Keynote speakers & invited faculty

Prof. Yoichiro Kamatani focuses on analyzing human biological big data, such as genomics and omics, based on statistical genetics and learning theory. We aim to approach the question of what complex traits are through data analysis. Traits are the properties inherent to organisms, characterizing individuals. Examples of traits include physical appearance, personality, blood test values, or diseases. Traits not explainable by a few genes are referred to as complex traits. By analyzing data, we strive to elucidate biology and medicine, contributing to the advancement of medical care in Japan and nurturing talent engaged in research that serves this purpose.

Website of Kamatani’s research group

Dr. Christopher Kellner is a dual-trained cerebrovascular neurosurgeon in the Mount Sinai Health System in New York. He was educated and trained at Harvard and Columbia before beginning his career at Mount Sinai as the Director of the Intracerebral Hemorrhage Program where he has focused on improving outcomes for patients presenting with spontaneous ICH by optimizing the full continuum of care from triage and systems of care, to working out technical details for minimally invasive endoscopic hematoma evacuation, also referred to as SCUBA, to developing a digital platform for remote patient monitoring in the outpatient setting, and applying chronic stroke recovery devices to this patient population.

Dr. Tim Darsaut is a dual-trained (open and endovascular) neurosurgeon from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada with a busy clinical practice. Involved in the design, conduct, and reporting of randomized clinical trials that address fundamental questions about common neurovascular diseases, including ruptured aneurysms (ISAT-2), unruptured aneurysms (CAM, CURES) and brain arteriovenous malformations (TOBAS).

Dr. Susanna Narkilahti leads the TUNI NeuroGroup that focuses on producing both neuronal and glial cells from human pluripotent stem cells. The aim is to characterize the produced cells by their gene and protein expression and specifically study the cells’ maturation and electrophysiological functionality both in single cell and network levels. Co-culture systems containing several cell types in 2- or 3D utilizing biomaterials are also established. The group focuses on applications in e.g. in vitro modeling of biological processes and neurological diseases, graft development, and neurotoxicity screening platforms.

Mark van Gils is Professor of Digital Healthcare, leading the research group Decision Support for Health, at Tampere University and Adjunct Professor in physiological signal processing at Aalto University. Activities in his over 25-year career in health data analysis have ranged from AI-driven patient monitoring in critical care to preventive approaches during daily living. He has special interest in data-driven approaches that take into account real-life challenges, such as dealing with imperfect data, heterogeneity of data sources, and ambiguity in outcomes. He has worked tightly with renowned university hospitals and health tech companies, and he has obtained extensive experience in carrying out leading roles, including coordination, in multi-disciplinary international research consortia, such as in EU projects.

Dr. Ali Alaraj, MD, MHA, is an attending Endovascular Neurosurgeon at the University of Illinois Health and a Tenured Professor of Neurological Surgery at the College of Medicine, the University of Illinois Chicago. He is the medical director of the neurosurgery intensive care unit, the co-chair of the comprehensive stroke program, and the director of neurosurgical clinical operations at the University of Illinois Health. He has more than 240 published peer-reviewed articles and textbook chapters. He serves on the editorial board of Neurosurgery, Interventional Neuroradiology, and Neurological Research journals and is an ad-hoc reviewer for more than 40 peer-reviewed medical journals. His research interests include clinical outcomes of brain aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, and intracranial stenosis. In addition to basic understanding of quantitative cerebral flow measures and hemodynamic changes in cerebrovascular disease, and arteriovenous malformations.

Jeroen Boogaarts is a professor of open and endovascular neurosurgery at Radboud University Medical Center (Radboudumc) in Nijmegen, Netherlands. After completing his medical studies at the University of Utrecht, he pursued neurosurgical training at Radboudumc under the mentorship of André Grotenhuis. He further specialized in clinical epidemiology at Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam. Since joining the Radboudumc staff in 2009, Professor Boogaarts has focused his research on neurovascular diseases, with a particular emphasis on aneurysm treatment.

In addition to his academic and clinical roles, he serves as the director of the open and endovascular neurosurgical fellowship program at Radboudumc. Nationally, he chairs the Netherlands Neurosurgical Quality Organization, contributing to the advancement of neurosurgical standards and practices across the country.

Dr. Philipp Taussky from Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA is a dual trained (open and endovascular) neurosurgeon and a skull base surgeon. His research efforts are centered on novel treatment options for cerebrovascular diseases and complication analysis.

Senior consultant, MD PhD, Neurointerventional unit Dept. Neuroradiology Karolinska University Hospital.

Clinical expertise in endovascular treatment of arteriovenous malformations in the CNS. Senior researcher in preclinical development of endovascular techniques and clinical studies of neurointerventional treatments.

Dr. Daniel Strbian is an associate professor and senior stroke neurologist from Helsinki University Hospital, and has served in the Executive Committee of the European Stroke Society for the past 6 years. Dr. Strbian has studied extensively both the pathophysiology of intracerebral hemorrhage, as well as it’s clinical management, with > 288 publications on hemorrhagic stroke and stroke overall.

Professor Zoltan Szatmary is a dual-trained neurologist and endovascular neurosurgeon at Central Asian University Uzbekistan. He was educated and trained in Paris Lariboisère Hospital, world leader center in interventional neuroradiology. His research focus was to develop a new type of biologically active coils for endovascular aneurysm treatments. Prof Szatmary worked in Scandinavic countries Sweden, Denmark, Norway and several other European countries and also outside Europe. His clinical interest is endovascular treatments of brain and spinal AVM, DAVF, endovascular therapy of aneurysms and also minimally invasive discus hernia techniques.

Jussi Hirvonen is a Professor and Chief of Radiology at Tampere University, Finland. Dr. Hirvonen received his MD and PhD degrees from the University of Turku, Finland, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship on molecular brain imaging at the National Institutes of Health, MD, USA. After returning to Finland, he completed European Diplomas in Neuroradiology (EDiNR) and Head and Neck Radiology (EBiHNR). He is an Executive Committee member of the ESHNR and an Education Committee member of the ESR. His current research interests are artificial intelligence, advanced emergency radiology, and head and neck imaging.

Dr. Ivan Radovanovic is an open vascular neurosurgeon, and a professor and research scientist at the Krembil Institute at Toronto University. His clinical interests include the treatment of cerebrovascular pathologies with hemorrhagic potential, and his research activities also include the study of the pathological mechanisms driving these diseases. His research group has made fundamental discoveries on the pathogenesis of brain AVMs, opening new possibilities for drug therapy of these lesions.

Dina Chon, Executive Director of The Aneurysm and AVM Foundation (TAAF), brings a deeply personal connection to her work, having lost her mother to a burst brain aneurysm on Christmas Day when she was 16. A farm girl from rural Illinois, Dina now leads TAAF with a mission driven by both loss and hope. With decades of experience in higher education and the nonprofit sector, she guides TAAF’s community with a clear purpose: to support and uplift those affected by brain aneurysms and AVMs. Dina believes that service is more than a duty—it is a path to healing. Through every action, TAAF fosters not only education and awareness, but a healing environment where those touched by these conditions find the strength to move forward together.

Dr. Teresa Ullberg is a senior consultant and associate professor of Neurology at Skåne University Hospital in Malmö/Lund in Southern Sweden. She is a trained neurointerventionist and works mainly in vascular neurology. Her research revolves around intracerebral hemorrhage, reperfusion treatment in acute ischemic stroke, post-stroke care and stroke epidemiology.