EANS 2026 Day 4
From Molecules to Leadership
Day 4 at EANS 2026 brought a packed programme that took us from the laboratory bench to the operating theatre, and from cutting-edge technology to what it takes to lead.
The day opened in the plenary hall with a morning neuro-oncology session on current developments in the molecular research and management of brain metastases, from molecular subtypes and tumour origin to genetic targets and the tumour microenvironment. A special highlight came from our hosts in Hamburg, whose team of researchers are working on the use of nanobodies to boost the immune response in high-grade gliomas, a promising new direction for immunotherapy in these hard-to-treat tumours.
The morning trauma session gave an overview of current practice and recent advances in understanding and managing mild traumatic brain injury, with a particular focus on sports-related concussion. Highlights included presentations of yet unpublished outcomes from the IMPACTS-BRAINI study and analysis of a small group of patients with mild TBI patients from the CENTER-TBI cohort, as well as a look at how machine learning and artificial intelligence could help triage these patients.
In parallel, the Diversity Committee session, “Minds for change: Bringing diversity, inclusion and the future of neurosurgery into focus” explored what the specialty needs to offer the next generation, from creating a more sustainable working culture to fostering a stronger sense of community. Professor Hans Clusmann spoke about the possibility of a four-day working week, while Professor Carmen Vleggeert-Lankamp highlighted the importance of building supportive communities for young neurosurgeons. Professor Marion Rapp, in her talk “Attracting the Next Generation: What does neurosurgery need to offer?”, continued the conversation by looking at how neurosurgery can evolve to attract and inspire future generations.
The morning oral e-poster session packed 30 short presentations into four parallel booths, with work coming from eleven countries across Europe, Africa and Asia, from Egypt and India to Portugal and the United Kingdom. Paediatric neurosurgery and hydrocephalus featured prominently, alongside neurotrauma, infection, skull base and vascular surgery, and a booth dedicated entirely to epilepsy and functional surgery.
The vascular plenary session, exploring the place of microsurgery in the endovascular era, drew a full plenary hall, reflecting the community’s lasting interest in the future of vascular microsurgery. Speakers analysed the current literature in depth and discussed how to balance microsurgical and endovascular treatment decision, with the newly published EANS neurovascular guidelines earlier this year at the centre of the conversation. With Europe’s population ageing, the need for neurovascular surgery is growing, and the very definition of the field is set to change, so all speakers agreed that the available literature and the arrival of new technologies must be interpreted carefully. Recent data on minimally invasive surgery for intracerebral haemorrhage also showed a field in transition, with smaller, localised haematomas now being treated sooner.
In the midday keynote, Prof. James Rutka spoke about leadership in neurosurgery, at a time when the world craves inspirational leaders.
Good teams need a clear structure, specific goals and a little fun along the way, while leadership itself calls for endurance and resilience. Leaders should share the role, keep innovating, stay visible and consistent, and not be afraid to admit what they don’t know, while still making time to think and to look after themselves.
The EANS2027 Basel Booth hosted the presentation of our next Congress in the beautiful Swiss city, offering a first glimpse of what lies ahead. The EANS community is already looking forward to another great meeting and a warm welcome in Basel!
The paediatric spotlight session put new technologies and techniques for managing paediatric pathologies centre stage, from the growing use of laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) for tumours to the evolving role of MRI-guided focused ultrasound, illustrated by the experience of the Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in Toronto, Canada. Impressive images from craniopagus separation surgery captivated the audience, and the session closed with the two award-winning paediatric abstracts, on predicting posterior fossa syndrome and on genes linked to tumour progression in medulloblastoma.
The afternoon peripheral nerve session centred on what matters most to patients: quality of life after surgery. Talks looked at long-term outcomes after brachial plexus reconstruction and nerve transfers, from adults with traumatic injuries to children with birth-related plexus palsy, and at how the brain adapts after a nerve transfer.
The late-afternoon neuro-oncology session explored the promise of artificial intelligence in brain tumour care, presenting current applications and future directions for AI as an aid in the diagnosis, staging, follow-up and prognosis of tumours of the central nervous system.
In one of the final sessions of the day, the Ethics session celebrated the role of women in ethical leadership, with further talks on ethics in global neurosurgery initiatives and on building a learning culture, rather than a culture of blame, after adverse events.
