November 11th, 2025 @ 5 pm CET with Prof. Dr. Christian Dorfer,
Deputy Head of Department of Neurosurgery and Chief Physician
Medical University of Vienna, Austria

Speaker Robert M Richardson, MD, PhDMassachusetts General HospitalNeurosurgeryExecutive Board of the American Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery Dr. Richardson directs the Functional Neurosurgery division at the Massachusetts General Hospital, where his practice includes comprehensive pediatric and adult epilepsy surgery, deep brain stimulation for movement disorders and OCD, and experimental gene and cell therapy. He is the Charles Pappas Professor of Neurosciences at Harvard Medical School and a Visiting Professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT. /wp-content/uploads/videos/wssfn250707.mp4 Moderated by Dr. Cristina TorresCo-director, Movement Disorder Surgery UnitHospital Universitario de La Princesa,Madrid, Spain Dr Nico EnslinConsultant neurosurgeonRed Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and ConstantiabergUniversity of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

Speaker Prof. Henri LorachAssistant Professor University of Lausanne Prof. Henri Lorach is Assistant Professor in the University of Lausanne within the Defitech Center for Interventional Neurotherapies (.NeuroRestore) – a research, innovation and treatment center that develops and applies bioengineering strategies involving neurosurgical interventions to restore neurological functions.  His research focusses on understanding 1) how the electrical activity of the brain encodes behavior and intentions and 2) how to use this knowledge to build real-time Brain Computer Interfaces to restore function after neurological disorders. In particular, he is leading clinical trials implementing invasive electrocorticography recordings at the level of the sensory motor cortex in patients with spinal cord injury to infer their intentions to perform specific movements and restore those movements through neuroprosthetic technologies. Prof. Lorach graduated from Ecole Polytechnique in Paris and completed his PhD at the vision institute working on the encoding of visual information in the retina. He completed postdoctoral training at Stanford University to develop retinal implants that stimulate electrically the retina and restore visual perception to the blind. /wp-content/uploads/videos/wssfn13052025.mp4 Moderated by Dr. Cristina TorresCo-director, Movement Disorder Surgery UnitHospital Universitario de La Princesa,Madrid, Spain Dr Nico EnslinConsultant neurosurgeonRed Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and ConstantiabergUniversity of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

Speakers Bryan A Strange, MRCP, MBBS, PhD, BSc(Hons)Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain He completed the M.B.-Ph.D. programme at University College London (UK) in 2004. His Ph.D., conducted at the Functional Imaging Laboratory, Institute of Neurology, London, under the supervision of Ray Dolan and Karl Friston, argued for a functional dissociation between anterior and posterior hippocampus in humans. Subsequently, alongside clinical work in general medicine and neurology, he continued to study memory in humans, with particular focus on the effects of emotion on memory formation, He started his own laboratory in 2011, the Laboratory for Clinical Neuroscience, CTB-UPM, Madrid, Spain. His laboratory employs a multi-modal approach combining functional brain imaging techniques with patient lesion data, pharmacology, genetics, human intracranial recordings and deep brain stimulation to study human memory. In 2014 he published a new model of hippocampal function, alongside the winner of the Nobel Prize in Medicine from the same year. In 2018 he was awarded a European Research Council Consolidator grant to characterise human subcortico-cortical neuronal circuit dynamics associated with enhanced episodic memory for salient stimuli. In 2021, he led a successful application for an infrastructure grant from the Spanish science ministry to fund the acquisition of an optically-pumped magnetoencephalography system. He currently leads the UPM Neurotechnology initiative and is Scientific Director of the Spanish node of EBRAINS. > Cognitive effects of deep brain stimulation of the nucleus accumbens in psychiatric patients   Marcos Ríos-LagoUniversity Professor, Department of Basic Psychology II, UNED, MadridPh.D. in Psychology (Complutense University of Madrid) Master’s Degree in Cognitive Neuropsychology (Complutense University of Madrid) He combines his teaching responsibilities at UNED with clinical practice at several hospitals in Madrid. Currently, he works in the development department of the technology company NeuronUP. His research focuses on attention, executive functions, and processing speed. He is also involved in research projects related to magnetic resonance imaging (both structural and functional) at Hospital Ruber International in Madrid, as well as in the Functional Neurosurgery Service at the same institution. He is the author of various articles, books, and clinical guidelines in the fields of neuropsychology, neuroimaging, brain injuries, and cognitive processes. > Neuropsychological outcomes following funcional neurosurgery in refractory OCD patients /wp-content/uploads/videos/wssfn25032025.mp4 Moderated by Dr. Cristina TorresCo-director, Movement Disorder Surgery UnitHospital Universitario de La Princesa,Madrid, Spain Dr Nico EnslinConsultant neurosurgeonRed Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and ConstantiabergUniversity of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

