2022 Elections: Candidate Statement for WFN Secretary General

Steven Lewis

It has been a privilege serving as WFN Acting Secretary General since January 2022, Elected Trustee since 2016, and Co-Opted Trustee prior to that. In these and many other WFN roles, I remain indebted to this organization and the opportunities it has provided me to help achieve the WFN mission.

My involvement with the WFN occurred coincident with my AAN appointment as Editor-in-Chief of Continuum, where a joint WFN/AAN program provides print and online access to Continuum to neurologists from over 40 neurological societies from low/lower-middle income countries. As a general neurologist, educator, academician, and editor, I have worked tirelessly on this critical resource while continuing to find ways to enhance the program and its access.

In my expanding roles at the WFN, and for which I am available 24 hours a day given our worldwide constituency, I have become integrated into the daily workings of this organization for global neurologic education, training, practice, and advocacy.

As Editor of World Neurology for the past seven years, I have the responsibility to report on news about neurology to neurologists worldwide. As Education Committee Chair, I have the privilege to help create and hone educational opportunities in the form of department visits, fellowships and full neurologic training, junior travelling fellowships, and many other educational programs and research grants to neurologists/trainees especially from lower- and lower-middle income countries who otherwise wouldn’t be able to access such opportunities. As Teaching Course Chair of WCN 2019 (Dubai), 2021 (Rome/virtual), and Congress Committee Chair of WCN 2023 (Montreal) I have led the creation of programs attended by thousands of participants to learn from world-class speakers.

In all my WFN responsibilities, I have the privilege of collaborating with esteemed colleagues from regional and national societies and committees and related organizations, co-trustees and WFN presidents, and from our talented hard-working staff. The knowledge, expertise, and camaraderie of all has been invaluable in improving my effectiveness to our organization.

If elected as Secretary General, I pledge to continue in this role to help achieve the WFN’s mission via ongoing collaboration with national and regional neurologic societies and organizations (including the WHO in our increasing partnership); grow our regional teaching centers and department visits for neurologic training to expand within and beyond the current regions to include any region where neurologists are underrepresented; leverage virtual opportunities; increase awareness of all WFN opportunities for all neurologists worldwide; and react quickly to novel regional or global neurological threats. I also look forward to completing the initiative President Grisold and I spearheaded to develop and distribute a practical Global Neurologic Core Curriculum addressing the minimal required knowledge, skills, training experiences and overall competencies of neurologists, while recognizing regional variations in resources, funding, and diseases.

I would be honored to be elected to continue as WFN Secretary General, in which I would continue to work around the clock to faithfully serve our delegates and all neurologists for the mutual goal of improved neurological access and the highest quality of neurology and neurological health worldwide.