Recapping the International Headache Congress
AHS Members Make An Impact at the 18th International Headache Congress
Last month, the 18th International Headache Congress gathered global leaders in headache medicine including hundreds of members of the American Headache Society. Attracting nearly 1,400 of the most elite neurologists and headache specialists from 69 countries around the world, the 4-day conference represented the efforts of doctors and researchers from around the world to advance migraine treatment and the field of headache medicine.
“This unprecedented event in headache medicine marks the turning point for a group of diseases that have endured a severe lack of understanding, damaging stigma, historic underfunding for research, and a painfully slow pace of treatment advances,” said Dr. David Dodick, American Headache Society Board Member and immediate past president of the International Headache Society.
Key Headache Initiatives
Numerous AHS members were part of research initiatives related to the Congress, and several of our members participated in poster presentations as well. Other key programs included the International Headache Academy/iHEAD meeting held the Monday and Tuesday preceding the Congress.
The IHA/ iHEAD meeting was an international collaboration between the American Headache Society and the International Headache Society to bring world-renowned faculty to speak with participants. The international faculty connected with more than 75 attendees from all areas of the world identifying opportunities for future collaborative research. Previous attendees of IHA and iHEAD were also surveyed to help identify future research areas and journal presentations of interest. The International Headache Academy’s mission is to pilot a long-term, international educational initiative and that targets senior Neurology residents, headache medicine fellows and M.D. and/or Ph.D. headache researchers currently enrolled or within 5 years of completing training.
In addition, several members of AHS attended the first-ever Global Patient Advocacy Summit (GPAS) on Wednesday, a meeting that represents a worldwide commitment to headache medicine from a patient-centric perspective. Elevating the profile of migraine, educating patients about advocacy opportunities, strategizing solutions to overcome barriers to treatment and organizing awareness campaigns for employers, governments and the general public were all elements of the plan designed by the GPAS delegates. Also announced was the formation of the Global Patient Advocacy Coalition, the first global, patient-centric initiative, of which the American Headache Society will work to help advance.
AHS Members
Our members continue to impress us each and every day. Many AHS members delivered the results of their research in key lectures and exhibitions throughout the summit, highlighting some of the newest and most exciting developments in migraine research. We want to formally congratulate all of the American Headache Society members who presented at IHC!
AHS members enjoy unparalleled access to educational resources and training opportunities, including events like the Congress of the International Headache Society. Membership also means forging instant connections with a broad network of leaders in the field of headache medicine. Together, AHS members are actively working to shape the future of headache research, understanding and treatment—and it all starts with you. Click here to learn more about the benefits of AHS membership and sign up to join the Society today.