PRESIDENT-ELECT STATEMENT

Dear Colleague and IHS Member,

It is with deep gratitude and enthusiasm that I accept the honor of being nominated as a candidate for the position of President-Elect of the International Headache Society (IHS).

My involvement with IHS began in 2002, when I became part of the Junior Subcommittee, later serving as a Trustee on the Board. Since then, I have actively contributed to various initiatives, including the first IHS Women’s Leadership Forum, the Clinical Trials Guideline Committee, the Science Committee, the Classification Committee, and the iHEAD Organizing Committee—a valuable initiative designed to educate and create opportunities for the next generation of clinical and preclinical headache experts. I also served as one of the Co-Chairs of the IHC 2021 Scientific Committee and currently serve as an Associate Editor for Cephalalgia. Most recently, I committed further to our Society by taking on the role of Honorary Secretary, demonstrating my deep engagement and sense of responsibility toward IHS.

Over the years, I have learned from our Presidents, Board members, and from Carol. If elected, I will use that experience to preserve our essence, respecting our history, Bylaws, and organizational structure, while continuing to improve, adapt, and advance our Society.

My goal is to strengthen, elevate, and expand the global impact of the headache field, ultimately reducing the burden of headache through dedicated service to our members.

Let me share with you my vision for how we can achieve this:

1. Defining a Communication Strategy to expand our channels of engagement with members and Affiliate Headache Societies—ensuring that everyone feels heard, represented, and informed about the Society’s work and offerings.
2. Fostering global collaboration by building a network of headache alliances—mapping and engaging with them to create a forum of Headache Societies.
3. Improving headache care worldwide by continuing to develop educational tools tailored to local needs and promoting clinical excellence through IHS Centers of Excellence.
4. Expanding educational and mentorship programs globally, particularly for the younger generation.
5. Ensuring scientific excellence by maintaining Cephalalgia as the go-to journal in our field, and by organizing impactful IHCs and regional scientific initiatives.
6. Establishing a Technology Committee to share best practices in AI and IoT, and to explore the development of a headache knowledge data center to facilitate knowledge transfer.
7. Introducing sustainability principles into the Society’s structure and activities.
8. Promoting innovation to tackle global challenges, including organizing a hackathon to generate new solutions.
9. Strengthening partnerships with our Corporate Roundtable through the creation of a think tank.
10. Increasing our influence in global brain health initiatives such as the Brain Health Mission and the Global Burden of Disease project, making IHS the key source of policy-relevant information on headache care.

These initiatives will be guided by values of generosity, inclusiveness, respect for diversity, a commitment to excellence, and adherence to ethical and sustainability principles. I am committed to listening actively to the concerns and ideas of every IHS member.

All of this work centers on one ultimate goal: to reduce the burden of headache worldwide, contributing to global health progress. I ask for your support and your vote to help bring this vision to life.

Thank you.
¡Muchas gracias!