Happy New Year to all members, and a new year means a new change for the Chair of BSIN.

I am privileged to be taking over from Lindsay Gripton as Chair of BSIN and want to personally thank her for all her hard work over the last few years. Lindsay leaves an amazing legacy in the form of the BSIN website and our IONM education platform.

Let me introduce myself, my name is Michael Pridgeon, I have practiced in Neurophysiology for 23 years and worked in intraoperative neurophysiology for 17 years. I have been an autonomous practitioner in intraoperative monitoring for 8 years leading a team in functional and spinal intraoperative monitoring at the Walton Centre, Liverpool.

I have experience in both brain and spinal cord procedures which includes functional neurosurgery and neuromodulation and I have a passion to promote intra-operative neurophysiology education.

My academic background includes a degree in Anatomy & Human Biology, degree in Clinical Physiology (Neurophysiology), MSc Clinical Physiology (Neurophysiology), NVQ Level 4 in Management and I am currently studying on a Clinical Doctorate Program to become a Consultant Clinical Scientist specializing in evoked potentials and intra-operative neurophysiology. My research interests include QEEG, TMS and specialist evoked potentials to better understand their role in the clinical setting and within the intraoperative environment.

I am a current STP work based assessor and have been involved in teaching and training as an honorary lecturer for the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University for 16 years teaching on the PTP, STP and HSST programs. Over the last 5 years I have been responsible for the HSST intraoperative neurophysiology B4 unit.

My passion is training and education with a vision of creating a national training program in intra-operative neurophysiology and a national competency framework for professional certification.

As BSIN chair my vision is to develop and promote a national training program fully accessible to all our members, via our education hub creating a learning environment to support training and development. I am keen to incorporate simulation training into this environment and I am currently looking at simulation software which I hope to make available to all BSIN members through simulation workshops and other simulation opportunities, so please watch this space for future details.

My 2023 pledge to you all is to bring simulation training to BSIN and to help develop a valuable learning hub and virtual learning environment for our members.

Following on from the successful joint meeting with BSS (British Scoliosis Society) in Edinburgh I have been in talks with BSS about this year’s meeting. Currently this is planned for November 2023 in Liverpool and our joint aim for this meeting is to create a multidisciplinary environment for intra-operative neurophysiology. We will be planning more joint sessions with all professional groups represented at the meeting along with our own specific BSIN sessions. If you are interested in contributing or volunteering, please let me know at chairbsin@gmail.com.

I am also interested in exploring a mentorship/coaching scheme for our members to support members new and experienced within our field, if you are interested in exploring this further, please get in touch.

Finally, I am keen we further develop our network with all our stakeholders which include education providers, other clinical professionals, professional body organizations and private practitioners and manufacturers to help standardize national practice. I would like to create a culture where research, clinical practice and innovation can be shared within our group through journal clubs, case-based discussions, and questions and answers and I am keen to hear your views and ideas with regards to this.

Thanks,

Michael Pridgeon, CSci.

Clinical and Chartered Scientist

BSIN Chair

chairbsin@gmail.com

www.bsin.org.uk