Botulinum toxin guided injection workshop for cervical and other focal dystonias

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On June 12-13, 2026, neurologists from 18 countries came to Dublin, Ireland to attend the 2-day interactive MDS-European Section teaching course “Botulinum Toxin Guided Injection Workshop for Cervical and Other Focal Dystonias.” The goals were to improve neurologist skills treating focal dystonia with botulinum toxin. The course combined didactic lectures, small-group hands-on practical sessions of live patient examinations, small group ultrasound training, and panel discussions. Day 1 focused on cervical dystonia, and Day 2 focused on craniofacial, upper-limb, and lower-limb dystonias.

The faculty included Professor Alberto Albanese and Professor Anna Castagna from Milan; Professor Marie-Helene Marion from London/Paris; and Professor Jorg Wissel from Berlin; and local faculty Professor Richard Walsh, Dr Conor Fearon, Dr Anna Whelehan, Dr Fiona Molloy, and Professor Anhar Hassan (course director). The course was launched by a welcome address via zoom by Professor David Burn, MDS President, and Professor Tim Lynch.

The attendees came from Ireland, the UK, Uzbekistan, Austria, Italy, Moldova, Serbia, Spain, Germany, France, Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, Slovakia, Greece, Tunisia, Egypt, and Canada. The 40 places were highly competitive, with over 150 applications from 52 countries.

This was a collaboration with the Dublin Neurological Institute and the Pillar Centre for Transformative Healthcare at the Mater Hospital in Dublin, with generous supports from sponsors Abbvie, Ispen, Merz, Ambu, and Medray.