Organizational Update: European Stroke Organisation.

he European Stroke Organisation (ESO) has entered its 8th year since formation from the politically active European Stroke Council and educational European Stroke Initiative. It has grown into a vibrant society of professionals with multiple strands to its activities. Members and fellows of ESO help in its mission to improve and harmonize stroke treatment in Europe through research and education (http:// www.eso-stroke.org and twitter.com/ESOstroke). Research generates knowledge that is the backbone for evidence based decisions by stroke clinicians, medical and allied professions alike; and is the basis for education of stroke care professionals and lay organizations. Evidence arising from clinical research is reviewed biannually at the ESO-Karolinska Stroke Update meeting and can prompt working groups to be set up for new clinical guidelines. The ESO Guidelines are prepared according to a rigorous process, after the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation system, and members of ESO guideline committees receive formal training in these Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation procedures. In preparing guidelines and considering implementation of proven care policies, ESO pays particular attention to relevant epidemiological and social differences across Europe, for example, between East and West. The potential for regional disparities in stroke research and care are also considered carefully within ESO's educational role. ESO offers free annual Summer Schools to young stroke clinicians. Places are highly contested even from first rate stroke centers yet every effort is taken to spread these limited chances across a diverse range of nationalities and backgrounds. Forthcoming courses will be held in Hradec Králové, Czech Republic in June 2015, and Madrid, Spain in 2016. During the colder months, ESO also supports a Winter School jointly held with the European Society of the Minimally Invasive Neurological Therapy and the European Society of NeuroRadiology, at which young stroke physicians and neu-roradiologists are trained on the topic of acute interdisciplin-ary stroke treatment. The goal is to enhance interdisciplinary management of patients with acute ischemic stroke in Europe. For trainees with a longer concentration span, ESO also offers scholarships toward registration for the European Masters in Stroke Medicine course run at the Danube University in Krems, Austria. This program offers an excellent chance to receive formal, assessed education over a 4-semester, 2-year period delivered by an outstanding international faculty. Although education of juniors is a crucial activity, ESO also strives to nurture the strengths of its more senior fellows and members. The prestigious ESO …