This will be the 2nd meeting focused on the surgical management of central and peripheral nervous system tumors in children and the inaugural meeting of the Society For Pediatric Neurosurgical Oncology (SPNO).  The 2023 meeting was successful because of the topics, the speakers, the audience participation, the flow/organization of the talks, the venue, and the case discussions.  We want to continue with this format.  

For each operation that we do…

This diagram serves as a framework for all the presentations and discussions.  

Conference Details

Date: Sept 26-27, 2025  

Duration: 1.5-day event

Location: St. Jude, Marlo Thomas Lecture Theatre – use the smaller venue as each seat has microphone to enhance conference participation, 

Hotel: 63 N B.B. King Blvd, Memphis, TN 38103, Tel: 901-779-4823

Number of participants: ~70-80, incl 15-20 from Global Program.

Format: Routine lectures, case discussions incl complications, special guest lectures  

Will have one Honored Speaker per day. 

 

Make it an interactive and engaging conference.  The discussion and debates will be high-level, running the range of small details & minutia, as well as the big picture – want to “get into the weeds”.  This is not a conference directed at early-stage trainees (fellows/residents), although they are welcome to attend.  

Proposed Schedule

Day 1 – Friday Sept 26th

Morning

0700-0725: Breakfast 

0725-0740: Opening remarks 

• Welcome all attendees, particularly those who have travelled long distances and those who have prepared lectures
• Reason behind the seminar and the goals
  • What the SPNO is – brief
• Brief outline of the seminar
• CME information
• Giles Robinson to Welcome the attendees

 

0740-0815: Topic #1: The Neuroradiology and Neurosurgery Partnership – A 2-way Road 

0745-0805: Speaker #1, Jorge Lee & Asim Choudhri (Le Bonheur), “Tractography & fMRI”

0805-0815: Questions  

 

0815-0930 Topic #2: Recurrent Ependymoma

0815-0835: Speaker #2, Thomas Merchant (St. Jude)

0835-0855: Speaker #3, Theodore Johnson (Oncologist, Children’s Hospital of Georgia)

0855-0915: Questions

• Can present a case to start the discussion

______________________________________________________________________________

 

0915-1015 Speakers #4 & 5, Robert Keating (National Children’s Hospital), PFS & the Surgeon with Kristian Aquilina (UK), Extent of Resection in Medulloblastoma

1005-1015: Questions

 

1015-1030: BREAK

 

1030-1130 Topic #3: Don’t Forget the Spine & Spinal Cord! 

1030-1050: Speaker #6, Katie Fehnel (Boston Children’s), “Finding the Balance between Surgery and Non-surgical Treatment”

1050-1110: Speaker #7, Christina Sayama (OHSU Doernbecher Children’s) “Management of spinal deformity in tumor patients”

1110-1130: Questions

1130-1145: INVITED SPEAKER (#8) – SJ Global?

 

1145-1300: LUNCH on campus

 

Afternoon

 

1300-1400: Special Guest Speaker #1: Conor Malluci (Alder Hey Children’s, UK) (#10) 

1300-1305: Introduce Conor

1305-1345: Lecture

1345-1400: Questions

 

1400-1500 Topic #4: Treatment Related Complications

1400-1430: Speaker #11, Lucas Elijovich (Interventional neurologist, Semmes Murphey), “Radiation-induced Arteriopathy: Workup and Treatment” 20 min talk; 5-10 min for questions

1430-1500: Speaker #12, Robin Evans (Plastic surgeon, Le Bonheur), “Facial Reanimation Techniques and Timing” 

1500-1600 Topic #5: Tumors and Epilepsy 

1500-1520: Speaker #13, Howard Weiner (Texas Children’s) “Lesionectomy Only”

1520-1540: Speaker #14, Nir Shimony (SMC), “When to think about more than just removing the tumor”

1540-1600: Discussion 

 

1600-1630: BREAK WITH GROUP PHOTO

 

1630-1700: Speaker #15, Todd Hankinson (Colorado Children’s), Pharmacologic Treatment for Craniopharyngioma

 

1700-1815: Case Presentation Session/Complications #1 

 

1815: Closing Remarks

 

1820: DINNER: On campus

• While people are eating, talk about SPNO – who we are, why it was created, how to join 
• Have people think about collaborative research project
• Should we have someone give a completely non-medical talk?

 

Day 2 – Saturday Sept 27

 

Morning

 

0700-0725: Breakfast

 

0725-0730: Opening remarks, schedule for the day

• Talk about SPNO

 

0730-0830: Special Guest Speaker #2: Lilly Goumnerova/Mohamad El Beltagy (US/Egypt) (#16,17)

 

0830-1015 Topic #6:  What’s On the Horizon? 

