seminar report - open medical institute

SEMINAR REPORT

NEUROLOGY

SEMINAR IN SALZBURG

October 25 – October 31, 2020

A Global Educational Initiative by the American Austrian Foundation

© Open Medical Institute 2020

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. GROUP PHOTO

2. SCHEDULE

3. FACULTY BIOGRAPHIES

4. FELLOWS’ CONTACT INFORMATION

5. DIARY

SALZBURG WEILL CORNELL SEMINAR IN

NEUROLOGY


7 fellows from 6 different countries (in-person)

17 fellows from 10 different countries (remotely)

15 faculty members from the United States of America and Austria

19 lectures given by faculty

13 interesting case presentations by fellows

4 excellent case presentations by fellows

Group Photo of Faculty and Fellows

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

25.10.2020 26.10.2020 27.10.2020 28.10.2020 29.10.2020 30.10.2020 31.10.2020

Multiple Sclerosis and

Covid-19Principles of Presurgical Evaluation

Treatment of Chronic Spasticity-

Challenges in Neurorehabilitation

Migraine Clinical Pearls and

Treatment Update

Peter Wipfler, MD Alexandra Rohracher, MD Stefan Golaszewski, MD Stefan Leis, MD, MME

New Epilepsy and Seizure

Classification

Continuous EEG-Monitoring in

Neuro ICU and Stroke Units

Drug-Resistant Epilepsy - Case

PresentationsNeurointervention Organisation of a Stroke Team

Eugen Trinka, MD, MSc, FRCP Markus Leitinger, MD Gudrun Kalss, MD Monika Killer-Oberpfalzer, MD Nele E. Bubel, MD

Update Diagnosis and Treatment

Status Epilepticus

Eugen Trinka, MD, MSc, FRCP

Mobile Stroke UnitsPhenomenology of Movement

DisordersImaging for Disorders of Pregnancy

Diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis vs.

Neuromyelitis Optica

Matthew E. Fink, MD Stanley Fisher, MD, FANA, FAAN Dara G. Jamieson, MD Jai S. Perumal, MD

Diagnosis and Treatment of Motor

Symptoms of Parkinson's Disease

Neurological Consequences of

COVID-19 InfectionCardioembolic Stroke

Gut Microbes and CNS

Demyelination; Role in MS

Stanley Fisher, MD, FANA, FAAN Alexander E. Merkler, MD Dara G. Jamieson, MD Timothy Vartanian, MD

Diagnosis and Treatment of Non-

Motor Symptoms of Parkinson's

Disease

Stanley Fisher, MD, FANA, FAAN

* Faculty Meeting: US and AUT/EU Faculty ** Workshops Fellows' Case Presentations: AUT/EU Faculty (am), US & AUT/EU Faculty (pm) *** Graduation Ceremony: US & AUT/EU Faculty

Salzburg Weill Cornell Seminar in Neurology

Sunday, October 25 – Saturday, October 31, 2020

LUNCH LUNCH

DEPARTURESBREAKFASTBREAKFASTBREAKFASTBREAKFASTBREAKFAST

Introductions

Pre-Seminar Test

7:30 - 9:00

09:00 - 10:00

10:00 - 11:00

12:00 - 13:00

11:00 - 12:00

20:00 - 21:00

3:00 - 4:00 pm

COFFEE BREAK

LUNCH LUNCH LUNCH

COFFEE BREAK COFFEE BREAK COFFEE BREAKCOFFEE BREAK

19:00 - 20:00

2:00 - 3:00 pm

WELCOME RECEPTION & DINNER

13:00 - 14:00

8:00 - 9:00 am

14:00 15:00

9:00 - 10:00 am

FACULTY MEETING*

15:00 - 15:30

10:00 - 10:30 am

15:30 - 16:30

10:30 - 11:30 am

16:30 - 18:00

11:30 - 01:00 pm

18:00 - 19:00

01:00 - 2:00 pm

Workshop**

Fellows' Case Presentations

Workshop**


Post-Seminar Test

Evaluation & Discussion

Workshop**


FAREWELL RECEPTION

GRADUATION CEREMONY***

Certificates AwardedDINNER DINNERDINNER DINNER


FACULTY BOOKLET

NEUROLOGY

SEMINAR IN SALZBURG


A Global Educational Initiative by the American Austrian Foundation


Wolfgang Aulitzky, MD Director, Open Medical Institute American Austrian Foundation

Associate Dean and Gerhard Andlinger Professor for International Medicine & Distance Learning Adjunct Professor of Clinical Urology Adjunct Professor of Clinical Reproductive Medicine Weill Medical College of Cornell University

