Meeting of the Minds 2025: A Student-led Model for Advancing Neuroeducation Through Immersive and Inclusive Learning
Annie Alocious1, Tony Alocious1, Steve Gentleman1
1Imperial College London, UK
Objective:
To evaluate the educational impact of a student led, multidisciplinary neuro-collaborative conference designed to enhance engagement, inclusivity, and career interest in neurology and allied fields.
Background:
Despite increasing emphasis on neurology education, many medical students experience “neurophobia” due to fragmented and abstract teaching methods. There remains a need for integrated, student driven approaches that connect clinical neurology with basic neuroscience and neurosurgery. Meeting of the Minds 2025, the UK’s largest student-led neuro-collaborative conference, aimed to address this educational gap by implementing an immersive, multidisciplinary model promoting engagement, inclusivity, and early interest in neuro-allied careers.
Design/Methods:
The conference was organised by medical students at Imperial College London and included over 120 delegates including medical students and high school pupils. The program featured a keynote lecture by Nobel Laureate Professor John O’Keefe, hands-on neurosurgical and neuroanatomical workshops, and sessions on computational and translational neuroscience. Interactive components such as virtual-reality simulations and live brain dissections reinforced neuroanatomical understanding. Pre- and post-event surveys (n=78) assessed delegates’ self-reported knowledge, confidence, inclusivity perception, and interest in neurology, using a 5-point Likert scale. Statistical significance was analysed with paired t-tests.
Results:
Post-conference data demonstrated significant increases in understanding of neuro-related career pathways (p < 0.01) and perceived inclusivity within the field (p < 0.01). Two-thirds of attendees reported that the conference positively influenced their career aspirations. Seventy percent stated that creative elements such as art and essay competitions enhanced engagement with neuro-allied careers, while 98% agreed that student-led events contribute meaningfully to medical and scientific education.
Conclusions:
This evaluation highlights a scalable, student-led framework that successfully integrates multidisciplinary, experiential learning to address “neurophobia.” The model promotes inclusivity, confidence, and sustained interest in neurology and its allied fields. By leveraging innovation, peer leadership, and creative engagement, Meeting of the Minds provides a reproducible approach for enhancing neurology education across institutions.
Disclaimer: Abstracts were not reviewed by Neurology® and do not reflect the views of Neurology® editors or staff.