|
|
News Archive: July – December 2007Latest News | 2008 January - June | 2007 July - December | 2007 May - June December 21, 2007 Congratulations to Prof Ingrid Scheffer who received the American Epilepsy Society Research Recognition Award for Clinical Science. This award is given annually to active clinicians working in all aspects of epilepsy research, and is designed to recognise professional excellence reflected in a distinguished history of research or important promise for the improved understanding, diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy. Prof Scheffer's epilepsy research program has explored many areas of epileptology with a particular focus on the genetics of the epilepsies, epilepsy syndrome classification, and electroclinical semiology of seizures. She is also actively involved in training young clinician researchers and makes extensive contributions to both Australian and international non-medical epilepsy organisations. December 10, 2007 The 3rd Eilat International Education Course will be held in Eilat, Israel, September 6-13, 2009. For more information visit the course website. November 30, 2007 The 7th EPILEARN International Course on Epilepsywill be held at Venice International University, on the island of San Servolo, Venice (Italy), between July 28 and August 8, 2008. Information sheet and application forms are available in the Conferences section and on the course website. November 16, 2007 Congratulations to Dr Andrew Black and Prof Frank Vajda who were presented with the Peter Bladin Award, the Society's highest honour, at the Annual Scientific Meeting. November 16, 2007 Congratulations to Dr Chris French who was awarded this years' Molly McDonnell Foundation Scholarship, and to Dr Cassandra Szoeke who received the UCB Pharma Clinical Scholarship. If you would like to apply for these scholarships next year, please visit the Awards & Fellowships section of the website. October 23, 2007
Four paediatric neurology trainees and neurologists recently attended a one-week course in paediatric epilepsy, as part of the annual J Kiffin Penry Program, held in North Carolina. They were (L-R above) Simon Williams (Perth), Michael Fahey (Melbourne), Jay Srinivasan (Melbourne) and Stephen Malone (Brisbane). Their attendance was generously supported by UCB Pharma and organised by Gina Drake. By all accounts, the program was an excellent educational opportunity for the four attendees, thanks to UCB. October 23, 2007 The ESA's VNS application to MSAC for procedural item numbers has advanced to the stage of an Advisory Panel review. ANZAN has been requested to nominate specialists to sit on this panel. It is unclear whether a decision will be made in time for the November edition of the MBS schedule. October 15, 2007 Active members will soon receive notice of the upcoming Annual General Meeting to be held on Thursday, November 8, 2007 in Adelaide as part of the Annual Scientific Meeting. Along with the notice, members will also receive a proposal for change to the ESA Rules and Regulations regarding membership, the financial states for the year ending June 30, 2007, and a brief outline of the Society’s financial position. October 15, 2007 The concept of a future permanent secretariat will be discussed at the upcoming AGM. The ESA Executive met with a representative of Australian Professional Centre, a division of Conference Action that provide specialist secretariat services to societies like ours, including communication, database, website, newsletter, accounting, regulatory and membership services. Interested members might have a look at the APC services website. The executive would be interested to receive comments and suggestions. October 1, 2007 A page of potentially useful online resources has been added to the Guidelines & Resources section. These are internet sites with information that Simon Harvey uses in clinic. If you would like to comment on these or add other sites, please email the website maintainer. September 21, 2007 Register now for the Tuberous Sclerosis meeting at Sydney Children's Hospital on Saturday November 3 — places are limited . Two international guest speakers have been confirmed, and there will be presentations on major advances in research which are being translated into treatment. Please visit the websites for the Scientific Meeting and the Family Meeting for program details and to register. September 17, 2007 Applications for ESA Travel Scholarships to attend the American Epilepsy Society's 61st Annual Meeting close on September 30. Please see the Awards & Fellowships > ESA Travel Scholarships page for more information on how to apply. September 17, 2007 The 2nd Announcement brochure for the 7th Asian & Oceanian Epilepsy Congress to be held in Xiamen, China from the 15th to the 18th May 2008 is available for download. September 17, 2007 The deadline to apply for CURE’s 2008 funding cycle is Monday, September 17, 2007. CURE encourages studies that may not be currently fundable by other agencies, such as the NIH, because of their preliminary or unconventional nature. Preference is given to research addressing the more severe and refractory syndromes of epilepsy. CURE is accepting expressions of interest LOIs in three categories: August 28, 2007 Applications for the Molly McDonnell Foundation Scholarship and the UCB Pharma Clinical Scholarship close this Friday, August 31. August 21, 2007 A request from Dr Peter Bergin (NZ ILAE Chapter) to participate in a pilot program of internet-based recruitment for randomized clinical trials: details are provided in this letter [PDF 18KB] and a copy of the article published in Epilepsia 2007;48:1415-17 is available from Dr Bergin at PBergin@adhb.govt.nz. August 7, 2007 The George Gregan Epilepsy Fellowship at the Children's Hospital at Westmead open for application. See Awards & Fellowships > Other Fellowships for more information. July 31, 2007 A Paediatric Epilepsy Fellowship is available at the Sydney Children’s Hospital in 2008. See Awards & Fellowships > Other Fellowships for more information. July 30, 2007 Online registration for the Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Epilepsy Society is open at the AES website. The meeting will be in Philadelphia from November 30th to December 4th, and will