Speakers Adriana Lucía López Ríos, MD Adriana Lucía López Ríos, MDDivision of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery. Hospital San vicente Fundación Rionegro, Colombia. Functional and Stereotactic Neurosurgeon with a formal clinical fellowship at the University of Toronto, Canada; degree recognized by the Colombian Ministry of Education. Oncologic and Skull Base Neurosurgeon with a formal clinical fellowship at the University of Toronto, Canada; degree recognized by the Colombian Ministry of Education. Neurosurgeon graduated from the University of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. Physician and Surgeon graduated from the University of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. Active member of the American Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, and also of the Colombian Society of Neurosurgery.  Founder of the Neurofunctional Program at the San Vicente Foundation University Hospital and Specialized Centers of San Vicente Foundation, which currently has 34 specialists involved in the process of patient selection, surgical intervention, rehabilitation, and follow-up for candidates for deep brain stimulation, spinal stimulation, cortical stimulation, vagus nerve stimulation, phrenic nerve stimulation, occipital nerve stimulation, among others. > Outcomes of Centromedian Nucleus DBS in 32 Patients with Drug-Resistant Epilepsy William Hutchison, PhD, Msc, Professor William Hutchison. PhD, Msc, ProfessorDept.’s Surgery and Physiology, Univ of Toronto. Senior Scientist, Clinical and Computational Neuroscience. Krembil Research Institute, Humboldt Scholar. Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto Ontario, Canada Dr. William D. Hutchison is a Full Professor of Surgery and Physiology at St. George’s University, University of Toronto. He holds a PhD from the Australian National University (1990), an MSc from the University of Toronto (1986), and a BSc (Honours) from the University of Toronto (1983). His career includes roles as Senior Scientist at the Toronto Western Research Institute and Associate Professor at the University of Toronto. Dr. Hutchison has received numerous awards, including the Kraicer Award and the Alexander Von Humboldt Scholarship. His research focuses on deep brain stimulation and movement disorders, with notable publications in Nature Communications and NeuroImage. He has secured significant research funding from CIHR and the W. Garfield Weston Foundation. Jesús Pastor, PhD Jesús Pastor, PhDHead of Clinical Neurophysiology Department. University Hospital La Princesa, Madrid, Spain PhD in Neurosciences and Head of the Clinical Neurophysiology Department at the Hospital de la Princesa. Responsible for neurophysiological studies at the National Reference Units for the Treatment of Refractory Epilepsy, Pain Treatment by Neuromodulation and Surgical Treatment of Movement Disorders. Principal Investigator of the Epilepsy and Basal Ganglia Pathophysiology Group, Translational Neuroscience area, at the Princesa Biomedical Research Institute. Author of 220 conference communications and more than 150 publications including international articles and chapters. Principal Investigator of more than 10 competitive research projects. Research Interest Score = 1343, h-index = 28. Cristina Torres Díaz, MD, PhD Cristina Torres Díaz, MD, PhDDeparment of Neurosurgery. University Hospital La Princesa, Madrid, Spain After completing her neurosurgery residency, Dr. Torres pursued a fellowship in Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery at the University of Toronto, Canada, from 2008 to 2010. She earned her PhD from the Autonomous University of Madrid, focusing on medication-resistant epilepsy, graduating cum laude.Dr. Torres is currently Co-Director of the Movement Disorders Surgery Unit at the Neurosurgery Department of University Hospital La Princesa, a national reference center for the surgical treatment of medication-resistant epilepsy, movement disorders, and neuropathic pain. She is also at the Functional Neurosurgery Department at Ruber International Hospital in Madrid. Additionally, Dr. Torres serves as Secretary of the Spanish Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery (SENFE). Adriana Lucía López Ríos, MDDivision of Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery. Hospital San vicente Fundación Rionegro, Colombia. Functional and Stereotactic Neurosurgeon with a formal clinical fellowship at the University of Toronto, Canada; degree recognized by the Colombian Ministry of Education. Oncologic and Skull Base Neurosurgeon with a formal clinical fellowship at the University of Toronto, Canada; degree recognized by the Colombian Ministry of Education. Neurosurgeon graduated from the University of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. Physician and Surgeon graduated from the University of Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia. Active member of the American Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, and also of the Colombian Society of Neurosurgery.  Founder of the Neurofunctional Program at the San Vicente Foundation University Hospital and Specialized Centers of San Vicente Foundation, which currently has 34 specialists involved in the process of patient selection, surgical intervention, rehabilitation, and follow-up for candidates for deep brain stimulation, spinal stimulation, cortical stimulation, vagus nerve stimulation, phrenic nerve stimulation, occipital nerve stimulation, among others. > Outcomes of Centromedian Nucleus DBS in 32 Patients with Drug-Resistant Epilepsy William Hutchison. PhD, Msc, ProfessorDept.’s Surgery and Physiology, Univ of Toronto. Senior Scientist, Clinical and Computational Neuroscience. Krembil Research Institute, Humboldt Scholar. Toronto Western Hospital, Toronto Ontario, Canada Dr. William D. Hutchison is a Full Professor of Surgery and Physiology at St. George’s University, University of Toronto. He holds a PhD from the Australian National University (1990), an MSc from the University of Toronto (1986), and a BSc (Honours) from the University of Toronto (1983). His career includes roles as Senior Scientist at the Toronto Western Research Institute and Associate Professor at the University of Toronto. Dr. Hutchison has received numerous awards, including the Kraicer Award and the Alexander Von Humboldt Scholarship. His research focuses on deep brain stimulation and movement disorders, with notable publications in Nature Communications and NeuroImage. He has secured significant research funding from CIHR and the W. Garfield Weston Foundation. Jesús Pastor, PhDHead of Clinical Neurophysiology Department. University Hospital La Princesa, Madrid, Spain PhD in Neurosciences and Head of the Clinical Neurophysiology Department at the Hospital de la Princesa. Responsible for neurophysiological studies at the National Reference Units for the Treatment of Refractory Epilepsy, Pain Treatment by Neuromodulation and Surgical Treatment of Movement Disorders. Principal Investigator of the Epilepsy and Basal Ganglia Pathophysiology Group, Translational Neuroscience area, at the Princesa Biomedical Research Institute. Author of 220 conference communications and more than 150 publications including international articles and chapters. Principal Investigator of more than 10 competitive research projects. Research Interest Score = 1343, h-index = 28. Cristina Torres Díaz, MD, PhDDeparment of Neurosurgery. University Hospital La Princesa, Madrid, Spain After completing her neurosurgery residency, Dr. Torres pursued a fellowship

