Newsletter

NANS 22nd Annual Meeting Recap: Thank you!

David A. Provenzano, MD, Scientific Program Chair; Julie G. Pilitsis, MD PhD FAANS, Scientific Program Advisor; and Jason E. Pope, MD DABPM FIPP, and Steven M. Falowski, MD, Annual Meeting Chairs

As I reflect on the North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS) 22nd Annual Meeting, the first words that come to mind are “thank you.” I truly appreciate all the efforts put forth by the following groups and individuals:

• Scientific Program Committee
• Abstract Committee led by Co-Chairs Ricardo Vallejo, MD PhD; and Nebojsa Nick Knezevic, MD PhD
• Premeeting Workshop Co-chairs Michael A. Fishman, MD MBA; Michael Hanes, MD; and Bryan C. Hoelzer, MD
• Annual Meeting Co-Chairs Jason E. Pope, MD DABPM FIPP; and Steven M. Falowski, MD
• NANS Board of Directors
• NANS team (Lily De Schaaf, Caroline McCormack, Chris Welber, Chris Schroll, Kamryn Timm, and Betsy Ray).

There were many successful aspects of our Annual Meeting. I would like to highlight a few noteworthy achievements, although many will go unmentioned. Drs. Fishman, Hanes, and Hoelzer did a phenomenal job leading the premeeting hands-on cadaver course for fellows. This course serves as an entry point for many practitioners into the field of neuromodulation. Critical skills are taught through this course, such as patient selection, surgical skills, and complication-mitigation strategies.

Additionally, there was a wealth of cutting edge, innovative research presented. Drs. Vallejo and Knezevic organized an excellent abstract program that provided broad insight into the current advancements in the field of neuromodulation. Three hundred and forty-one abstracts were submitted to the Annual Meeting, and 94 were chosen as oral abstract presentations. The researchers should be commended for their efforts and dedication in completing these projects. A great deal of commitment and perseverance was demonstrated through the quality of research presented. The Best Clinical Abstract Award went to the study presented by Dr. Dmochowski, titled “Transcranial Laser Stimulation Increases Cerebral Blood Oxygenation in Humans.” The Best Basic Science Abstract Award went to the research presented by Dr. Vallejo, titled “Preclinical Comparison of Differential Target Multiplexed SCSTM with Low and High Rates.”

The 2019 award winners went to individuals that have had a significant impact on the field of neuromodulation and to young practitioners that clearly have a bright future. The Distinguished Service Award went to Richard North, MD, and the Lifetime Achievement Award went to Peter Staats, MD MBA. The Kumar New Investigator Best Manuscript Award went to Mallory Hacker, PhD, for her work titled “Effects of Deep Brain Stimulation on Rest Tremor Progression in Early State Parkinson’s Disease.” Promising young professionals received the Earl Bakken Young Researchers Travel Grant (Hernán F.J. González, MS) and the William Witt, MD, Travel Award (Ankit Maheshwari, MD).

The objective of the NANS 22nd Annual Meeting was to explore the science behind successful outcomes. The plenary and concurrent sessions covered topics essential to outcomes, including patient selection, trailing, influence of opioids, and proposed mechanisms of actions of new spinal-cord stimulation programs. Insight was also provided on rehabilitation strategies, the use of neuromodulation to treat brain injury, and disorders of consciousness and memory development. Information on advocacy, healthcare policy, and methods to treat cancer pain also were discussed. The sessions developed by the American Academy of Pain Medicine and the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine were thoughtful, informative, and well attended. Our keynote speaker, Sam Quinones, author of Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic, provided a passionate, intellectually stimulating, and informative overview of the evolving opioid epidemic in the United States.

The NANS 22nd Annual Meeting was an overwhelming success. Thank you for attending and for your input on the meeting. The attendees’ input will be used to develop an even better program for the NANS 23rd Annual Meeting, January 23–26, 2020, in Las Vegas. The theme of next years Annual Meeting is Driving Innovation Through Science & Evidence. Your participation and attendance at this meeting will demonstrate your commitment to the collaboration of bright minds, the advancement to the field of neuromodulation, and the ability to provide evidence-based medicine to patients with challenging conditions.