Adjunct Professor of Pediatrics Perelman School of Medicine at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Associate Professor of Urology Medical University of Innsbruck, Austria

Wolfgang Aulitzky, MD is the Medical Director of the American Austrian Foundation. He is Associate Dean for International Medicine and Distance Learning, Adjunct Prof. of Clinical Urology and Adjunct Prof. of Clinical Reproductive Medicine at the Weill Medical College of Cornell University/New York Presbyterian Hospital. In 2016, he was appointed Adjunct Professor of Pediatrics in the Associated Faculty of the Perelman School of Medicine at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He is also Associate Prof. of Urology at the Medical University of Innsbruck and Visiting Professor at the Medical University of Vienna. Amongst others he is a member of the American, German and Austrian Societies of Urology and was awarded the Zuckerkandlpreis of the Austrian Society of Urology in 1989. In 1995 he received the Silver Medal, in 2007 the Golden Medal for Merits to the Republic of Austria and in 2014 the cross of honor of the Land Salzburg. As Director of the Medical Program of the American Austrian Foundation he has initiated the Open Medical Institute, a scientific and educational collaboration of Weill Cornell and the NewYork Presbyterian Hospital, the Children Hospital of Philadelphia, Duke University, Columbia University, the Cleveland Clinic and leading hospitals in Austria. Dr. Aulitzky earned his medical degree at the University of Innsbruck in 1977, was a research associate at the University of Uppsala, Sweden and the Rockefeller University, New York. He received his training as an urologist at the University of Innsbruck and the General Hospital of Salzburg. He is the author of more than 140 publications on Urology, Andrology and Health Care issues and is co-author of books on basic and clinical urology/andrology.


Matthew E. Fink, MD (Course Director) Department of Neurology Weill Cornell Medical Center 525 East 68th Street, F-610 New York, NY 10065 USA Phone: +1-212-746-4564 Fax: +1-212-746-8532 Email: [email protected]

Matthew E. Fink, MD is currently the Louise and Gertrude Feil Professor and Chairman of the Department of Neurology at the Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University. In addition, he is Co-Director of the Sackler Brain and Spine Institute at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center and Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs at Weill Cornell Medicine. Prior to joining the faculty of Cornell, Dr. Fink served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, as well as Chairman of the Barbara and Alan Mirken Department of Neurology, Director of the Comprehensive Stroke Center, and Co-Director of the Hyman-Newman Institute for Neurology and Neurosurgery. He was Professor of Clinical Neurology and Clinical Medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University. Dr. Fink attended college at the University of Pennsylvania, medical school at the University of Pittsburgh, and served as resident and chief resident in internal medicine at the Boston City Hospital. He came to New York and trained in neurology at the Neurological Institute of New York/Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, and served as chief resident under Dr. Lewis P. Rowland. Subsequently, he joined the faculty of Columbia University and became the founding director of the Neurology-Neurosurgery Intensive Care Unit at New York Presbyterian Hospital and was appointed Associate Professor of Clinical Neurology and Neurosurgery while at Columbia. Dr. Fink was a founding member and chairman of the Critical Care Section of the American Academy of Neurology, and the Research Section for Neurocritical Care of the World Federation of Neurology. He is board-certified in internal medicine, neurology, critical care medicine, vascular neurology and neurocritical care. Throughout his career, Dr. Fink has been involved in the education and training of students, residents and fellows in the field of stroke and critical care neurology, as well as an active participant in clinical research within this field. He is a leader in this new specialty, has lectured widely, and has published many research and clinical articles in the field of stroke and critical care. In addition, he currently serves as editor of the monthly publication, NEUROLOGY ALERT, and is the past President of the New York State Neurological Society.


Eugen Trinka, MD, MSc, FRCP (Co-Course Director) Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurology Paracelsus Medical University Christian Doppler Universitaetsklinikum Ignaz Harrer Strasse 79 5020 Salzburg Austria Phone: +43-5-7255-3406 Email: [email protected]

Eugen Trinka, MD, MSc, FRCP is Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurology, Paracelsus Medical University, Christian Doppler Medical Centre (CDK) and Vice Dean for clinical affairs of the Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria. He qualified in Medicine at Vienna University in 1990 and undertook his postgraduate training in Salzburg before becoming a staff neurologist in 1998. Since 2003 he has been Associate Professor of Neurology at the Innsbruck Medical University and he became Head of the Epilepsy Service at the Department of Neurology, University Hospital Innsbruck, 2004-2010. In April 2010 he was appointed as Chair of the Department for Neurology at the Christian Doppler Klink and Professor for Neurology at the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg. His research interests include Epileptology (epidemiology, prognosis, pathophysiology, epilepsy surgery), clinical neurophysiology, functional neuroimaging and clinical drug trials. Professor Trinka has published more than 500 original papers and is member of the editorial board of several peer-reviewed journals. He is President of the Austrian Society for Neurology, Past President of the Austrian Society of Neurophysiology and the Austrian Epilepsy Society and Chair of the European Epilepsy Societies.


