The 2026 ABN Special Interest Group (SIG) for MS and neuroinflammation Annual Meeting will take place on Thursday 22nd and Friday 23rd January 2026 at the Scarman Conference Centre, University of Warwick. The event will comprise a half day trainee day (13:00 -16:45) – on Thursday 22nd January followed by dinner. The main meeting will take place on Friday 23rd January from 08:55 – 17:00.
| Time | Programme | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 12:30 – 13:30 | Arrival, Registration & Lunch | |
| 13:30 – 14:15 | Clinical assessment and diagnosis of people suspected to have MS | Dr Kate Petheram |
| 14:15 – 15:00 | Disease modifying therapy of people with MS | Prof. Klaus Schmierer |
| 15:00 – 15:15 | Refreshment break | |
| 15:15 – 16:15 | Neurosarcoidosis and its different diagnosis | Dr Tarunya Arun |
| 16:15 – 17:00 | Questions and close |
| Time | Programme |
|---|---|
| 19:00 | Pre-Dinner Drinks |
| 19:30 | Dinner & Networking |
| Time | Programme | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| 08:00 – 08:30 | Arrival & Registration | |
| 08:35 – 08:45 | Chair’s Welcome | |
| 08:45 – 09:30 | First Session topic: Advances in Diagnosis and Treatment in MS and neuroinflammation
N |
|
| 08:45 – 09:30 | New diagnostic criteria
A Neuroradiologist’s perspective
A Neurologists perspective |
N
Prof Vijay Sawalani Dr Wallace Brownlee |
| 09:30 – 09:45 | Panel Discussion: | |
| 09:45 – 10:45 | Second Session topic: Data in MS research & care | 1 |
| (09:45 – 10:05) | Using AI to redefine MS | Dr Arman Eshagi, UCL |
| (10:05 – 10:25) | Implementing AI in clinical practice – AssistMS | Prof Klaus Schmierer |
| (10:25 – 10:45) | Big Data in MS | Dr Will Brown, Cambridge University |
| 10:45 – 11:00 | Panel Discussion | |
| 11:00 – 11:30 | Refreshment break | |
| 11:30 – 12:00 | Manifestations and management of IgG4 disease | Dr Emma Culver Consultant Hepatologist, Oxford University Hospitals |
| 12:00 – 12:30 | CNS Vasculitis – Confirmed | Dr Claire Rice, North Bristol NHS Trust |
| 12:30– 12:45 | TMS4 all: Update on current ongoing service development projects | Ms Joela Mathews, Barts Health NHS Trust |
| 12:45 – 14:00 | Lunch and Networking | |
| 14:00– 14:30 | Collaborative projects /trials: Neurosarcoidosis Rare Diseases Collaborative Network | Dr Tarunya Arun FOCUS – NHS Dr Alison Thompson DECANT MS – Dr Tarunya Arun |
| 14:30– 15:00 | Menopause and MS | Dr Kate Petheram, Sunderland Hospitals |
| 15:00– 15:30 | Manifestations of Autoimmune encephalitis | Prof Saiju Jacob, Birmingham |
| 15:30 – 15:45 | Break and Refreshments | |
| 15:45 – 16:00 | My time as an ABN post CCT fellow | Dr Di Liang |
| 16:00 – 16:15 | Inspire MS project (EAN) | Dr Sri Kodali & Dr Dashne Omar |
| 16:15 – 16:30 | Reflections and Close |
Conference organised independently by the Association of British Neurologists MS and neuroinflammation Special Interest Group.
This meeting has been sponsored by Biogen, Neuraxpharm, Roche and Novartis. The Sponsors have provided funding to support the organisation of this meeting but have had no involvement in the organisation or the development of agenda, inviting delegates and choice of speakers.
