Vladimir Hachinski elected president of the World Federation of Neurology

Dr. Vladimir Hachinski, of the Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, has been elected as President of the World Federation of Neurology (WFN).

"This is a tremendous achievement for Vladimir, our Department, and for the Canadian neurosciences community," said Department Co-Chairs Dr. Michael Strong and Dr. Stephen Lownie in announcing the appointment.

The World Federation of Neurology is the international body representing the specialty of neurology in more than 100 countries/regions of the globe.

"The mandate of the WFN is to strive towards fostering best practices in Neurology, to educate and facilitate research in the neurosciences. Through its linkages with the major international Neurology Societies and Associations, the WFN has been instrumental in promoting greater standards of neurological care across the world. Previous Presidents have been drawn from amongst some of the most acclaimed Neurologists of our time."

Dr. Hachinski is a Professor of Neurology and Distinguished University Professor at The University of Western Ontario and President of the International Society for Vascular Behavioural and Cognitive Disorders. An international expert on stroke prevention, he introduced the concepts and terms for leukoaraiosis and multi-infarct dementia as well as devised the Ischemic Score, which remains a standard for distinguishing Alzheimer from multi-infarct dementia.

He is Editor-in-Chief of Stroke Journal, the leading publication in the field. He has contributed to over 600 book chapters, scientific papers, editorials and other scholarly publications. He is the author of 17 books including Stroke: A comprehensive Guide to Brain Attack, co-authored with his daughter Larissa Hachinski, which was written to increase public awareness of "brain attacks," a term coined by Dr. Hachinski to help drive home the urgency of strokes.

He has received three honorary degrees, the Mihara International Award and received the Order of Canada in 2008.