Nele E. Bubel, MD Department of Neurology Paracelsus Medical University Christian Doppler Medical Centre Ignaz Harrer Strasse 79 5020 Salzburg Austria Phone: +43-57255-56082 Fax: +43-57255-34899 Email: [email protected]

Nele E. Bubel, MD is a young neurologist who specializes in acute stroke care. Dr Bubel grew up in Berlin, Germany. She graduated from Charité, Medical University Berlin in 2015. After graduation, she started her residency in the deparment of Neurology, Salzburg. She soon completes her residency. In 2018, Dr Bubel started the Doctoral programme in Medical Sciences (PhD) at the Paracelsus Medical University. Her PhD-thesis aims on optimizing hyperacute stroke care. She is part of the clinical research group for vascular neurology. The research group focuses on the clinical investigation of stroke: Biomarkers, neuroradiological procedures (CT, MRI, angiography, ultrasound), the clinical course and outcome. Main research areas are Neurosonology (extracranial and intracranial vascular imaging), neuroradiological properties of the acute stroke, cortical superficial hemosiderosis, the model of "proteopathic seeding" in the pathogenesis of amyloid angiopathy and the course of clinical stroke processes and related organizational challenges. Nele lives in Salzburg Town with her partner, Richard.


Stanley Fisher, MD, FANA, FAAN Vice President, Medical Affairs Specialty Pharma USA Phone: +1-281-782-0935 Email: [email protected]

Stanley Fisher, MD, FANA, FAAN is currently serving as a Vice President and Head of

Medical Affairs Specialty Pharma Division of Amneal Pharmaceuticals. He is currently holding

adjunct appointments at the Weill Cornell Medical College and Rutgers New Jersey Medical

School Departments of Neurology. Prior to joining Amneal, he has served as a Co-Director

of Saint Luke Marion Bloch Neuroscience Institute (SLMBNI) in Kansas City, MO for more

than 4 years. Dr. Fisher was a Chair of the Division of Neuroscience and Chief of the

Department of Neurology at Saint Luke Physician Group and a member of the physician

leadership committee. Dr. Fisher lead SLMBNI to become a top 50 neuroscience program in

the country by US News and World report for the last three years. He has established new

neurology residency program, reinvigorated research enterprise and created 9 centers of

excellence within the division. He held a faculty appointment at the rank of Professor in the

Department of Neurology and a secondary appointment in the Department of Psychiatry at

the UMKC School of Medicine. He also was appointed as Edward T. Matheny, JR/Missouri

Endowed Chair in Neurosciences, with the mandate to define the future of neuroscience

through innovation, research and state-of-the art clinical care as well as the management of

an academic program of neurosciences. Dr. Fisher is a Fellow of American Academy of

Neurology (AAN) and of American Neurological Association (ANA). He was instrumental in

creating and has served first as Vice President and then as a President of the Kansas City

Clinical Neuroscience Society as well as a board member of Missouri/Kansas Neurological

Society. He has recently served as Vice Chair of the Neural Repair and Rehabilitation Section

of AAN. Prior to joining SLMBNI, Dr. Fisher has been with Houston Methodist Neurological

Institute (HMNI) for more than nine years, from its inception. He was a Founder and Co-

Director of the Movement Disorders and Neurorehabilitation Center at HMNI, Elected Deputy

Vice Chair of Neurology at the Houston Methodist Hospital as well as Associate Professor of

Clinical Neurology at Weill Cornell Medical College. During his time in Houston, HMNI was

consistently ranked in the top 20 neuroscience programs in the nation by US News and World

Report. He also was appointed an Associate Member of Houston Methodist Research

Institute in recognition of his achievement in clinical and translational research.


