Speakers

Andrew Brodbelt is a Consultant Neurosurgeon in Liverpool, UK. He trained in Liverpool, but took time out to complete his PhD entitled 'Investigations in post traumatic syringomyelia' in Sydney, Australia, with Prof Stoodley. This led to a life long interest in Chiari malforations and syringomyelia. He has published 18 peer reviewed papers and 3 book chapters on aspects of Chiari and syringomyelia. He has always been interested in the underlying pathphysiology of the condition, never more so than now with the current explosion in theories and associated conditions, which can make understanding and managing these patients so challenging. When not working he enjoys spending time with his family, as well as trying to get them mountain biking, road cycling, fell running, and hill walking.

Harris received her PhD from the University of Utah and followed that with training at the Seattle Children’s Research Institute. She is broadly interested in understanding neuroinflammation and cell-biomaterial interactions in hydrocephalus. Using confocal microscopy, translational research, bench-top 3D culture models, and high-throughput microfluidic models, Harris works to understand the impact of the patient's individual conditions on failure of chronic indwelling devices implanted in the brain. The influence of brain injury, fluid dynamics, and blood-cerebrospinal fluid-barrier integrity is also captured within her research umbrella.

Nanna MacAulay, PhD, DMSci is Professor of Molecular Neurophysiology at Department of Neuroscience, University of Copenhagen. She trained in ion and water transport at University of Copenhagen, Denmark and McGill University, Canada, and was amongst the pioneers discovering the concept of cotransport of water. Her research focuses on resolving the molecular mechanisms of water transport in various cell types of the mammalian brain and has demonstrated cotransport of water as a key component in cerebrospinal secretion by the choroid plexus.

Dr. Yasar has received her medical degree from the Semmelweis Medical University, School of Medical Sciences, (Budapest, Hungary) and later her Ph.D. in pharmacology at the the Semmelweis Medical University, School of Pharmacological Sciences. Dr. Yasar is a e fellowship-trained geriatrician with a focus on causes and treatment of dementia and research training in pharmacology. She was recruited to the faculty of the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology in 2001. Dr. Yasar in collaboration with her colleagues developed (2002) and led the Memory Clinic within the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology. This clinic became the foundation for the Geriatric Medicine Division’s participation in the multidisciplinary Johns Hopkins Memory and Alzheimer’s Disease Treatment Center (MATC) (2009). Dr. Yasar’s clinical work in the memory clinic is complemented by research focusing on vascular risk factors and vascular risk modifying medications of late life memory disorders. Analysis of data from numerous observational and intervention studies has resulted in numerous publications from research supported by various grants. In 2010 she was recruited by the Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery to join the multidisciplinary Cerebrospinal Fluid Disorder Center for the evaluation of complex patients with gait and cognitive problems with a focus on normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH). With her background in geriatrics, and also dementia, she brought a unique combination of skills to the evaluation and care of patients with NPH as well as extending to research aspects of these disorders. This resulted publications and research presentations at the Hydrocephalus meetings.

Mansoor Foroughi qualified from Sheffield Medical School UK, commencing neurosurgical training at the Royal London Hospital, before completing his formal Neurosurgical training program in University of Wales. This was followed by three fellowships including fellowship programs in Helsinki, Finland and Vancouver, Canada, during which he also completed his MSc program in Neurovascular diseases. On return to the UK, he worked as a senior fellow at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham in both anterior & lateral skull base surgery and use of minimally invasive techniques, before working as a Consultant Neurosurgeon for several years at QEH Birmingham. While working in one of UK's largest and busiest Neurosurgical units, focusing on surgery of complex tumors (ventricular & pineal tumors, Neurovascular and skull base surgery, in keeping with the units international reputation he further focused on management of complex Hydrocephalus and the treatment of Chiari Malformations, Syringomyelia, colloid & arachnoid cysts and development of neuro-endoscopic procedures. While working for several years with Mr Graham Flint in Birmingham, and inspired by the international reputation of the unit originating from the work of Prof Bernard Williams, and gaining extensive experience in management of complex Chiari and syringomyelia cases in, he has been passionate about progress in the management of Chiari malformation in the adult population. He has been working as consultant Neurosurgeon in South East England UK and is keen on use of problem based learning techniques, self-assessment & improvement with use of operative videos for training, advocating where possible routine recording of operations and also development and ethical use of Artificial Intelligence in Health care. He is passionate about development of CSF disorders as a subspecialty & section, with focus on complex hydrocephalus, Chiari Malformation, Syringomyelia, and Cranial & Spinal CSF pathway lesions.

Apr. 1997 - : Neurosurgeon, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine Apr, 2012 - Present: Research fellow, The University of Tokyo Sep. 2013 - Sep. 2019: Rakuwakai Otowa Hospital Oct. 2019 - Present: Shiga University of Medical Science From 2001 to 2004, at the Kyoto University Graduate School, I learned the basics of genetics, statistics, 3D imaging and computational fluid dynamics. From 2013 to 2019, at the Rakuwakai Otowa hospital, I learned about normal pressure hydrocephalus from Dr. Masatsune Ishikawa.