There are innumerable meetings and conferences on the spinal cord. So many that it is not surprising or unusual to find that many members of the various groups are largely unaware of the work which is being carried out by other groups.

I hope to have a frequent but not regular update on research and development in this field. This will consist mostly of reports of meetings or conferences of both clinical and basic research. It is essential for clinicians to keep abreast of basic research since lack of awareness can only lead to lost opportunities for interactions and collaborations, and this is particularly important at the present time when the possibility of basic research being translated to the clinical field is likely to occur within the next few years.

Any member of ISCoS who has attended an interesting conference may submit a report for consideration.