“Human subtlety will never devise an invention more beautiful, more simple, or more direct than does nature, because in her inventions, nothing is lacking and nothing is superfluous.”
– Leonardo da Vinci, The Notebooks 

How can we shorten the journey from symptom onset to effective treatment for patients with movement disorders? Shortening this period is crucial, as delays in diagnosis and treatment often lead to irreversible damage to neural pathways, exacerbating symptoms and reducing the efficacy of therapies like deep brain stimulation. The healthcare system currently faces challenges such as lack of awareness and early detection, which contribute to suboptimal outcomes.

To tackle the ramifications of this subject, we are thrilled to welcome Laura Cif to the eleventh edition of HEART. She is a senior consultant specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of movement disorders, who has worked for two decades in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University Hospital of Montpellier, France. After completing her MD, she pursued a master’s degree in neurosciences, followed by a PhD in the same domain. 

Following her post-doctoral position at the Department of Clinical Neurosciences in Lausanne, she earned her Habilitation (Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches). Her main research focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of patients with complex movement disorders, as well as the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of deep brain stimulation (DBS) in various types of dystonias.

Beyond her clinical work, together with Xavier Vasques, her husband, she co-founded the Institut du Neurone, a non-profit organization aimed at combining mathematics, neuroscience, and medicine to create specific applications in the field of movement disorders.

Our theme, Queening the Pawn, symbolises a call to arms for every individual – patient, practitioner, and advocate alike – to become aware of our agency and act in order to reclaim the narrative. That is what Dr. Laura Cif’s speech will inspire us to do, so join her at HEART 2025.