Stefan Golaszewski, MD Christian Doppler Clinic Salzburg Department of Neurology Ignaz Harrer Strasse 79 5020 Salzburg Austria Phone: +43-662-4483-0 Fax: +43-662-4483-2004 Email: [email protected]

Stefan Golaszewski, MD studied Technical Physics and Medicine in Vienna. After his

graduation as “Diplomingenieur” in 1990 and as “Medical Doctor” in 1995, he went to the

Medical University Innsbruck where he worked from 1995 to 2001 as assistant doctor in

Neurology at the Department of Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Spectroscopy. His

scientific work in Innsbruck focused on the development of clinical applications for functional

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) in neurology, neurosurgery and psychiatry and he also

founded a specialized computer lab for fMRI data post processing and supervised an fMRI

research group. He did his residency at the Department of Neurology at the Medical

University of Graz, and a fellowship in “Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging in the early

diagnosis of Dementia” for one year (2002) at the Department of Neurology at the Alfried

Krupp Hospital in Essen and at the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf in Germany. In 2005

Dr. Golaszewski joined the Department of Neurology of the Christian Doppler Clinic at the

Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg in Austria where he currently works as senior

physician. In 2019, he was graduated to a full Professor at the Paracelsus Medical University

Salzburg. Dr. Golaszewski participated in a research project of the European Community in

“paradigm development in Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging” and in four research

projects of the Austrian National Bank in clinical applications of fMRI in Neurology,

Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. For two National Bank research projects, Dr. Golaszewski

worked as project coordinator and since 2006, he holds a grant from the Paracelsus Medical

University Salzburg. Further scientific work have included the computer simulation of

neuronal networks at the Technical University of Vienna and the investigation of the human

harmonic auditory processing with magnetic source imaging (MEG) at the Department of

Neurology at the Medical University Vienna. Hitherto, Dr. Golaszewski has published 32

papers in international scientific peer-reviewed journals and since 2002 he has written

reviews for the scientific peer-reviewed journals “NeuroImage”, “Neuroscience Letters”,

“Brain Research”, “The Tohoku Journal of Experimental Medicine” and “Progress in

Biophysics and Molecular Biology.”


Dara G. Jamieson, MD Clinical Associate Professor of Neurology

Weill Cornell Medicine

USA

Email: [email protected]

Dara G. Jamieson, MD received her medical education at the University of Pennsylvania,

and she completed her neurology residency and cerebrovascular fellowship at the Hospital

of the University of Pennsylvania. After a practice at Penn with a specialty of stroke and

headache medicine she came to New York Presbyterian Hospital to join the Stroke and

Headache Centers. She is currently teaching at Weill Cornell Medicine, as well as doing

medical writing, editing and consulting. Areas of interest include stroke in patients with

chronic headache disorders such as migraines; stroke in women, who may be at increased

stroke risk because of headaches, cardiac disease or pregnancy; and clinical neuroimaging.


Gudrun Kalss, MD Neurologist Paracelsus Medical University Ignaz Harrer Strasse 79 5020 Salzburg Austria Phone: +43-5-7255-34601 Fax: +43-5-7255-34899 Email: [email protected]

Gudrun Kalss, MD is a neurologist who specializes in epilepsy. Dr. Kalss grew up in

Salzburg and completed her undergraduate studies at Christian Doppler Gymnasium,

Salzburg. She graduated from Medical University of Vienna in 2008 and completed her

neurological residency in Bavaria and at the Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg. Since

2015, Dr. Kalss has been working as a senior Neurologist there. In 2018, she received a

fellowship training at the “Claudio Munari Epilepsy Surgery Centre” at Milan, Italy with Laura

Tassi. Dr. Kalss’s research interests include epilepsy surgery, in particular frontal lobe

epilepsy. She published papers on semiology of focal epilepsies. Moreover, she did research

on status epilepticus and novel therapeutic agents, such as Brivarcetam. She works at the

Video-EEG (VEEG) -Monitoring Unit, where she analyses of up the five VEEGs or one stereo-

EEG a week. In the EEG-lab, she analyses up to 35 EEGs a day and she works at the

epilepsy outpatient department as well, where she sees approximately 10 patients a week.

She lives with her family at Salzburg.


Monika Killer-Oberpfalzer, MD Senior Neurosurgeon and Neurointerventionalist Reseach Institute of Neurointervention/ Department of Neurology Paracelsus Medical University Ignaz Harrer Strasse 79 5020 Salzburg Austria Phone: +43-662-4483-56058 Fax: +43-662-4483-3923 Email: [email protected]

Monika Killer-Oberpfalzer, MD is a fully trained neurosurgeon who is specialized in

neurointerventional therapy. Her clinical skills and scientific interests are focused on

diagnosis and treatment of cerebrovascular diseases and spinal vascular malformations. Dr.

