2026 CNS Research and Education Innovation Day

On Tuesday, June 9th, 2026, the Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences will host its 23rd annual CNS Research Day. The full-day event features a series of poster and oral presentations from our residents, graduate students, PhD candidates and postdoctoral fellows. We will also host a distinguished researcher who will present the keynote address. Attendees of the event are the Department’s faculty, including neurosurgeons, neurologists, affiliated radiologists, pathologists and imaging researchers.

King's University College

266 Epworth Avenue, London, ON N6A 2M3

CNS Research and Education Innovation Day will be held at the Kings Centre.

Free parking is available. The closest parking lot is P3.

Schedule of Events

8:00 - 8:20 a.m.	Registration and Continental Breakfast	Garron/Spriet Lounge
8:25 - 8:35 a.m.	Opening Remarks Dr. David Steven, Richard and Beryl Ivey Chair, Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences	Kenny Theatre
8:40 - 9:35 a.m.	Keynote presentation “Finding Your Voice as a Researcher” Dr. Christopher Watling Professor, University of Western Ontario Chief Executive Officer, Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and Royal College Canada International	Kenny Theatre
9:40 - 10:10 a.m.	Oral Presentation Session #1 A series of 5-minute presentations. Each presenter will be allotted 3 minutes for questions.	Kenny Theatre
10:15 - 11:10 a.m.	Refreshment Break and Parallel Poster Tours #1 A series of 3-minute presentations, followed by time for Q&A within the session timeframe.	Spriet Lounge
11:15 a.m. - 12:40 p.m.	Oral Presentation Session #2 A series of 5-minute presentations. Each presenter will be allotted 3 minutes for questions.	Kenny Theatre
12:45 - 1:30 p.m.	Lunch	Garron/Spriet Lounge
1:35 - 2:50 p.m.	Oral Presentation Session #3 A series of 5-minute presentations. Each presenter will be allotted 3 minutes for questions.	Kenny Theatre
2:55 - 3:50 p.m.	Refreshment Break and Parallel Poster Tours #2 A series of 3-minute presentations, followed by time for Q&A within the session timeframe.	Spriet Lounge
3:55 - 4:05 p.m.	Closing Remarks and Awards Dr. Elizabeth Finger, Research Director, Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences Dr. Michelle-Lee Jones, Education Director, Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences	Kenny Theatre

Attendee Registration

Attendee registration is now closed. If you have any questions, please contact Kristie Lau by email.

Keynote Speaker

Dr. Christopher Watling, MD, MMEd, PhD, FRCPC

Chris Watling is the Chief Executive Officer of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, and of Royal College Canada International. Prior to starting as CEO in July 2024, he had a 25-year academic career at Western University in London, Canada, where he held several leadership positions including Associate Dean for Postgraduate Medical Education, Vice Dean for Education Scholarship and Strategy, and Director of the Centre for Education Research and Innovation. A neurologist by clinical training, he holds a Masters in Medical Education from the University of Dundee and a PhD in Health Professions Education from Maastricht University. His research explores how and why feedback influences learning, and how medicine’s professional culture shapes its educational practices.

Judges

In addition to having our esteemed Keynote Dr. Christopher Watling judge the presentations, we are thrilled to announce our 2026 judges:

YIU-CHIA CHANG

Dr. Yiu-Chia Chang received his MD from the University of Ottawa. He subsequently completed his neurology residency and neuromuscular fellowship at Western University. He joined the Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences in 2025, with a clinical practice focused on myopathies and immune-mediated neuromuscular disorders. Dr. Chang is also passionate about medical education. He is currently pursuing a master's degree in Health Professions Education at Maastricht University. In addition, he serves as the UME CNS lead for the neurology teaching at Western University. Dr. Chang's research interests include nerve ultrasound and its application to chronic inflammatory neuropathies, as well as the diagnostic utility and performance of antibody testing in various neurological conditions. He also conducts medical education research aimed at improving teaching and learning during EMG rotations.

BEYZA CIFTCI

Dr. Beyza Ciftci is a Clinician Researcher and an Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Western Ontario specializing in Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroinflammatory Disorders. Dr. Ciftci completed her neurology residency at the University of Health Sciences and medical school at Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Medical School, in Istanbul, Turkey, and her clinical fellowship in Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroinflammatory Disorders at the University of Toronto, Hospital for Sick Children, Canada. In addition to her clinical training, Dr. Ciftci completed a Master of Science at the University of Toronto studying machine learning and visual outcomes in MS.

DEEPA DASH

Dr. Deepa Dash is an Assistant Professor and clinical researcher in the Division of Neurology at Western University and a movement disorders neurologist at London Health Sciences Centre. Her research focuses on population-based health research in Parkinson's disease and patient-oriented research across the broader movement disorders field. Her work aims to identify patients’ unmet needs and develop innovative, patient-centered solutions through shared decision-making.

Dr. Dash has also played an active role in the International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society, contributing to evidence-based medicine reviews for treatments in movement disorders. Most recently, she served as the first author of the Society’s task force review on medical treatments for Essential tremor.

She has authored more than 62 peer-reviewed publications and has been extensively involved in national and international research collaborations, grant development, and knowledge translation initiatives.