Despite the dominance of neurostimulation technology, stereotactic lesioning operations continue to play a significant role in the treatment of movement disorders, pain, and certain psychiatric disorders. In recent years, renewed interest in lesioning interventions can be attributed to significant achievements in neuroradiological, neurophysiological, and stereotactic software technologies. The webinar addresses the general issues of using stereotactic RF lesioning for treating movement disorders, epilepsy, and psychiatric disorders. Speaker Dr. Konstiantyn Kostiuk Department of Functional neurosurgery and neuromodulationRomodanov Neurosurgery InstituteKyiv, Ukraine Vice-president of Ukrainian League Against Epilepsy His areas of practice include  epilepsy surgery, stereotactic functional neurosurgery, neuromodulation, neurooncology, radiosurgery, and psychosurgery. /wp-content/uploads/videos/webinar01072024.mp4 Moderated by Dr Nico EnslinConsultant neurosurgeonRed Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and ConstantiabergUniversity of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

The presentation will examine the technology differences among major manufacturers and the evidence attached to it. The presentation will allow the listener to grasp the biophysical and system differences and the implications for the use. Speaker Dr. Ahmed Raslan Professor of Neurological Surgery at OHSUPresident-Elect of NANS /wp-content/uploads/videos/wssfn26032024.mp4 Moderated by Dr Nico EnslinConsultant neurosurgeonRed Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and ConstantiabergUniversity of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