Killer grew up in Vienna, Austria and graduated in 1993 as M.D. (Doctor medicinae universae)

from the University of Vienna, Medical School. She received her license as Specialist in

Neurosurgery from the Austrian Medical Chamber in 1999 and her International Master (MSc)

for Neurovascular Diseases in 2002 from Université Paris Sud-Faculté de Médecine de

Bicêtre. Since 2004, Dr. Killer has been the attending Neurointerventionalist at Christian

Doppler Clinic Salzburg, Austria, Paracelsus Medical University. From 2005 to 2010, she was

the Head of the Division Experimental Neurointervention of the Neuroscience Institute

Salzburg (Prof. Gunther Ladurner). Dr. Killer´s research interests include new interventional

therapies of cerebral aneurysms and stroke. She is a peer reviewer for multiple international

journals such as Stroke, AJNR, Neuroradiology and Acta Neurochirurgica. Since 2009 Dr.

Killer is Associate Professor in Neurointervention at Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg

and since 2011 she is Head of the Research Institute of Neurointervention at the Department

of Neurology, Paracelsus Medical University (Prof. Eugen Trinka).


Stefan Leis, MD, MME Christian Doppler Universitätsklinikum University Clinic of Neurology University Hospital of Paracelsus Medical Private University Ignaz Harrer Strasse 79 5020 Salzburg Austria Phone: +43-5-7255-0 Fax: +43-5-7255-34899 Email: [email protected]

Stefan Leis, MD, MME is “Privatdozent” and senior consultant at the University Clinic of

Neurology in Salzburg, where he is responsible for the early-phase neurorehabilitation and

for the outpatient pain clinic. He studied medicine at the Friedrich-Alexander University of

Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany. After receiving his medical degree, he started working as

house physician at the Department of Neurology at the University hospital Erlangen. From

2000 - 2001 he worked as a medical resident in the collaborative research centre

“Pathobiology of pain” at the Department of Physiology. He completed his specialist training

in the Department of Neurology and in the Department of Psychiatry at the University hospital

Erlangen. In 2019 he received his Master of Medical Education (MME) degree at the

University of Heidelberg, Germany. Dr. Leis is secretary of the Austrian Headache Society,

deputy chair of the pain study group of the Austrian Society of Neurology, and member of the

German Pain Society, and the Austrian Pain Society. His research focuses on

neurorehabilitation of vegetative state and spinal cord injury and on pain disorders like

complex regional pain syndromes and neuropathic pain with special interest in the function

of primary nociceptive afferents and distinct mechanisms of neuroinflammation.


Markus Leitinger, MD Neurologist, Neurointensivist, and Neurophysiologist Paracelsus Medical University Ignaz Harrer Strasse 79 5020 Salzburg Austria Phone: +43-57255-0 Fax: +43-57255-34899 Email: [email protected]

Markus Leitinger, MD is a neurologist and neurophysiologist who specialized in epilepsy,

particularly in status epilepticus. Dr. Leitinger grew up in northwestern Austria in the district

of Upper Austria and completed his undergraduate studies at Wels College for Electrical

Engineering, Austria, with distinction. He graduated from Innsbruck Medical University and

completed his residency for general medicine at Wels General Hospital, Austria, and for

neurology at Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, Austria. Dr. Leitinger is board certified

for electroencephalography and electromyography. Dr. Leitinger´s research interests include

status epilepticus, in particular non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE). Recent

publications include a clinical score for prognostication of the outcome of status epilepticus.

Dr. Leitinger evaluated together with Danish collegues for the first time the diagnostic criteria

for NCSE in a retrospective study. Dr. Leitinger published epidemiological data on status

epilepticus in a retrospective five-year study in the City of Salzburg. Dr. Leitinger is currently

at the Department of Neurology at Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg, where he works

as consultant in the presurgical evaluation of medically refractory epilepsy patients and at the

neurological intensive care unit. Dr. Leitinger lives in Salzburg with his wife and three children.


Alexander E. Merkler, MD Assistant Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience Weill Cornell Medicine New York, NY USA Email: [email protected]

Alexander E. Merkler, MD is a native New Yorker. He attended college at Brown University

and medical school at NYU. Dr. Merkler trained as a neurology resident at Cornell where he

served as chief resident during his final year. Dr. Merkler then completed a neurocritical care

fellowship at Cornell/Columbia. Dr. Merkler is currently an Assistant Professor of Neurology

and Neuroscience at Cornell and is the Director of the Neurocritical Care Fellowship at

Cornell, the Director of Medical Students in the Neurosciences ICU and the Co-Director of

the Cornell Multidisciplinary Critical Care Fellows Curriculum. Dr. Merkler’s research focuses

on stroke prevention in patients with myocardial injury. He is supported by an American Heart

Association Career Development Award, a Covid-19 grant from Weill Cornell Medical College

and is a past recipient of a KL2 award from the NIH and the Leon Levy Fellowship in

Neuroscience.