ROBERT HAMMOND

Born and raised in London, Dr. Hammond received his MD (1987) and his residency training in Neuropathology at Western University (1992). Postdoctoral neuroscience fellowships at the University of California San Diego and the Salk Institute (Dr. Fred Gage) and University of Pittsburgh (Dr. Clayton Wiley) were followed by a return to London in 1995 to join the Departments of Pathology and Clinical Neurological Sciences.
Dr. Hammond has enjoyed research, teaching and administrative roles locally, nationally and abroad. He is Past President of the Canadian Association of Neuropathologists and Professor of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine and Clinical Neurological Sciences at Western University and London Health Sciences Centre.

ALEXANDER KHAW

Dr. Khaw is an Associate Professor at the Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Western University and London Health Sciences Centre. He graduated medical school at the Johannes Gutenberg Universität of Mainz, Germany, and completed residency training at Mannheim University Hospital of Ruprecht Karls Universität of Heidelberg, University of Ulm, and Ernst Moritz Arndt Universität of Greifswald, Germany. His doctoral thesis on the fetal evolution of glycoconjugate patterns in human vertebral column tissues was rewarded magna cum laude at Johannes Gutenberg Universität of Mainz. He completed a clinical research fellowship at the Stroke Centre of the Neurological Institute, Columbia University, New York City. Dr. Khaw was Director of the Stroke Unit and Neuro-IMC, Ultrasound Laboratory and Cerebrovascular Clinic at the University Hospital Greifswald before joining Western University and LHSC.

He has been for 7 years Co-Medical Director and Steering Committee member of the Southwest Ontario Stroke Network, Steering Committee member of the Regional Stroke Project with the Southwest and Erie St. Claire LHIN to re-organize and continuously improve care provided to stroke patients in the region by evidence-based standards, and member of CorHealth Ontario’s Stroke Evaluation and Quality Committee.

Dr. Khaw´s research interests lie in neurovascular medicine and include establishing progressive acute stroke treatment options, acute stroke imaging (esp. perfusion imaging), cerebrovascular diagnostic ultrasound, vascular malformations, intracerebral haemorrhage and the interaction between acute stroke/other cardiovascular disorders and cognitive decline by advanced imaging methods (MRI/PET co-registration).

JOSEPH MEGYESI

Dr. Joseph Megyesi received his MD from Western University in 1985. He then completed a comprehensive surgical internship and a Master's degree in Biochemistry, also at Western University. He did his neurosurgical residency at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, where he also received his PhD degree in Experimental Surgery. As part of his training, Dr. Megyesi completed a fellowship at Harvard University. Dr. Megyesi joined the Clinical Neurological Sciences Department at Western University in 1998 and specializes in neurosurgical oncology. He is chairman of the Scientific Program Committee at the Canadian Neurological Sciences Federation, sits on the Continuing Professional Development Committee at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and is past-chairman of the board of the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada. He is currently Professor in the Division of Neurosurgery at Western University.

Important Dates

February , 2026 Abstract submissions open
April 3, 2026 Abstract and Resident Research Awards deadline
Mid- to Late-May Notification to presenters of oral/poster acceptance
June 9, 2026 Research and Education Innovation Day!

Abstract Submission Guidelines

Eligibility Requirements
Must have an author or contributor who holds a membership in CNS.
Abstracts should be no longer than 350 words and utilize the headings described below.
The presenter of all abstracts must be a trainee (for example, a undergraduate, graduate or medical student, resident, fellow).

Basic Information
Abstract Title, First Author, Additional Author(s) and Research Supervisor

Abstract Submission Criteria/Format
*based on the JAMA Structure for Abstract Submission

Importance:	The abstract should begin with a maximum of two sentences explaining the clinical (or other) importance of the study question.
Objective(s):	State the precise objective or study question addressed in the report (e.g. "To determine whether..."). If more than 1 objective is addressed, the main objective should be indicated and only key secondary objectives stated. If a priori hypothesis was tested, it should be stated.
Design and Participants:	Describe the basic design of the study and include the specific study type (e.g. randomized clinical trial, cohort, cross-sectional, etc.) and intervention where applicable. State the clinical disorders, important eligibility criteria, and key socio-demographic features of patients (or other study participants). The number of eligible participants and how they were selected should be provided, including the number approached but who refused or were excluded. For selection procedures, these terms should be used, if appropriate: random sample (where random refers to a formal, randomized selection in which all eligible individuals have a fixed and usually equal chance of selection); population-based sample; referred sample; consecutive sample; volunteer sample; convenience sample. If matching is used for comparison groups, characteristics that are matched should be specified. In follow-up studies, the proportion of participants who completed the study must be indicated.
Results:	Summary demographic information (e.g. characteristics such as sex and age) and the number of study participants should be reported in the first sentence of the Results paragraph. The main outcomes of the study should be reported and quantified, including the final included/analyzed sample. When possible, present numerical results (e.g. absolute numbers and/or rates) with appropriate indicators of uncertainty, such as confidence intervals. Use means and standard deviations (SDs) for normally distributed data and medians and ranges or interquartile ranges (IQRs) for data that are not normally distributed. Avoid solely reporting the results of statistical hypothesis testing, such as P values, which fail to convey important quantitative information. For most studies, P values should follow the reporting of comparisons of absolute numbers or rates and measures of uncertainty (e.g. 0.8%, 95% CI −0.2% to 1.8%; P = .13).
Conclusions and Relevance:	Provide only conclusions of the study that are directly supported by the results. Give equal emphasis to positive and negative findings of equal scientific merit. Also, provide a statement of relevance indicating implications for clinical practice or health policy, avoiding speculation and overgeneralization. The relevance statement may also indicate whether additional study is required before the information should be used in clinical settings.