Date: Sept 26-27, 2025
Location: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN
Day 1 – Sept 26th
Morning
0700-0725: Breakfast
0725-0740: Opening remarks
0740-0815: Topic #1: The Neuroradiology and Neurosurgery Partnership – A 2-way Road
0740-0805: Speaker #1, Jorge Lee (Le Bonheur), “Tractography & fMRI”
0805-0815: Discussion
0815-0915 Topic #2: Recurrent Ependymoma
0815-0835: Speaker #2, Thomas Merchant (St. Jude), “Conventionally Fractionated Re-irradiation for Recurrent Ependymoma: Final Results”
0835-0855: Speaker #3, Theodore Johnson (Children’s Hospital of Georgia), “Salvage options for relapsed ependymoma and IDO-based chemo-immunotherapy for advanced cases”
0855-0915: Discussion
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0915-1015: Speakers #4 & #5, Robert Keating (National Children’s Hospital), “The elusive challenge of CMS/PFS: Current approaches to minimize risk” and Kristian Aquilina (UK), “Extent of Resection in Medulloblastoma – Evolution and Controversy”
1015-1030: BREAK
1030-1130 Topic #3: Don’t Forget the Spine & Spinal Cord!
1030-1050: Speaker #6, Katie Fehnel (Boston Children’s), “Operative considerations for intramedullary spinal cord tumors”
1050-1110: Speaker #7, Christina Sayama (OHSU Doernbecher Children’s) “Spinal Deformity Associated with Spinal Tumors: Considerations in Management”
1110-1125: Discussion
1125-1145: Speaker #8, Mouness Obeidat (KHCC-Jordan), “Advancing Excellence: The Neurosurgery Service Journey in KHCC”
1145-1300: LUNCH on campus
Afternoon
1300-1400: Special Guest Speaker #1, Speaker #9: Conor Malluci (Alder Hey Children’s, UK)
1300-1305: Introduce Dr. Malluci
1305-1345: “Core Outcomes Sets in paediatric brain tumour surgery- standardising the outcomes that should be measured and reported in all future trials and surgical series”
1345-1400: Discussion
1400-1500 Topic #4: Treatment Related Complications
1400-1430: Speakers #10/11, Lucas Elijovich & Paul Klimo (Semmes Murphey), “Radiation-induced Arteriopathy: Workup and Treatment”
1430-1450: Speaker #12, Robin Evans (Plastic surgeon, Le Bonheur), “Facial Reanimation Techniques and Timing”
1450-1500: Discussion
1500-1600 Topic #5: Tumors and Epilepsy
1500-1520: Speaker #13, Howard Weiner (Texas Children’s) “Epilepsy associated brain tumors- the role of lesionectomy”
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 (Jesse Winer to start it off)
1815: Closing Remarks
1820: DINNER: On campus
Day 2 – Sept 27th
Morning
0700-0725: Breakfast
0725-0830: Special Guest Speaker #2, Speakers #16/17: Lilly Goumnerova/Mohamed El Beltagy (US/Egypt)
(#16,17),
0725-0730: Introduce Lilly and Mohamad (Lissa)
0730-0830: Craniopharyngiomas with a prevalent solid component: microsurgical technique and strategy (Elbeltagy); Using predictive score to decide on extent of surgery (Goumnerova)
0830-1015 Topic #6: What’s On the Horizon?
0830-0850: Speaker #18, Winson Ho, (UCSF), “Laser Interstitial Thermal Therapy (LITT) for Tumors”
0850-0920: Speaker #19, Kun-Wei Song (Stanford), “CAR-T for Diffuse Midline Gliomas (DMGs)”
0920-0935: Speaker #20, Toba Niazi (Nicklaus Children’s), “Update on Focused Ultrasound”
0935-0950: Speaker #21, Lissa Baird (Boston Children’s), “Intraoperative Tumor Diagnosis”
0950-1015: Discussion
1015-1030: BREAK
1030-1130 Topic #7: Pediatric Skull Base
1030-1050: Speaker #22, Guillermo Aldave (Texas Children’s) “Chordoma”
1050-1110: Speaker #23, Lissa Baird (Boston Children’s) “Orbital Tumors”
1110-1120: Questions
1120-1130: What is the SPNO and Why is it Needed?
1130-1140: Grab box lunch
1140-1145: RESEARCH TOPICS/PROPOSALS
- Need to mention that there are multiple efforts now underway for neurooncology surgery research: RIGs, David Hersh effort, SPNO. We can all work together
1145-1300: Case Presentation Session/Complications #2 (Caroly Quinsey to start it off)
1300: Closing Remarks – CONFERENCE ENDS
