalists, practitioners or academicians. NICs are rich in content, fastpaced, and highly immersive experiences.

Science Committee Chair Natalia S. Rost, MD, PhD, FAAN, tells me that more than 3,000 abstracts were submitted this year; she calls them “the lifeblood of the scientific program—the ultimate way to communicate science and connect.” These will be aggregated into topical “neighborhoods” which will allow you to browse more conveniently and network with your science communities. Look out for the specially marked “Abstracts of Distinction,” posters presented by neurology trainees, Emerging Science poster sessions, and special topic poster tours. The poster halls promise to be buzzing with excitement!

Over 160 top-notch educational courses and innovative learning opportunities have been scheduled. Learning Engagement Centers will foster collaborative learning and unique education delivery methods. And this year, in addition to inspirational HeadTalks, a new space will feature 1:1 teaching on various topics from the best educators in neurology. You will be able to sign up for private conversations about your favorite neurologic subjects with leaders in the field.

Multiple settings have been planned to help us reconnect with each other starting with the Opening Party, held Sunday, April 3, at 7:00 p.m. Your free ticket will include entrance to the Space Needle, the Museum of Pop Culture, and Chihuly Garden and Glass. There is a reason that Chihuly is rated #1 on Tripadvisor’s Things to Do in Seattle and was the 2021 recipient of a Traveler’s Choice Award. A glass artist with exhibitions all over the world, Dale Chihuly pioneered a new way of working with molten glass, using gravity and centrifugal force to let it find its shape in its own organic way. Although one of his most recognizable installations, composed of over 2,000 unique elements, is called Pacific Sun, I can’t help but wonder what images it will conjure for a group of neurologists.

Early registration is available through February 17, and a unique virtual experience will follow on April 24 to 26. In the upcoming weeks, more information will be released about award recipients and inspirational speakers who are sure to create a sensation, so stay posted. And if you live in Seattle or are a frequent visitor, please share the name of your favorite coffee shop, quirky attraction, dive bar, or restaurant to hang out with friends at the Great Neuro Reunion—and what makes it special—on Twitter. I look forward to seeing you at the #AANAM!

Orly Avitzur, MD, MBA, FAAN
President, AAN
@OrlyA on Twitter