Jai S. Perumal, MD Assistant Professor of Neurology Weill Cornell Medical College New York-Presbyterian Hospital 1305 York Ave, 2nd Floor New York, NY 10021 USA Phone: +1-646-962-5733 Fax: +1-646-962-0390

Jai S. Perumal, MD is Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology and neuroscience

at Weill Cornell Medical College and Attending Neurologist at NewYork-Presbyterian

Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. She is also part of the clinical staff at the Judith Jaffe

Multiple Sclerosis Center at NYPH/WC. She is a Feil Family Clinical Scholar in Multiple

Sclerosis at Weill Cornell Medical College. She is board certified in Neurology and has

additional specialized training in demyelinating disorders including multiple sclerosis. Dr.

Perumal received her medical degree from Stanley Medical College which is one of the top

medical schools in India. She completed her internship in internal medicine and residency in

neurology at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. She was chief resident in

neurology. She then completed her two-year fellowship in clinical neuro-immunology

including multiple sclerosis at Wayne State University. She is a recipient of the Sylvia Lawry

Fellowship of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. She has presented at several neurology

meetings and conferences and has published in peer reviewed journals. Dr. Perumal's

research interests include studying disease phenotypes in MS and MS variants including

Devic's disease or neuromyelitis optica, central nervous system manifestations of other

autoimmune diseases like SLE, sarcoidoisis and MS therapeutics and ethnic influences on

disease characteristics.


Alexandra Rohracher, MD Neurologist Department of Neurology Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg Christian Doppler Clinic Ignaz Harrer Strasse 79 5020 Salzburg Austria Phone: +43-57255-56005 Fax: +43-57255-34899 Email: [email protected]

Alexandra Rohracher, MD is a neurologist who specializes in difficult-to-treat epilepsies,

presurgical evaluation as well as the treatment of acute seizures and status epilepticus. Dr.

Rohracher grew up in Innsbruck, Tyrol, in the western part of Austria, where she also

completed her medical studies. Her special interest in epileptology grew throughout her

medical studies in Innsbruck and led to her thesis about the “Natural history of drug resistant

epilepsies” under supervision of Univ. Prof. Mag. Dr. Eugen Trinka. After graduation in 2011,

Dr. Rohracher moved to Salzburg for her residency at the Neurological Department of the

Paracelsus Medical University Hospital, Christian-Doppler Clinic, Salzburg. Throughout her

residency she focussed on the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsies and the principles of

presurgical evaluation and published research on new antiepileptic drug treatment in different

patient populations and status epilepticus. In 2018 Dr. Rohracher spent 6 months at the

Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI), McGill University, Canada to join Birgit Frauscher’s lab

for a research fellowship on stereo-electroencephalography. Her main research at the MNI

addressed the identification of non-invasive factors, derived from presurgical evaluation, that

help predicting a focal seizure onset zone in stereo-electroencephalography. In her further

research Dr. Rohracher focusses on new treatment options of drug-resistant epilepsies as

well as treatment and outcome of status epilepticus. Currently Dr. Rohracher is working as a

senior physician at the epilepsy monitoring unit and EEG lab of the Department of Neurology,

Paracelsus Medical University Salzburg.


Timothy Vartanian, MD Assistant Professor of Neurology and Neuroscience Weill Cornell Medical College Assistant Attending Neurologist NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital 1305 York Avenue, 2nd Floor New York, NY 10021 USA Phone: +1-646-962-9800 Fax: +1-646-962-0390 Email: [email protected]

Timothy Vartanian, MD is a leading authority on neural regeneration and has recently been named as the Director of the Judith Jaffe Multiple Sclerosis Center at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. He is also appointed to the faculty of the Department of Neurology and Neuroscience at Weill Cornell Medical College. Dr. Vartanian received his medical degree from the Pritzker School of Medicine at the University of Chicago, and his Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Chicago. His internship, residency, and two research fellowships were at the prestigious Brigham and Women's Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, Beth Israel Hospital, and Harvard Medical School. Previously, Dr. Vartanian was chief of the Division of Demyelinating Diseases at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and a member of the faculty of Harvard Medical School. Dr. Vartanian has led research teams that have made groundbreaking discoveries in central nervous system remyelination, novel mechanisms of axonal degeneration and regeneration, and mechanisms of immune mediated injury to myelin and axons in multiple sclerosis. His research interests center on regeneration of the myelin internode in multiple sclerosis, preventing axonal and neuronal injury, and defining the complicated interactions between the immune and nervous systems. Dr. Vartanian’s work has been published in top peer reviewed journals including the Journal of Cell Biology, the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, the Journal of Neuroscience, Science, Nature, and the New England Journal of Medicine. His research is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. He has served on grant review committees for the NIH, National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Congressionally Directed Medical Research through the Department of Defense, The Wellcome Trust, and others. Dr. Vartanian is committed to providing state-of-the-art patient care and advanced treatments in a personalized environment.


