GNP Skills Lab at EPNS 2025 – Bringing Hands-On Child Neurology Training to an International Stage
For the first time, the GNP Skills Lab was presented at the EPNS Congress 2025 in Munich – and the response from the international neuropediatric community was overwhelmingly positive. Building on its success at previous GNP annual meetings, the Skills Lab once again demonstrated the value of practical, interactive learning formats within large scientific congresses.
Located centrally in the exhibition area, the Skills Lab offered visitors a unique opportunity to step directly from the conference floor into a dynamic, hands-on training environment. With supervised hubs, modern equipment, and a whispering system that ensured clear communication despite the lively surroundings, the Skills Lab created an accessible and engaging learning space for participants from around the world.
Across several thematic hubs, participants could explore essential skills in child neurology: neuropediatric and neurodevelopmental examination techniques, funduscopy, infant lumbar puncture, neuro- and muscular sonography and Doppler ultrasound, repetitive neuromuscular magnetic stimulation, and—one of the major highlights—an interactive MRI quiz based on everyday clinical cases. A total of 18 trainers shared their expertise enthusiastically: Michaela Bonfert, Philip Broser, Rob Forsyth, Jelte Helfferich, Kristina Huß, Anne Koy, Hanna Küpper, Mirjam Landgraf, Victoria Lieftüchter, Mark Mackay, Finbar O’Callaghan, Alasdair Parker, Sebastian Schröder, Corinna Schröder-Börner, Alexandra Sitzberger, Martin Staudt, Uta Tacke, Katharina Vill.
Each hub was supported by well-prepared student team members, ensuring smooth organization and enabling visitors to practice skills even outside scheduled sessions. The high demand was evident: most sessions were fully booked ahead of time and even during breaks, the Skills Lab remained a popular meeting point for hands-on practice and professional exchange. Alltogether, 1.800 visitors participated in the GNP Skills Lab.
The evaluation results underscore the strong impact of the Skills Lab:
- 99% of visitors rated the content as varied and highly relevant.
- 97% reported that they were able to deepen their knowledge.
- 100% said they would recommend visiting the Skills Lab to others.
- 89.3% awarded the best possible overall rating.
Trainers also expressed great satisfaction, highlighting the professional organization, the motivated audience, and the strong added value of the Skills Lab within the EPNS program. Almost all trainers emphasized that they would welcome Skills Lab as a recurring feature at future international conferences.
Thanks to close collaboration with Ms. Leona Ruske from the wikonect team, Ms. Wachter from the Intercongress team and the dedicated coordination by Ms. Marx and Ms. Kolorz, the implementation ran smoothly from preparation to follow-up. The strong positive feedback confirms the Skills Lab as a meaningful addition to major scientific meetings – offering space for practical learning, interprofessional exchange, and real-world clinical skill development.
With this successful international debut, the GNP Skills Lab is well positioned to continue evolving as an innovative and practice-oriented training format within child neurology, at EPNS and beyond.