In this webinar, we will explore the role of advanced brain imaging techniques in the understanding of facial pain, with a focus on trigeminal neuralgia. The session will address recent technical advancements in imaging and their impact on revealing nerve and brain related abnormalities in pain. We will then examine emerging therapeutic strategies and their relevance to the surgical management of facial pain. Speaker Dr. Mojgan Hodaie Dr. Mojgan Hodaie is a Professor in the Department of Surgery, University of Toronto and the Greg Wilkins-Barrick Chair in International Surgery at the University Health Network. Dr. Hodaie’s scientific research focuses primarily on advanced methods of MRI imaging in functional neurosurgery.  She has published key papers focusing on microstructural changes in trigeminal neuralgia, methods of small fiber tractography and structural neuroanatomical changes in the CNS gray and white matter in facial neuropathic pain. She was named a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences in 2023, in recognition of her research and clinical contributions. /wp-content/uploads/videos/wssfn07112023.mp4 Moderated by Dr Nico EnslinConsultant neurosurgeonRed Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and ConstantiabergUniversity of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

Speakers Dr. Ido Strauss Director of the functional neurosurgery unit in the neurosurgical department at the Tel-Aviv Medical Center. Specialise in movement disorder surgery, epilepsy surgery and neurosurgical procedures to modulate or disconnect pain pathways in the central nervous system. Co-director of the inter-disciplinary clinic for refractory pain in cancer patients. The clinic evaluates cancer patients from all over Israel, who have failed all other “conventional” treatments and are suffering from intractable pain due to cancer. Appropriate patients are offered innovative neurosurgical interventions to disconnect the pain pathways in the spinal cord or modulate the pain perception in the brain neural-networks. > Cordotomy for Cancer Pain Dr. Harith Akram Prof. Akram is a consultant neurosurgeon and associate professor at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (UCLH) and the Unit of Functional Neurosurgery (UCL) in Queen Square. His scope of practice comprises brain and spine surgery. Mr Akram completed his specialist neurosurgery training at the London School of Surgery (Heath Education England). He was awarded the Norman Dott Gold Medal for the highest mark in the FRCS exam (Royal College of Surgeons, 2012). As a trainee, he was awarded the Cutlers’ Surgical Prize (Royal College of Surgeons, 2010), one of the most prestigious annual prizes for original innovation in the design or application of surgical instruments. He completed clinical fellowships at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in Queen Square (UCLH), London and at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona and was the recipient of the Marjorie Newsome Fellowship (Barrow Foundation, 2013). Prof. Akram is a regularly invited keynote speaker and lecturer at various national and international neurological and neurosurgical conferences. He is the Editor-in-chief of the World Society of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery (WSSFNS) newsletter. Prof. Akram’s research interests are in advanced computational neuroimaging and connectomic neurosurgery. His PhD degree on ‘The Application of Advanced MRI connectivity in Functional Neurosurgery’, awarded by UCL, received the Queen Square Symposium PhD Prize (2018). He has ongoing work to develop translational methods in MRI brain connectivity, in addition to his involvement in various clinical trials to improve the safety and efficacy of existing therapies, and explore new and emerging applications. > Cingulotomy for Cancer pain /wp-content/uploads/videos/wssfn28062023.mp4 Moderated by Dr Nico EnslinConsultant neurosurgeonRed Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and ConstantiabergUniversity of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa

Two world-renowned neurosurgeons in the field of stereotactic and functional neurosurgery, are sharing their experience of more than 30 years of treating patients with task – specific dystonias. With, arguably, the largest series in the world. Both speakers are excellent presenters and teachers. Speakers Prof. Takaomi TairaProfessor, Director of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, Tokyo Women’s Medical University (TWMU), Tokyo, Japan, Past President of the World Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery and Japan Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery.  Professor Taira’s main area of interest is Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery for movement disorders, including management of various types of dystonias. Pioneering surgical thalamotomy in Japan for the last 30 years, today Professor Taira’s armamentarium for treating essential tremor includes focused ultrasound, DBS, radiotherapy and RF thalamotomy. Prof. Shiro Horisawa Prof. Horisawa is the current Director of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, Tokyo Women’s Medical University (TWMU), Tokyo, Japan. Prof Horisawa is still working closely with Prof Taira. His main area of interest is also Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery for movement disorders, including management of various types of dystonias. /wp-content/uploads/videos/wssfn22032023.mp4 Moderated by Dr Nico EnslinConsultant neurosurgeonRed Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital and ConstantiabergUniversity of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa