Neonatal Cranial Ultrasound Course: Basic & Advanced
Coming soon: June 18-20, 2025
Alberta Children's Hospital (Hybrid)
The world renowned London (UK) Neonatal Cranial Ultrasound Course is coming to Calgary, Alberta, In addition to lectures on cranial ultrasound and neonatal brain injury and development there will be hands-on cranial ultrasound sessions.
This will be a hybrid event.
The course will be provided by international experts from UK, The Netherlands, and Canada.
Dr. Frances Cowan, Dr. Linda de Vries, Dr. Gerda Meijler, and Dr. Sylke Steggerda.
In collaboration with Drs. Lara Leijser, Hussein Zein, and Khorshid Mohammad from the Calgary Newborn Neuro-Intensive Care (NNIC) team.
New this year pre-conference workshop on Jun 17, Neuro QI
This workshop aims to train physicians and multidisciplinary healthcare providers in quality improvement methods using hands-on approach that enables teams to implement together.
Learn more!
Full package course
The cranial ultrasound course has been conducted in London (UK) for over 20 years and is extremely popular.
In addition to lectures, there will be an opportunity to take part in hands-on cranial ultrasound sessions.
CME and more
Pre-course
Participants will be provided access to recorded lectures and online modules on cranial ultrasound. This self-learning activity is CME accredited.
Post-course
Participants will receive CME certificates for the course and be granted access to the course lecture recordings through the course portal.
Meet our speakers
Dr. Gerda Meijler - Isala, Zwolle, The Netherlands
Dr. Gerda Meijler is a pediatrician-neonatologist at Isala Woman- Children’s Center, Isala, Zwolle, the Netherlands.
Training
- Medical training University of Amsterdam (1974-1983)
- Pediatrics training Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital, Utrecht (1983-1987)
- Neonatology training Utrecht and Amsterdam (1988-1991)
Work
Worked as staff neonatolgist at:
- VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam
- Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden (the Netherlands)
- Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto
- 2013 - 2018 Vice-chair, Isala Woman- Children’s Center, Isala, Zwolle, the Netherlands
- Since 2018 staff neonatologist at Isala Woman- Children’s Center, Isala, Zwolle, the Netherlands
Research & Training
- PhD thesis (1999) on preterm brain imaging
- Research focus: fetal and neonatal neuro-imaging, neonatal cerebellar injury
Books
- Neonatal Cranial Ultrasonography (3rd ed, 2019)
- Editor for: “An Illustrated Guide to Neonatal Brain Injury for Clinicians Counselling Parents and Caregivers” (in progress)
Annual CUS course (London) since 2000
Member of the NBS and the NBS educational committee
Private
- Lived in Amsterdam until 2011, then moved to Toronto, now living in Zwolle (the Netherlands) since 2012
- Married, 4 children, 5 grandchildren
- Hobbies: photography; flutist in amateur orchestra; writer of children’s book on the human body “Hoe kunnen mijn ogen zien” (“How can my eyes see”) Clavis, 2024 (to be translated in English)
Professor Linda de Vries - Utrecht , The Netherlands
Dr. Linda de Vries is a Professor in Neonatal Neurology, Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital, University Medical Center, Utrecht, The Netherlands
Training
Dr. de Vries received her degree from the Medical School in Groningen, completed a Pediatric residency at the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital in Utrecht, The Netherlands, and carried out a research fellowship at the Hammersmith Hospital in London, United Kingdom. Subsequently, she also trained as a Pediatric Neurologist in Leuven, Belgium.
Work
Between 1989 and 2019, she has worked in the Department of Neonatology in Utrecht, where she was a Professor in Neonatal Neurology since 2001. Since 2019 she is an emerita Professor and is working in the Department of Neonatology in Leiden.
Research & QI
Dr. de Vries's research focuses on the prediction of neurodevelopmental outcomes in high-risk preterm and full-term newborns, using neurophysiology and neuroimaging methods. These at-risk children are also seen by her in the follow-up clinic. She has a special interest in post-hemorrhagic ventricular dilation, neonatal stroke, and brain plasticity.