Peter Wipfler, MD Privatdozent of Neurology Paracelsus Medical University Christian Doppler Clinic Ignaz Harrer Strasse 79 5020 Salzburg Austria Phone: +43-5-7255-56014 Email: [email protected]

Peter Wipfler, MD is a clinical neurologist who specializes in Neuroimmunology. His

research focuses on pathophysiologic mechanisms of neuroimmunological disorders with

particular interest in Multiple Sclerosis. His main aim is to develop and validate body fluid

biomarkers for disease progression, different disease phases/stages and response to

disease modifying treatments. He lives in Salzburg City with his wife and three children.

Fellow Booklet

Tsvetomir Asenov, MDSt. Naum Hospital - Clinic of Neurodegenerative and Peripheral Nervous DiseaseDepartment of NeurologyLiuben Rusev 11797 [email protected]

Kristóf Babarczy, MDUniversitiy of Szeged, Faculty of Medicine Department of NeurologySemmelweis utcaH-6725 [email protected]

Gleni Halili, MD'Mother Theresa' University Hospital CenterDepartment of NeurologyDibra Street1001 [email protected]

Fiona Jäger, MD, PhDMedical University ViennaDepartment of NeurologyWähringer Gürtel 18-201090 [email protected]

Kristiina Juhkami, MDUniversity of TartuDepartment of NeurologyJ. Sütiste tee 1913419 [email protected]

Klaudia Kasuba, MDDr. Kenessey Albert HospitalDepartment of NeurologyRakoczi Street 125-1272660 [email protected]

Marijana Lisak, MD, DScClinical Hospital Center "Sestre Milosrdnice"Department of NeurologyVinogradska cesta 2910 000 [email protected]

Ksenija Majstorovic, MDInstitute of Nephrology & HemodialysisDepartment of NeurologyPartizanska bb6330 StrugaNorth [email protected]

Rytis Masiliunas, MDVilnius University Hospital Santaros KlinikosDepartment of NeurologySantariskiu 208661 [email protected]

Petr Mikulenka, MDThird Faculty of Medicine, Charles UniversityDepartment of NeurologyŠrobárova 5010000 PragueCzech [email protected]

Anka Ošep, MD General Hospital of Celje Department of Neurology Oblakova ulica 53000 [email protected]

Chiara Paternostro, MDMedical University of ViennaDepartment of NeurologyWähringer Guertel 18-201090 [email protected]

Marieta Peycheva, MDMedical University PlovdivDepartment of NeurologyPeshtersko Street 664002 [email protected]

Elīna Polunosika, MDRiga East Clinical University HospitalDepartment of NeurologyHipokrata Street 2LV1038 Rī[email protected]

Matjaz Popit, MDGeneral Hospital JeseniceDepartment of NeurologyCesta maršala Tita 1124270 [email protected]

Elina Pucite, MDPaul Stradins Clinical University HospitalDepartment of NeurologyPilsonu 131002 [email protected]

Majlinda Shyti, MD'Mother Theresa' University Hospital Center Department of NeurologyRr Kongresi i Manastirit 1331003 [email protected]

Ivan Szabo, MDFakultná nemocnica s poliklinikou Nové Zámky Department of NeurologySlovenská 11940 01 Nove [email protected]

Lavinia Tatu, MDPonderas Academic HospitalDepartment of Neurology85 A Nicolae Caramfil Street014142 [email protected]

Monika Turk, MDMaribor Medical University CenterDepartment of NeurologyLjubljanska ulica 52000 [email protected]

Triin Helin Unt, MDUniversity of TartuDepartment of NeurologyPaldiski mnt 6810617 [email protected]

Redon Uruci, MD'Mother Theresa' University Hospital CenterDepartment of NeurologyRruga Kongresi i Manastirit1001 [email protected]

Jaron Van de Wardt, MD, MSc CWZDepartment of Neurology Weg door Jonkerbos 100 6532 SZ Nijmegen Netherlands

Lungu Victoria, MDCounty Calarasi Emergency Hospital Department of NeurologyStrada Eroilor 1-3030305 [email protected]

