Green Templeton hosts student-run neurology conference

The Newsom-Davis Neurological Society (NDNS) hosted their annual conference, ‘Bridging Minds: A Multidisciplinary Approach to Brain Health’ on Saturday 22 March 2025. Supported by the Annual Fund and hosted at the college, the NDNS conference brought together students, academics, psychiatrists, neurologists and neurosurgeons for a day of insightful discussions and hands-on workshops.

Laura Stirling-Barros (Clinical Medicine, 2023) reports

Neuropsychiatrist Dr Ivan Koychev opened the conference with his talk on ‘Approaches to Secondary Prevention of Dementia’, which explored the latest research on Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers and application of anti-diabetic drugs for the prevention of dementia. Mr Martin Gillies followed with his talk on ‘Consenting Those Who Cannot Consent,’ addressing ethical and legal challenges in neurosurgery.

After the coffee break, Dr Jonathan Attwood’s talk, ‘From D-Day to Dementia: Insights from WWII Veterans into Alzheimer’s Disease,’ examined the historical origins of traumatic brain injury care, first pioneered in Oxford. Mr Mario Ganau concluded the morning with an inspiring talk on ‘Global Neurosurgery and Ethics,’ highlighting disparities in access to neurosurgical care throughout the world and the importance of international collaboration for innovation.

During lunch, attendees engaged in discussions and viewed the student research posters. The afternoon treated attendees to three engaging workshops. This included Mr Martin Gillies’ workshop on ‘Neurological Emergencies,’ followed by an immersive Virtual Reality neurosurgical workshop hosted by Virtual Reality in Medicine and Surgery facilitators. The final workshop provided training in suturing techniques, ran by Mr Will Owen, Mr Yaw Antwi-Yeboah, and Dr Alex Fung.

The day ended with a closing ceremony announcing the poster competition winner: Nudrat Nawar (Clinical Medicine, 2022). Congratulations, Nudrat!

Overall, this year’s NDNS conference was a success. It was well attended and gathered positive feedback in terms of the content, delivery and organisation. This event enhanced the college academic community with fascinating talks, opportunities to hone clinical skills, present research and network. We are grateful for all the speakers and facilitators who generously and patiently dedicated their time to the attendees.

The NDNS committee extends its gratitude to the donors to the Green Templeton Annual Fund and the staff members for their invaluable support in making the conference possible.