Professor Frances Cowan - London, UK
Dr. Frances Cowan currently holds an honorary senior lecturer/clinical consultant post in perinatal neurology within Imperial College London and is a visiting professor to the department of Neonatal Neuroscience in the University of Bristol.
Training
Dr. Cowan trained in medicine in Dublin, Ireland, qualifying in 1972 and went on to specialize in paediatrics and neonatology in the UK. Research in neonatal physiology with Prof Kenneth Cross lead to a PhD in Oslo, Norway, on the control of neonatal cerebral blood flow using Doppler techniques and collaboration with Prof Marianne Thoresen.
Work
Dr. Cowan worked for many years at the Hammersmith Hospital in London, UK, with Dr Lilly Dubowitz and others in neonatal neurology, cranial ultrasound and MR brain imaging and neurodevelopmental follow-up.
Education
Throughout, teaching and mentoring have been a large part of her work and now in retirement, she continues to run a course in cranial ultrasound imaging and has, with Dr. Miriam Martinez Biarge, developed a website providing information on the Hammersmith neonatal and infant neurological examinations making them more readily as well as freely available worldwide. She remains involved in other teachings, brain image reporting, PhD supervision, and advising on and helping with research projects.
Research & QI
Dr. Cowan is particularly interested in perinatal brain injury, its timing and risk factors, patterns of injury and their evolution, and the early determination of prognosis. A focus has been on the prediction of normality and severity of neurological abnormality trying to make the best use of investigations and resources, minimizing uncertainty for parents, and providing information for obstetricians.
Professor Khorshid Mohammad - Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Dr. Khorshid Mohammad is a Staff Neonatologist at Alberta Health Services, Calgary Zone, a Clinical Professor of Pediatrics at the Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, and a Neonatology Medical Site Lead for Alberta Children’s Hospital.
Training
Dr. Mohammad graduated in 2006 from the University of Damascus and Arab League with Master and Specialty degrees in Pediatrics. He completed neonatal fellowship training at the University of Calgary in 2010, Neonatal Neurology training at the University of British Columbia, and Targeted Neonatal Echocardiography at the Universities of British Columbia and Calgary in 2013.
Work
In 2014, Dr. Mohammad established the Newborn Neuro-Intensive Care program in Calgary in collaboration with Pediatric Neurology. Dr. Mohammad is a founding member of the Sonographic Clinical Assessment of the Newborn (SCAN) program.
Education
Dr. Mohammad’s main areas of interest are innovation in education and Quality Improvement. Dr. Mohammad established a neonatal brain monitoring simulation lab including cranial ultrasonography phantoms and simulators, neonatal brain MRI simulator, Neonatal EEG simulator, Neonatal neurological exam using Virtual reality, and smartphones applications. He developed several teaching modules in Neonatal Neurology and organized several conferences, workshops, and courses in Neonatal Neuromonitoring.
Research & QI
Dr. Mohammad’s Quality Improvement work has led to a significant reduction in mortality and brain injury in extremely premature infants and term infants suffering from asphyxia and seizure. Dr. Mohammad’s areas of research interest are education, brain perfusion, monitoring, and Quality Improvement neuroprotection strategies.
Dr. Sylke Steggerda - The Netherlands
Dr. Sylke Steggerda is a Pediatrician - Neonatologist at Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden (the Netherlands) Sylke Steggerda, MD, PhD, received her degree from the Medical School in Utrecht.
Training
Sylke Steggerda, MD PhD, received her medical degree from the Medical School in Utrecht. Afterwards, she worked as a resident in Pediatric Neurology at the Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital in Utrecht, and completed a Pediatric residency and a Neonatology fellowship at the Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands
Clinical Work
Since 2006, Sylke works at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Leiden as an all-around neonatologist and consultant in neonatal neurology. She is the chair of the Dutch-Flemish working group on neonatal neurology and a steering committee member of the European working group on advanced neonatal cranial ultrasound. She is involved both as an organizer and tutor in multiple international teaching initiatives in neonatal brain imaging.
