WFN – German Neurological Society (DGN): Department Visit Program in Germany 2024

The World Federation of Neurology (WFN) and the German Neurological Society (DGN) are pleased to announce to invite two colleagues from Africa to visit two Departments of Neurology at two University Hospitals in Germany for a duration of four weeks.

The German Neurological Society (DGN) was initially founded as the “Gesellschaft Deutscher Nervenärzte” in 1907 by Wilhelm Erb. In 1935, the society was dissolved by the Nazi government. The re-establishment of the society took place in 1950 by Heinrich Pette. The DGN is part of the Association of the Scientific Medical Societies in Germany (AWMF). The current Chairman is Prof. Lars Timmermann from Marburg. In recent years the DGN has become a fast-growing society which represents more than 12,000 members.

The WFN was formed in Brussels in 1957 as an association of national neurological societies. Today the WFN represents 124 professional societies in all regions of the world. The mission of the WFN is to foster quality neurology and brain health worldwide, a goal we seek to achieve by promoting global neurological education and training, with the emphasis placed firmly on under-resourced parts of the world.

Project description

The German Neurological Society supports the African initiative of the WFN by inviting two Sub-Saharan African colleagues to visit two Departments of Neurology at two University Hospitals in Germany for a duration of four weeks.

The purpose is to experience the German neurological system in an international environment, meet new colleagues, and foster future cooperation.

More information about the two host institutions:

University Hospital of the Heinrich-Heine-University of Düsseldorf

Duration of the department visit: 4 weeks in October, November, or December 2024

Director of Department of Neurology: Prof. Dr. Dr. Sven Meuth

Main characteristics:

• Number of inpatients: approx. 3.000/year
• Number of outpatients: approx. 12.000/year
• Number of beds: 75

Services and facilities include interdisciplinary intensive care unit (12 beds, together with internal medicine), comprehensive stroke unit (25 beds), ward for movement disorders (12 beds), ward for inflammatory, neuromuscular or neurocognitive disease, weekly interdisciplinary conferences, e.g. neurovascular board, immunoboard, regular in-house advanced trainings (e.g. EEG class, MS class, electrophysiology class)

Specialized outpatient clinics: Multiple sclerosis/NMOSD/MOGAD, autoimmune encephalitis, epilepsy, neurocognitive disorders, neuromuscular disorders (e.g. myositis, myopathy, ALS, Myasthenia gravis) neurovascular disorders, movement disorders, migraine, treatment of spasticity with Botulinum toxin

Staff: director, 9 consultants including 4 professors, ~35 residents and ~20 junior researchers

Research foci: neuroimmunology including multiple sclerosis, NMOSD, MOGAD and autoimmune encephalitis, neuromuscular diseases, stroke, movement disorders

The University Hospital Düsseldorf (UKD) is the largest hospital in the state capital and one of the most important medical centers in North Rhine-Westphalia. The 9,500 employees are committed to providing state-of-the art medicine for over 50,000 patients and over 300,000 patients receiving outpatient treatment each year.

The UKD stands for international excellence in patient care, research, and teaching, as well as for innovative and safe diagnostics, therapy, and prevention. Patients benefit from the intensive interdisciplinary cooperation of the >60 clinics and institutes.

The Department of Neurology (Director: Univ.-Prof. Dr. med. Dr. rer. nat. Sven Meuth) has a clinical focus on stroke, multiple sclerosis, autoimmune encephalitis, neuromuscular diseases, and Parkinson disease. Key research areas are neuroimmunology including multiple sclerosis, NMOSD, MOGAD and autoimmune encephalitis, neuromuscular diseases, stroke, movement disorders. Research activities involve experimental animal models, clinical trials, imaging, biomarker and genetic studies to better understand the pathophysiology of disease, monitor and predict the disease course and develop new treatment strategies. The department is involved in national and international research activities including research groups of the German research foundation, several collaborative research projects and EU projects.

University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE)

Duration of the department visit: 4 weeks in October or November 2024

Directors of Department of Neurology: Prof. Dr. Tim Magnus, Prof. Dr. Goetz Thomalla

We are one of Europe´s most modern clinics. At the UKE, specialists from all fields of medicine are brought together under one roof. State-of-the-art medical technology, innovative information technology, and architecture created with the provision of medical care at the forefront, all with the aim of optimally supporting doctors, nursing staff, and therapists. The ideal conditions for the interlinkage between modern medicine, research, and teaching are found at the UKE. About 14,900 employees work around the clock with the singular aim of providing the best medical care to our patients.

At the Department of Neurology, we treat the entire spectrum of neurological diseases. We have particular expertise in the treatment and research of vascular diseases, specifically strokes. We host a comprehensive neurovascular centre, coordinating the treatment of patients with stroke and cerebrovascular diseases in the larger Hamburg Metropol Area (www.uninvn.de). We have initiated several, large-scale prospective clinical stroke trials leading to guideline-changing results (such as the WAKE-UP trial). In addition, we focus on research on inflammatory processes and treatment targets after stroke. All stroke patients are treated at our stroke unit (16 patients) or the neurological intensive care unit (9 patients). Our interdisciplinary stroke team comprises experts in Neurology, interventional Neuroradiology and Neurosurgery. Specialized teams of doctors in the neurological intensive care unit also provide optimal treatment for patients with highly complex and acute neurological diseases.

The care of patients with multiple sclerosis is an additional focus of our clinical and scientific work and is carried out at the highest level. A third treatment focus is the treatment of movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease, including interdisciplinary treatment decisions and monitoring for deep brain stimulation in PD.

Facts about the Department of Neurology:

• Number of Patients treated per year: 4,000
• Number of Stroke patients per year: 1,500
• Number of Patients in outpatient clinics: 8,000
• Wards: Stroke Unit, Neurological Intensive Care Unit, patient wards for movement disorders (Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders), ward for inflammatory, neuromuscular or neurodegenerative diseases,
• Daily or weekly interdisciplinary conferences, e.g neuroradiological conferences, interdisciplinary board for neurovascular diseases, neuroimmunological diseases, neurogenetic diseases.
• Regular in-house advanced training
• Specialised outpatient clinics: multiple sclerosis and neuroimmunological diseases, neurovascular diseases, movement disorders, dystonia, botulinum toxin clinic.
• Research Areas: Stroke and neurovascular disorders, neuroimmunology, movement disorders

Homepage: https://www.uke.de/english/departments-institutes/departments/neurology/about-the-department

Details about support

The German Neurological Society (DGN) will provide the following support:

• Travel expenses Africa – Germany – Africa
• Accommodation for four weeks
• Living expenses (food and beverage) during the four weeks
• Costs of health insurance during the stay in Germany

Attention: please note that support is provided for the visiting fellow only and does not include family or dependents.

Criteria for applications

• The applicant must be a resident of a low or lower-middle income country in the Sub-Saharan African continent
• The applicant must be born after 31 December 1981
• The applicant must be a qualified neurologist or a current neurology resident in an advanced stage of training

Evaluation Committee

WFN

• Dr Steven Lewis, WFN Chair of the Education Committee
• Prof. Riadh Gouider, WFN Co-opted Trustee

DGN

• Prof. Dr. Dr. Sven Meuth, Düsseldorf
• Prof. Dr. Tim Magnus, Hamburg
• Prof. Dr. Goetz Thomalla, Hamburg

AFAN

• Dr Augustina Charway-Felli, AFAN President
• Dr Osheik Seidi, AFAN

Deadline for application

Deadline: Sunday 31st March 2024

For any questions regarding the application, please contact Mrs Jade Levy (Executive Assistant Education Project Coordinator) by email at jade@wfneurology.org