DIARY

Marieta Peycheva, MD Medical University Plovdiv

Department of Neurology

Plovdiv, Bulgaria

Sunday, October 25, 2020 We are facing challenging times in this Covid-19 pandemic and I was praying that my colleagues could manage to come to Salzburg for the OMI Neurology Seminar. I was at Salzburg for two weeks already as an observer at the Christian Doppler Clinic – two wonderful weeks, full of new knowledge and experience. So, in the evening we got together for the welcome reception and I was happy to meet six colleagues from different European countries. We understood that some follows could not come because of travel restrictions, but they would participate remotely in the seminar. Dr. Eugen Trinka, our co-course director, gave us a warm welcome and talked about the program of the next five days. Unfortunately, the American faculty members also could not come to Salzburg, but we would meet them virtually and have the chance to listen to state-of-the-art lectures in different neurological topics. Monday, October 26, 2020 The day started with the pre-seminar test. Some of the questions were very interesting and indicated what I would learn during the seminar. After the test, the lectures started. The first two lectures were about new epilepsy and seizure classification and status epilepticus. Dr. Eugen Trinka, who is one of the most prominent experts in epilepsy, presented these lectures in a very detailed and informative way. After lunch, we met virtually with Dr. Matthew Fink, our course director from Weill Cornell Medicine. We listened to his very interesting lecture about mobile stroke units, which is an innovative way to save time in the care and treatment of acute stroke patients.

In the afternoon, Dr. Stanley Fisher gave his lectures on motor and non-motor symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. All topics were very interesting and informative as patients with epilepsy, stroke and Parkinson’s disease are typical for our department. In the evening, our small group of fellows had dinner at Schloss Arenberg. We made friendship that will last forever. Tuesday, October 27, 2020 On Tuesday, the second day of the seminar week, we had the chance to learn more about multiple sclerosis and Covid-19. This data is very important as in my opinion this new disease is still an enigma in many aspects. Dr. Markus Leitinger, an expert in epilepsy, presented his lecture on EEG monitoring and analyses. I learnt about its benefits in neuro ICU and stroke units. Dr. Stanley Fisher gave his lecture on the phenomenology of movement disorders and I managed to learn some new ways for their evaluation. On Tuesday we started with the fellows’ case presentations and it was very interesting that all of them covered different fields of neurology. In the afternoon, our small but very friendly group of colleagues went outside for a short walk along the river. We went to the Christian Doppler birth house, which is next to the beautiful gardens of Mirabell Castle. Wednesday, October 28, 2020 This day was my favourite day. Dr. Alexandra Rohracher, who I had already met personally in the hospital, presented a wonderful lecture about presurgical evaluation of drug resistant epilepsy. I have a completely new understanding of the epileptogenic zone after this lecture. Dr. Gudrun Kalss continued with the topic of drug resistant epilepsy and presented some clinical cases from the Christian Doppler Clinic, Neurology Department. As the department is a reference centre for epilepsy in Europe, these cases were unique and really very interesting to all of us. Later four more colleagues presented their clinical cases and from all of them I learnt new lessons. After lunch, Dr. Dara Jamieson held her lectures on stroke and pregnancy and my favourite lecture on cardioembolic stroke. I really appreciate the detailed way in which she presented her lectures. We also had the possibility to discuss and ask questions from our practice. Later in the evening, our group of friends had a nice conversation with a glass of wine at the beautiful OMI seminar venue, Schloss Arenberg. Thursday, October 29, 2020 Our fourth seminar day was quite interesting. We listened to lectures on neurorehabilitation by Dr. Stefan Golaszewski and on multiple sclerosis by Dr. Jai Perumal and Dr. Timothy Vartanian. The things that I appreciate from these lectures are the new perspectives and approaches on these common neurological diseases. Dr. Monika Killer-Oberpfalzer is the head of the team of neurointerventionalists in Salzburg. Her lecture on stroke contained the latest information of possible endovascular treatment of stroke patients. For me this is very important as in Bulgaria the endovascular treatment is not on a good level of organization. Four more colleagues presented personally and virtually their interesting cases. Friday, October 30, 2020 On Friday we had two lectures – one on migraine and the other one on stroke team organisation. We took again the same test from Monday morning, but this time with new knowledge and understanding. At the end of the day we had our graduation ceremony – a very memorable and emotional moment.

Looking back to this seminar week feels like fresh air in the corona pandemic crisis. For a little while we could meet and speak personally, share ideas and discuss topics. I really hope that in 2021 the seminars will continue to be organized as in-person meetings in the beautiful city of Salzburg, and its heart, Schloss Arenberg. I want to express my gratitude to our course directors and to all faculty members for their excellent lectures and for sharing their time with us. I also want to express my gratitude to Prof. Wolfgang Aulitzky and Stephanie Faschang and to all people from the Open Medical Institute who are involved in the organization of this perfect seminar.

seminar report - open medical institute

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