Research & QI
Sylke obtained her PhD in 2014. Her research focuses on neonatal neuro-imaging (with a special interest in neonatal cranial ultrasonography), neonatal cerebellar injury, preterm stroke and brain development in monochorionic twins. She is the co-author of the third edition of ‘Neonatal Cranial Ultrasonography’, a handbook on cranial ultrasound in the newborn.
Dr. Lara Leijser, MD, PhD, MSc - Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Dr. Lara Leijser is a Clinician-Scientist in Neonatology and Associate Professor in the Department of Pediatrics, section of Newborn Critical Care, at the University of Calgary, Canada.
After completing a PhD on ‘Imaging the preterm infant’s brain’ (The Netherlands and UK) and Residency training in Pediatrics, she graduated from Neonatal and Neonatal Neurology fellowship programs in Utrecht (The Wilhelmina Children’s Hospital, The Netherlands) and Toronto (The Hospital for Sick Children, Canada).
Dr. Leijser joined the Calgary section of Newborn Critical Care in 2018 and is a member of the Calgary Newborn Neuro-Intensive Care program and the Sonographic Clinical Assessment of the Newborn (SCAN) training program. She has a special clinical and research interest in neonatal brain injury, neuro-imaging and neurodevelopmental outcomes, with her research program focusing on improving brain health and outcomes for preterm infants and families across the lifespan. Dr. Leijser has authored book chapters and research manuscripts on cranial ultrasound in preterm and term-born infants. She is a recurrent lecturer on the Neonatal Cranial Ultrasound course in London (UK), and will contribute to the lectures and hands-on workshops in Calgary.
Dr. Hussein Zein, Neonatologist, Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics & Medical Director
Dr. Hussein Zein is a Staff Neonatologist with Alberta Health Services, Calgary Zone, and a Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. He is the Medical Site Lead of the NICU at Foothills Medical and the Program Director of Dr. Harvey Sarnat's Neonatal Neuro-Critical Care Fellowship in Calgary.
He is the Lead of the Preterm Brain Injury Working Group and a Co-Chair of the Neonatal Neuro-Critical Care Committee in Calgary.
Dr. Zein graduated from medical school in 1999 and completed his pediatric residency in 2005 at the American University of Beirut. He then furthered his expertise as a senior registrar in Saudi Arabia, and later in Canada, where he completed his fellowship training in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine and Neonatal Neuro-Critical Care. He is a Subspecialist Affiliate of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
Additionally, Dr. Zein holds a master's degree in neuroscience. His primary areas of interest include neuroprotection and education.
Ayman Abou Mehrem MD, FABP, MSc (Health Informatics)
Clinical Associate Professor, Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary
Dr. Abou Mehrem is a Neonatologist and Clinical Associate Professor at University of Calgary. He co-chairs Calgary Zone Neonatal Quality Improvement Committee, and FMC EPIQ Team, and Calgary Neonatal Respiratory Care Committee. As an EPIQ Master Facilitator, he organized and led several EPIQ workshop nationally and internationally. His research interests include neonatal stabilization, neonatal respiratory management and outcomes, electronic medical records, and implementation science. He holds various research grants from local and national institutions.
Dr. Zarina Assis, MBBS, DNB, DM
Pediatric Neuroradiologist, Alberta Children Hospital
After completing MBBS, Zarina did her Residency in Diagnostic Radiology in India. Later, she pursued super specialization in Diagnostic and interventional neuroradiology from NIMHANS, India for which she was awarded Gold Medal by Union Health Minister of India. She came to Canada for further training in Stroke interventions, Diagnostic Neuroradiology and Pediatric Neuroradiology from University of Calgary. She has many peer reviewed publications to her credit, with her research interests in Pediatric neuroradiology, neonatal imaging, stroke imaging etc. She is currently working as a Pediatric Neuroradiologist at Alberta Children’s Hospital, Calgary, AB.