undoubtedly be a worthwhile scientific and educational meeting. July 23, 2007 Abstract submission deadline for the 2007 Annual Scientific Meeting has been extended to Friday August 10! Submit your abstract online by following the "Call for Abstracts" link on the menu of the conference website. The full program for the meeting is now available under the "Program" link on the conference website. July 23, 2007 Stephen Davis (ANZAN President), Simon Harvey (ESA President) and Ernie Somerville (Chair of Driving Committee) met with the key representatives of the National Transport Commission at the end of June regarding certification of Fitness to Drive (FTD). The NTC understands the ANZAN/ESA position and is keen to devise an improved and safer system of certification of FTD. However, the situation is complicated by the fact that driver licensing is a state responsibility and the NTC has limited power to influence the states. A meeting of national and state transport ministers and driving authorities is scheduled for September and the NTC has agreed to support the certification principles laid out by the ESA and ANZAN. In the meantime, ESA members are advised to refrain from certifying FTD of epilepsy patients (except where FTD or otherwise is beyond doubt and the patient is co-operative), and instead, strike through the fit/unfit tick boxes and (with the patient's permission) forward the form and a letter to the driver licensing authority containing the information necessary for the authority or its medical advisers to make a decision. In other driving related news, the WA Assistant Coroner has recommended that drivers with medical conditions potentially affecting FTD should be legally required to report their condition to the licensing authority. Conversely, the Queensland Government is still exploring mandatory reporting of unfit drivers by doctors, as still happens in SA, despite years of attempted persuasion. Members are reminded to advise (and document their advice) patients with epilepsy of the risks that seizures and medications pose to driving, as well as the responsibilities that they have with respect to ceasing driving and reporting to the authorities if seizures occur while they hold a licence. July 23, 2007 The ANZAN EEG Course will be held at the Adelaide Convention Centre on November 5 and 6. See Confefences page for details. July 20, 2007 At the ILAE General Assembly, the Prof Li Shichuo from China proposed that the ILAE and IBE adopt an International Epilepsy Care Day. China held such an event this year on June 28th, a day that is apparently not taken by another health issue. China is seeking support from chapters for this day to be claimed by the ILAE-IBE. If you have any comments on the proposal, especially concerns, please send them to the ESA Secretariat; otherwise, the ESA will simply support the proposal. July 20, 2007 During the recent meeting of the ILAE Commission on Asian and Oceanian Affairs, there was discussion again about the lack of epilepsy development in several countries in our region, most notably Papua & New Guinea, and Fiji and the other Pacific Islands. The ESA could potentially take a role in fostering epilepsy development in PNG, and perhaps the NZ Chapter could take a similar role with Fiji. One mechanism might be to invite key people to join our Societies and attend our Annual Scientific Meeting. If you have physician, paediatrician or other health professional contacts in PNG or the Pacific Islands, please send their details to the ESA Secretariat. July 20, 2007 The decision on the country for the 8th AOEC in 2010 was deferred, pending a meeting of the chairs of the ILAE and IBE Regional Commissions. The choice is currently between Australia and the Philippines, the Philippines possibly being favourite as they have been the “back up” country for the Kuala Lumpur and Xiamen AOECs. A decision will hopefully be made in the next month. July 20, 2007 Congratulations to our New Zealand colleagues whose national chapter was accepted into the ILAE on July 11th. The office bearers are Peter Bergin (President), Lynette Sadleir (Vice-President), Liz Walker (Secretary General) and Claire Spooner (Treasurer) and their chapter has more than 20 members presently. A joint meeting of the ESA and NZ-ILAE Executives Committees was held in Singapore last week, at which time both parties agreed to arrangements that would see our two societies continuing to work together and enjoying reciprocal benefits. This will be discussed further at the ESA AGM later in the year. July 20, 2007 A successful IEC was held in Singapore last week, at which several ESA members discussed key issues in plenary and parallel sessions, presented scientific material in poster and platform sessions, and participated in ILAE business, commission and teaching activities. Congratulations to Dr Radwa Badawy from the Austin Hospital who received a Young Investigator’s Award for her presentation on the effect of AEDs on cortical hyperexcitability as measured with TMS. The next IEC is in Budapest, Hungary 2009 and will celebrate the centenary of the ILAE. July 6, 2007 The Inaugural Clinical Research Excellence Conference (CRX07) will take place in Melbourne on August 17-19. The Conference aims to build the Clinical Research profession, by bringing together practitioners and industry participants from around Australia and the world. Registration at the conference also provides access to several satellite events as special prices for conference attendees. Further information is available on the conference website. July 2, 2007 As part of the IBRO World Congress of Neuroscience, IBRO is holding a Special Interest Forum on titled Febrile Seizures and Epilepsy: What is the Link? on July 15, 6:30-8:30 pm. The forum is open to the general public with no admission charge. The forum will be held at the Bellarine Room 1/2, Melbourne Convention Centre, corner Flinders and Spence Streets, Melborune. For program and contact details, download the flyer [PDF 22KB]. July 2, 2007 The Westmead Association is holding a free workshop for medical professionals and allied health workers who specialise in treating dystonia. Check the Conferences page for details. Latest News | 2008 January - June | 2007 July - December | 2007 May - June |