0830-0850: Speaker #18, Mark Souwideane, (MSK/Cornell), “Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy (LITT) for Tumors” 

0850-0920: Speaker #19, Michelle Monje (Stanford), “CAR-T” 

0920-0935: Speaker #20, Toba Niazi (Nicklaus Children’s), “Update on Focused Ultrasound”

0935-0950: Speaker #21, Lissa Baird (Boston Children’s), “Intraoperative Diagnosis”

0950-1015: Discussion

1015-1030: BREAK

 

1030-1130 Topic #7: Pediatric Skull Base

1030-1100: Speaker #20, Guillermo Aldave (Texas Children’s) “Chordoma”

1100-1130: Speaker #21, Lissa Baird (Boston Children’s) “Building a Pediatric Skull Base Program”

 

1130-1140: Grab box lunch

 

1140-1145: RESEARCH TOPICS/PROPOSALS

 

1145-1300: Case Presentation Session/Complications #2

 

1300: Closing Remarks

 

CONFERENCE ENDS

 

People who have indicated that they will attend:

 

Non-St. Jude Global/Meeting Faculty (all confirmed):

 

1. Conor Mallucci (UK)
2. Lucas Elijovich (SMC)
3. Jorge Lee (LB)
4. Tom Merchant (SJ)
5. Katie Fehnel (Boston Children’s)
6. Lissa Baird (Boston Children’s)
7. Robin Evans (Le Bonheur)
8. Toba Niazi (Nicklaus Children’s)
9. Guillermo Aldave (TX Children’s)
10. Theodore Johnson (Children’s Hospital Georgia)
11. Nir Shimony (Le Bonheur)
12. Robert Keating (National Children’s)
13. Kristian Aquilina (Great Ormond Street Hospital, UK, Kristian.Aquilina@gosh.nhs.uk) 
14. Christina Sayama (Doernbecher Children’s)
15. Todd Hankinson (Colorado Children’s)
16. Howard Weiner (Texas Children’s)
17. Liliana Goumnerova

 

N=15 CONFIRMED

 

Non-St. Jude Global/Non-Speakers:

 

1. Peter Madsen (CHOP, MADSENP@chop.edu) 
2. Karl Balsara (Univ Oklahoma) 
3. Cameron Brimley (Geisinger Health) 
4. Jennifer Strahle (St. Louis Children’s/Washington University) 
5. Manish Shah (Children’s Memorial Hermann, Manish.N.Shah@uth.tmc.edu) 
6. Jeffrey Treiber (Children’s Memorial Hermann, Jeffrey.M.Treiber@uth.tmc.edu) 
7. Jeff Wisoff (NYU, Jeffrey.Wisoff@nyulangone.org) 
8. George Jallo (All Children’s Hospital, gjallo1@jhu.edu) 
9. Jignesh Tailor (Riley Children’s) 
10. Adetola Roberts (Children’s Hospital of New Orleans, tolaroberts@gmail.com) 
11. Jesse Winer (OHSU Doernbecher Children’s Hospital) 
12. William Gump (William.Gump@nortonhealthcare.org, Norton Children’s) 
13. Samer Elbabaa (Samer.Elbabaa@orlandohealth.com, Arnold Palmer Children’s) 
14. Randaline Barnett (Randaline.Barnett@uky.edu, Kentucky Children’s) 
15. Lori McBride (lori.mcbride@fmolhs.org)
16. Eduard Asatryan (asedar@mail.ru, Armenia) 
17. Catherine McClung-Smith (catherine.mcclungsmith@prismahealth.org) 
18. Yosef Dastagirzada (Yosef.dastagirzada@nyulangone.org) 
19. James Johnston (james.johnston@childrensal.org, Children’s Alabama)
20. Michelle Wedemeyer (michelle.ariana.wedemeyer@gmail.com)
21. David Garcia (dmgarcia@cmh.edu, Children’s Mercy)
22. Jo Ling Goh (jgoh@cmh.edu, Children’s Mercy)
23. Rick Boop (frederickboop@gmail.com)
24. Cody Nesvick (nesvickcl@upmc.edu, Children’s Pittsburgh)
25. Sara Hartnett (sara.hartnett454@gmail.com, All Children’s)
26. David Daniels (daniels.david@mayo.edu, Mayo Clinic)
27. Michael Decuypere (mceduypere@luriechildrens.org, Lurie Children’s)
28. Barun Brahma (barunashish.brahma@choa.org, CHOA)
29. Dean Hertzler (deanhertzler@gmail.com, Joe DiMaggio Children’s)
30. Derek “Clay” Samples (derek.samples@childrenscolorado.org, Children’s Colorado)
31. Moise Danielpour (moise.danielpour@cshs.org, Cedars Sinai)
32. Suresh Magge (smagge@med.umich.edu, University of Michigan)
33. Jill Plonsker (jplonsker@gmail.com)
34. Smruti Patel (smruti.patel@cchmc.org)
35. Mandan (Moni) Behbahani (mbehbahani@montefiore.org)
36. Cameron Sadegh (csadegh@ucdavis.edu)
39. Jill Ploof (jillia.ploof@fmolhs.org, )
40. – CONFIRMED
41. Gentry Savage (East TN Children’s) – CONFIRMED
42. Rabia Qaiser (Riley Children’s) – CONFIRMED
43. Erick Brown (erikmdphd@gmail.com, Valley Children’s)
44. Casey Madura (Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital) – CONFIRMED
45. Cathy Mazzola (NJPNI) – CONFIRMED 
46. Scott Wait (Carolina Neurosurgery & Spine Associates) – CONFIRMED
47. Jim Johnston (UAB) – CONFIRMED
48. Afshin Saleh (Omaha Children’s) – CONFIRMED
49. Arnett Klugh (Omaha Children’s) – CONFIRMED
51. Michael Dewan (Vanderbilt Children’s) – CONFIRMED
52. Erin Kiehna (Hemby Children’s Hospital, Charlotte, NC) – CONFIRMED
53. Peter Dirks (Toronto Sick Kids) – CONFIRMED
54. Jennifer Quon (Toronto Sick Kids) – CONFIRMED
55. Greg Albert (Arkansas Children’s) – CONFIRMED
56. Tomoko Tanaka (Arkansas Children’s) – CONFIRMED
57. Pravin Salunke (drpravin_salunke@yahoo.co.uk) – CONFIRMED
59. Grace Lai (Children’s Hospital of Omaha) – CONFIRMED

