46th Annual Conference of the German Neuropediatric Society (GNP) and 17th GNP Training Course Academy

Prim. Priv.-Doz. Dr. med. Edda Haberlandt

November 5 to 7, 2021 in Salzburg

After the long break in 2020 due to the pandemic, we are pleased to once again offer not only a professional exchange on the latest developments in child neurology but also social networking opportunities at this year's Annual German Neuropediatric Society (GNP) Conference in Salzburg from November 5 to 7, 2021. In early 2020, we were eagerly putting the finishing touches on the planned 46th Annual GNP Conference in Dornbirn, when the developments of the pandemic forced us to cancel the meeting. Over the last year, we all had to show a lot of flexibility in our everyday lives, and we learned to appreciate the possibilities of virtual participation. According to the motto “Turning the crisis into an opportunity,” the 46th Annual GNP Conference and 17th GNP Training Course Academy were therefore also designed as hybrid events to avoid having to completely cancel everything again in these uncertain times. In Salzburg, the three main tracks of the scientific program will be livestreamed so that the planned topics can reach a large virtual audience. Moving the originally planned venue from Dornbirn to Salzburg is to help create an incentive for attending in person. Unfortunately, the GNP's popular “Skills Lab” with its practical training has fallen victim to the pandemic again this year due to the necessary safety concept.

Over 1,300 pediatric neurologists are members of the GNP, 90% of all child neurologists in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland are represented by the GNP. At the first event with a hybrid format, 800 of you will be able to participate in person, while an unlimited audience from all three countries (the GNP, the Working Group for Neuropediatrics in Austria and the Swiss Society for Child Neurology) will have the chance to attend digitally.

After a morning filled with the GNP Training Course Academy on Friday, November 5, the conference will open with, among other things, a keynote speech on “Artificial Intelligence and Its Support in Everyday Clinical Practice and Research” by Dr. Katja Böhler. She is the Scientific Director of the Centre for Virtual Reality and Visualization Research (VRVis) in Vienna and, as a basic researcher, she will build a bridge with our everyday clinical work in her lecture. Traditionally, the “Science Award of the German Neuropaediatric Society” and the “GNP Honorary Award” for special achievements in neuropediatrics will be presented during the conference.

As the Conference President, I had the unique opportunity to influence the selection of topics according to my personal preferences at the planning stage. So, I am quite simply “overwhelmed by the choices”—and I hope you feel the same way. Part of the program will be available “on demand” after the conference—giving you a chance to catch up on a session you may have missed at a later date. In addition to our central theme—“Neuropaediatrics and Intersections with Everyday Practice,” the following key topics of our main program will invite you to discuss and enjoy an intensive scientific exchange: epilepsy, neurometabolics, neonatal neurology, social pediatrics, and new treatment options. In the planned lectures, discussions, and symposia until Sunday, November 7, many other topics such as Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP), perspectives in the therapy of cerebral palsy, cannabinoids in neuropediatrics, new treatment methods for neuromuscular diseases, ethics in neuropediatrics, the introduction of new guidelines in various fields, headache and stroke in childhood will also be addressed. As always, the popular video session featuring your contributions will be a special highlight. The numerous submitted abstracts will complement the program both as independent lectures and as poster presentations, stimulating scientific discussions during the conference.

I would especially like to draw your attention to the inspiring program of the 17th GNP Training Course Academy, which will also take place in a hybrid format this year, featuring select experts in the field of child neurology, as every year. In keeping with the main theme, the program will again build a bridge with everyday practice with topics such as “Neuropaediatrics Meets Psychiatry,” the popular “Bird's Eye View” of many topics and “Autism Spectrum Disorder.”

Support has been impressive for the 2021 Annual Conference with many industry symposia on important issues in neuropediatrics adding to the diversity of topics covered at this year's event. Numerous medicinal achievements will be analyzed jointly by the society in terms of their significance, and we will discuss their impacts on the medical “therapy landscape” in neuropediatrics.

On behalf of the GNP, we would like to wish you an informative, inspiring and successful conference, ample opportunity for networking, and a very pleasant stay in Salzburg.

Publication History

Article published online:
28 October 2021