By Heather Fullerton.
When we first conceived of IPSO a few years ago, one explicit goal was to obtain a global perspective on cerebrovascular disease in children. The factors that lead to pediatric stroke are heterogenous and complex, some poorly understood mix of genetic and environmental factors. In our individual practices, we see one part of the picture—mostly children from our own geographic region, with a limited set of potential exposures. To fully understand pediatric cerebrovascular disease, we need to see how it affects children in other parts of the world. What are the similarities? The differences? What does that tell us about why some children have stroke, and most do not? We also need to constantly challenge our approach to these diseases. Do I treat a disease differently than a colleague in another country? Another continent? If so, why?
I am delighted that IPSO will host its first-ever conference this month, with speakers and panelists from six continents: Australia, Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. Although we will meet in a virtual conference format, we will learn from colleagues across the globe, and have the opportunity to ask questions in real time through an on-line chat format.
I am pleased to announce the speaker for our first annual “International Perspective” presentation: Professor IkeOluwa Lagunju from Nigeria. Professor Lagunju is a consultant pediatric neurologist and Professor of Paediatrics at the College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, and the current President of the Child Neurology Society of Nigeria (CNSN). Her important work has increased the utilization of Transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasonography for primary stroke prevention in Nigerian children with sickle cell disease, reducing the burden of stroke due to SCD in her country. You won’t want to miss her talk on Monday, July 19th, at 9am EDT/ 6pm GMT + 2.
I look forward to learning from Professor Lagunju, and from all of our diverse speakers and panelists. I hope to connect with many of you through our virtual conference platform, and to meet you in person when we can finally gather in Vienna for the IPSO Founding Members’ Congress: April 24-26, 2022.
Heather Fullerton, MD, MAS
UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital - San Francisco
Heather Fullerton, MD, MAS, is a pediatric vascular neurologist and Chief of Neurology at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital in San Francisco, California. She has been a member of the International Pediatric Stroke Study (IPSS) since 2002 and is the inaugural president of IPSO. She is grateful to everyone who has joined the IPSO effort and believes in the mission of improving the lives of children with cerebrovascular disease worldwide.
