The foundation of an innovative and inspirational meeting is the scientific content submitted by our neurosurgical membership. The CNS prides itself on creating diverse and meaningful podium presentation opportunities for surgeon-scientists at every career stage. Under the 2026 theme of Evolution, the CNS Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, October 31 to November 4, will feature an expanded abstract program designed to capture how our specialty is changing — and to spotlight the people, technologies, and global voices driving that change. Abstracts will be threaded throughout the meeting in three complementary formats. Sunrise Sessions will run Monday through Wednesday from 7:00 to 8:30 a.m. at the Convention Center, featuring late-breaking science alongside specialty-spanning topics curated by invited experts. Afternoon Section Sessions on Monday and Tuesday from 2:50 to 4:20 p.m. will once again intermix top-rated abstracts with invited lectures from leaders in each subspecialty. The Interactive Poster Session will also feature Nexus video abstracts with Wine and Cheese on Monday and Tuesday from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m., allowing more time for conversation, judging, and the kind of unscheduled encounters that lead to collaboration.
A dedicated Innovation Track for what comes next
Building on the data science Sunrise Sessions that have anchored the meeting since 2022, the 2026 program introduces a dedicated Innovation Track that runs across the week. Curated to capture how new ideas actually reach the operating room, the track gathers abstracts at the intersection of technology, technique, and translation — spanning artificial intelligence and computer vision, robotics, novel devices, advanced visualization, and the entrepreneurial side of bringing innovation from concept to clinical practice. Invited lecturers will frame each block, and abstracts have been selected to spark practical and ethical discussion about what it takes to advance our specialty responsibly.
A global stage for neurosurgical science
Neurosurgery is a global discipline, and the questions that matter most rarely respect borders. New for 2026 is a dedicated global neurosurgery Sunrise Session, curated together with our international colleagues, that will showcase scientific work from low- and middle income country investigators alongside collaborative projects from established global health programs. The session is designed not as a side track but as a central conversation about access, capacity, and the future of our specialty’s reach. Invited discussants from each World Health Organization region will set context for the abstracts and connect them back to the section themes that follow in the afternoon.
Investing in the next generation
The vitality of our meeting depends on the residents, fellows, and young investigators who fill our podiums and posters. This year we have meaningfully expanded opportunities for them. A new Resident and Young Investigator rapid-fire format will appear within the Section Sessions, chaired by senior section leaders, with focused mentorship feedback built into the format. Trainee award categories have been broadened across every section, and we have added a dedicated pathway for medical-student-led abstracts. Each rapid-fire winner will be paired with an invited mentor from the program for a structured discussion on their work and career trajectory.
Dedicated poster sessions and awards
Posters will be on display throughout the meeting, with the Interactive Poster Session with Wine and Cheese on Monday and Tuesday from 4:30 to 6:00 p.m. anchoring the in-person experience. Abstracts will be judged during these sessions, with the top three abstracts of each specialty announced during the general scientific session. Section-sponsored awards will again be presented in cerebrovascular, stereotactic and functional, neurotrauma and critical care, pediatric neurosurgery, peripheral nerve, and tumor—inclusive of skull-base— surgery, with additional awards recognizing diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and medical education. As always, posters will also be available digitally in the CNS Experience Lounge and the CNS Annual Meeting App.
The diversity of our submissions reflects the diversity of our specialty, and we are inspired by what is on its way to Washington this fall. We look forward to seeing you at the podium, in front of a poster, or in conversation over a glass of wine—wherever the Evolution takes you.