 

N=23 (32?) 

 

Trainees

1. Keenan Boulnemour (Keenan.boulnemour@uky.edu) – University of Kentucky resident
2. Victor M. Lu (mrvictorlu@gmail.com) – University of Miami resident
3. Kelly Chamberlin (Kelly.chamberlin@unchealth.unc.edu) – Le Bonheur peds fellow
4. Casey Jarvis (casey.jarvis@childrens.harvard.edu) – Lissa’s Brain tumor infolded  fellow

 

N=6

 

TOTAL = 42

 

St. Jude Global/Non-Speakers:

 

These are the ones that have confirmed they are coming:

 

1. Patrick Bankah (patbankah@gmail.com, Ghana)
2. Raghavendra Nayak (nayak.raghavendra@manipal.edu, India)
3. Chula Kanishka (chula_kanishka@yahoo.com, Sri Lanka)
4. Vijay Sundar (drvijaysundar@gmail.com, India)
5. Danny Campos (dannycs2002@gmail.com, Peru)
6. Vladimir Benes (Vladimir.benes@fnmotol.cz, Czechia)
7. Shun Yao (yeshion2012@gmail.com, China)
8. Sorin Tarnoveanu, (sorintarnoveanu@yahoo.com, Romania)
9. Luis Navarro (a.neur@yahoo.com, Mexico)
10. Adrian Caceres (neuroqx@gmail.com, Costa Rica)
11. Jefferson Wanyoike (jwjeffjunior86@gmail.com, Kenya)
12. Yang Wei (dr.yangwei@foxmail.com, China)
13. Jonis Esguerra (jonismichaelesguerra@yahoo.com, Phillipines)
14. Mouness Obeidat (mo.15790@khcc.jo, Jordan)
15. Sergio Cavalheiro (sergiocavalheironeuro@gmail.com, Brazil)
16. Harun Demirci (drharundemirci@gmail.com, Turkey)
17. Jason Labuschagne (Jason.labuschagne@icloud.com, S. Africa)

 

N=17

 

GRAND TOTAL = 71

 

People who said they would be able to present cases:

 

• Nir
• Mohamed El Beltagy (Egypt)
• Michael Dewan (Vanderbilt)
• Jesse Winer (OHSU)
• Toba Niazi (Nicklaus Children’s)
• Cathy Mazzola

 

SPEAKERS

Lucas Elijovich (Semmes Murphey Intervent neurologist)

Jorge Lee (Le Bonheur Neuroradiology)

Asim Choudhri (Le Bonheur Neuroradiology)

Carolyn Quinsey (University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill)

David Daniels (Mayo Clinic, Rochester)

Tom Merchant (St Jude Radiation Oncology)

George Jallo (All Children’s/Johns Hopkins, Tampa FL) – **Special Guest Speaker**

Jim Wheless (Le Bonheur Neurology)

Elsa Arocha-Quinones (Wisconsin Children’s, Milwaukee WI)

Hasan Syed (National Children’s, Washington D.C.)

Giles Robinson (St Jude Neurooncology)

Toba Niazi (Nicklaus Children’s, Miami FL)

Guillermo Aldave (Texas Children’s, Houston TX)

Mohamed Beltagy (Egypt)

Samer K. Elbabaa (Arnold Palmer Children’s Hospital, FL)

Lissa Baird (Boston Children’s, MA)

Anthony Figaji (Cape Town, South Africa)