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  • CNS Celebrates Neurosurgery

  • Even though we can’t meet in person this year at our 2020 CNS Annual Meeting, we’d like to take the opportunity during the week of September 12–16 to celebrate the CNS member community and neurosurgery at large!

    We’re featuring mini member spotlights, social media fun, award-winning scientific research, CNS benefits, and more. Check out the CNS social media channels below for the latest: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram! Here's how you can join the celebration:

    • Use #CNScelebrates on social media to tell us:
      • What does the CNS community mean to you?
      • When are you most inspired in your field? By a colleague or patient?
      • What makes you hopeful about the future of neurosurgery?
    • Post a selfie on social media holding this special CNS Celebrates Neurosurgery sign.

  • Advancing the CNS Mission

    Throughout the past year, and especially during these challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic, the CNS member community has come together to support one another, your patients, and the neurosurgical community. CNS President Steven N. Kalkanis shares his thoughts in the video below.

    The CNS would like to extend a sincere thank you to all of our members who have helped us rise to the challenges this year has presented and continue our mission of enhancing health and improving lives through the advancement of neurosurgical education and scientific exchange, including through:

    • An unprecedented level of online education resources: Over the past six months, 200+ faculty helped us offer 150+ online educational activities covering every subspecialty and career stage, attended by 1,000+ participants, made possible in part by generous support from the CNS Foundation.

    • The Black Lives in Neurosurgery Webinar Series, examining the impact of racism, bias, and discrimination within and outside of the healthcare system.

    • Collaboration with our international partner organizations FLANC, JCNS, NSI, and SBN, including new relevant educational opportunities that benefit the world-wide neurosurgical community.

    • Significant contributions to scientific research: Learn more about the 2020 Paper of the Year winners and Abstract Award winners who helped advance the field of neurosurgery. This year, we received more than 2,000 abstract submissions—the highest number in the history of the CNS!

  • In Your Own Words

    We asked members to reflect on what the CNS community means to them, what most inspires them in the field, and what makes them hopeful about the future of neurosurgery. Check out some of your colleagues' inspiring responses, and see even more on social media!

  • "The incredible quality of our medical student applicants confirms to me yearly that the future of neurosurgery is bright. Neurosurgery attracts the best, brightest, hardest-working, and most resilient students to such a challenging specialty. I'm not sure how we manage to raise the bar every year, but it bodes well for the next generation of neurosurgeons." – Douglas A. Hardesty

    "I am most inspired by my patients, who demonstrate an enormous resolve to get better. Before surgery, they often need to quit smoking or lose weight. After surgery, they may have lengthy recoveries and even require rehab. Despite all of this pre- and post-work, my patients do whatever it takes to return to their desired state of living." – Khoi D. Than

    "I am most hopeful about the current and future generations of outstanding men and women who will lead the field of neurosurgery forward. Their enthusiasm for the field will ensure that our specialty continues to seek better and safer means of providing care to our patients." Min S. Park


    "The CNS represents the best, brightest, and leading voices in Neurosurgery from all over the world. I look to the CNS for cutting edge education as we as neurosurgeons aim to move our field forward to improve the care of our patients. As a community, the CNS provides the education, resources, support, and opportunities for every neurosurgeon.

    Neurosurgery has a bright future—it is through education, mentorship, and team-based care that we will advance neurosurgical care, develop new procedures and therapies, and improve healthcare delivery and access for our patients. Neurosurgery is at the cutting edge of science and medicine; combined with technology and research, it is very likely that neurosurgical innovation and research will lead to new therapies and cures never before thought achievable—all in our lifetime." – Brian V. Nahed

    "Despite significant challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic, neurosurgeons have rapidly come together and changed practice patterns to continue to deliver excellent care to all patients. Through efforts led by CNS leadership, neurosurgical education has also pivoted into virtual learning, so that future generations of neurosurgeons receive necessary instruction. These adaptations inspire hope for a bright neurosurgery future." – Robert G. Whitmore

    "What makes me most hopeful about the future of neurosurgery is the people in this community. We have a group of incredibly motivated visionaries who continually seek to improve the field, from ways to better care for our patients to pushing the frontiers of understanding and curing the nervous system. With this group of leaders, we can achieve the impossible." – Doris Wang

    "Patients are at the center of my inspiration in neurosurgery. I am impacted by being able to help improve people's lives and the gratitude from families; and my research goals are driven by memories of patients tragically lost to brain tumors." – Kristin Huntoon


    "CNS is an amazing platform to learn and share ideas with colleagues and mentors. I believe CNS provides life-long learning and an opportunity to socialize with peers." Mayur Sharma




    "As a clinical neuropathologist, the CNS community is a critical professional organization for me since without neurosurgeons and the neurosurgery community, there is no chance for neuropathologists to help patients and be forever limited to the study of the dead. In my career of more than 30 years, I have worked closer to my neurosurgery and neuro-oncology colleagues than other pathologists or physicians. CNS is a stellar professional organization that provides a home not only for neurosurgeons, but also all those who work closely with neurosurgeons.

    My other role as an academic educator truly needs the presence of organizations like CNS. Only through these organizations, I can participate in multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary work that transcends simple pathology and becomes an effective teaching activity to improve trainee competences and improve patient care. As the molecular and genomic advances change our practice and understanding, I find CNS a perfect venue to convey these advances to neurosurgery trainees in collaboration with my neurosurgical colleagues.

    I can certainly go on more about the value of CNS community, but suffice it to say that I will consider this organization a home during my entire career." – Tarik Tihan

    "The CNS represents the future of neurosurgery. With a focus on education, innovation, and leadership, the CNS is creating the transformational clinicians and leaders of today and the future in our field." Nader Pouratian



    "As the Chief of Neurosurgery at the VA Hospital, what inspires me most is easily answered: my patients. I recall an elderly man, an ex WWII navy fighter pilot, who told me unreal stories of exhaustive training, innovations born of necessity, perseverance in the face of uncertain outcomes and dedication to each other and country. He was awestruck by what was a straightforward craniotomy that restored his left-sided motion, and he equated those aspects of his prior experience to our field of neurosurgery. What a privilege." – Kerry Brega

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