Submitted by C. Zimphango on Tue, 16/08/2022 - 14:52
Introduction
More than 350 delegates from several cities in over 7 continents attended the 15th International Neurotrauma Symposium (INTS), which took place from 17th to 18th July in Berlin, Germany. Under the theme “improving lives after neurotrauma through research”, the symposium brought together leading experts in neurotrauma, pre-clinical and clinical, brain and spine to advance learning and scientific exchange while building collaborative networks.
Attendees from the Neurochemistry Group and within the University of Cambridge
Members of the Neurochemistry Group (Division of Neurosurgery, Dept. of Clinical Neurosciences) including Prof. Peter Hutchinson, Mr Adel Helmy, Ms Sara Venturini, Cameron Hall and Chisomo Zimphango were all in attendance and contributed to the scientific exchange and interdisciplinary discussions. Also, in attendance within the Division of Neurosurgery were esteemed colleagues including Tommi Korhonen, Elika Karvandi, Claudia Smith and others from the Brain Physics Laboratory and the Neuroinflammation Group. Our dear colleagues Prof. David Menon, and Dr Virginia Newcombe (Division of Anaesthesia, Dept. of Medicine), were also in attendance and greatly contributed to the wide-ranging talks particularly on global neurotrauma, blood biomarkers, and advanced neuroimaging in TBI.
Attendees from Cambridge pose for a group photo outside the Berlin Marriott Hotel –INTS 2022 venue
Highlights
Prof. Hutchinson gave a series of plenary lectures, chaired sessions and took part in interactive case discussions. His educational and inspiring talks on management of both acute and chronic subdural haematomas and the global challenges in neurosurgery highlighted the significance of evidence-based approaches and collaborative research in traumatic brain injury (TBI) respectively. A collaborative effort to further advance research for TBI patients’ benefit in global neurotrauma was also a prominent theme in keynote presentations from Prof. Franco Servadei (Milan, Italy), Prof. Anthony Figaji (Cape town, South Africa) and Prof. David Menon (Cambridge, UK). Prof. Menon highlighted the impacts of CENTER-TBI project that began as a European multi-centre study, which now has an impact beyond Europe.
Prof. Peter Hutchinson delivering a talk on global challenges in neurotrauma at the INTS 2022 in Berlin, Germany.
Mr Helmy’s captivating talk showcased progression in neuroinflammation post-TBI especially over the last 10 years and his update on state of the art on TBI provides hope especially on how we can better manage neurotrauma patients. Sara Venturini’s talk on various classifications of mitochondrial dysfunction in severe TBI patients highlighted the need for a unified system of classification among these patients. This was followed by two stimulating presentations, one asking the question “how recurrent is the brain abnormal metabolism in severe TBI patients?” and the other asking “how does the pre-injury social status play a role in these patients’ outcomes?”. Cameron Hall’s fascinating talk showcased how human induced neurons can play part in modelling and developing treatments of secondary injuries after TBI, while Chisomo Zimphango’s talk highlighted the significance of continuous monitoring in TBI through state-of-the-art approaches.
L to R: S. Venturini, C. Hall, and C. Zimphango presenting their work at the INTS 2022 in Berlin, Germany.
Summary and INTS 2024
Overall, the INTS 2022 scientific programme was impressive, packed with insightful lectures, talks and poster presentations. Undeniably, not only did this facilitate scientific exchange, but also enhanced our learning about neurotrauma and related areas. The scientific programme concluded with Presidency handover. Congratulations to Prof. Hutchinson, who is now the President-elect of INTS and will have the pleasure of welcoming attendees to the 16th INTS conference from 2nd to 5th September 2024 in Cambridge. For more details, please visit the website (https://www.showsbee.com/fairs/International-Neurotrauma-Symposium.html).