Another inspiring day in Hamburg comes to an end as we head into the final day of EANS2026. Stay tuned!
EANS2026 Research Awards: Celebrating outstanding research
The EANS2026 Congress brought together outstanding research from across the neurosurgical community, with the second Award Ceremony taking place at the Congress, providing an opportunity to recognise researchers whose work is contributing to the advancement of neurosurgery.
The Aesculap EANS Research Prize 2026 recognised excellence in both clinical and laboratory research. The ceremony also celebrated the recipients of the EANS Research Fund and the newly introduced EANS WIDERA Research Award, supporting promising projects across a wide range of neurosurgical fields.
We are pleased to recognise this year’s award winners and research fund recipients:
Aesculap EANS Research Prize 2026
Best Clinical Paper
Ventriculo-lumbar irrigation is associated with delayed cerebral infarction and improved outcome in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage: a prospective registry study
Manou Overstijns, Germany
Best Laboratory Paper
Single-neuron correlates of visual consciousness in human lateral occipital comp
Michaël Vanhoyland, Belgium
EANS WIDERA Research Award
Intracranial Compliance and Glymphatic MRI Markers in Chiari Malformation: A Paediatric and Adult Cohort Study
Loredana Mariana Curecheriu, Romania
Integrating Meningioma Biology and Liquid Biopsy to Predict Radiosurgical Response After Gamma Knife Treatment
Deniz Kılıç, Turkey
EANS Research Funds
Brihaye Fund
BIO-RN-BEV: Prospective multimodal imaging–blood biomarker profiling to predict response and recurrence after bevacizumab in cerebral radiation necrosis
David Wasilewski, Germany
Zeiss Research Fund
HARMONI – Hyperspectral Assisted Resection and MOlecular Navigation In Brain Tumor Surgery
Johannes Wach, Germany
Brainlab Research Fund
Personalised Anterior Cingulotomy: a decision-Making and Neuroimaging (PAC-MAN) Study
Stephanie Fang, United Kingdom
EANS Research Fund
Compartment-Specific Steroid Hormone Receptor Expression in Spheno-Orbital Meningiomas: Implications for Recurrence and Targeted Therapeutics
Edoardo Porto, Italy
EANS Research Fund
In Vivo Immunometabolic Profiling of Microglia and Macrophages After Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury
Laurens Roolfs, Germany
Sutter Research Fund
Molecular Characterisation of Pro-angiogenic Neutrophils in Brain AVMs
Benjamin Beyersdorf, Switzerland
The EANS2026 Award Ceremony highlighted the breadth and quality of research being carried out by the neurosurgical community, while providing recognition and support to researchers working towards new insights and advances in the field.
Warm welcome and excitement for Next Year’s Congress Basel Reception
The EANS2027 Basel Reception was held on Saturday, bringing delegates together for a relaxed and informal networking opportunity. Guests enjoyed drinks, engaging conversations, and a selection of local delicacies and treats, while getting a first taste of what awaits in Basel next year! EANS2027 Congress President Raphael Guzman personally welcomed attendees at the booth.
We look forward to welcoming everyone to Basel for another great Congress, taking place from 26-30 September 2027 in Messe Congress Center!
Your EANS Story Starts Here!
#IAmEANS Competition
Every EANS member has a story – share what inspired you to become an EANS member, how EANS has shaped your neurosurgical journey, and what being part of this community means to you. Your story could inspire fellow neurosurgeons and help others discover the opportunities and connections that come with being part of EANS.
Share your story on social media, use #IAmEANS &
win a One-Year EANS Individual Membership.
Best story wins!
Be part of the EANS2026 social media community for your chance to win free registration to the EANS2027 Congress in Basel!
Taking part is simple:
1. Capture your EANS2026 moment
Take a photo that shows your EANS experience.
2. Share it on social media
Post your photo on LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook or X using #EANS2026.
3. Get your friends involved
Ask your friends and colleagues to like your post on the EANS2026 Social Wall.
The post with the most likes on the EANS2026 Social Wall will win free registration to the Congress.
So, get creative, share your EANS2026 moment and start collecting those likes.
Basel is waiting!
We’re partnering with Memento Photo, an AI-powered platform that uses facial recognition to deliver your EANS2026 photos to you in real time! Scan the QR code you’ll find at the designated spots throughout the Congress and create your personalised photo profile.
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stay tuned for the rest of the Journey!
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