Cathy is the Director of Advanced Practice Professional Development at Children’s Mercy in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, with 20 years’ experience as a Pediatric Clinical Nurse Specialist in neurosurgery. She began her nursing career in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit where she became interested in neuroscience nursing. She enjoys sharing her passion for pediatric neuroscience with other nurses and is a frequent conference speaker on pediatric neuroscience topics at the national and international level. She is on the nurses’ planning committee for the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery, where she assists in developing programs to increase neurosurgery nursing knowledge world-wide. She loves meeting neuro nurses around the world! She is also a past president of the American Association of Neuroscience Nursing (AANN), co-editor of the three editions of the book Nursing Care of the Pediatric Neurosurgery Patient, co-editor of chapters in the AANN Core Curriculum, a member of the Journal of Neuroscience Nursing editorial board, and a Fellow in the American Academy of Nursing. In 2015 she was the recipient of the ANCC National Magnet Nurse of the Year award for exemplary professional practice. An advocate of lifelong learning, she received her Doctorate in Nursing from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in May 2020, 40 years after earning her Masters degree.

Linda is a Registered Nurse with nearly 25 years’ experience. She began her nursing career in aged and community care before moving to neurosurgery in 2008 working across general neurosurgery, high dependency and oncology. From 2012, Linda has worked for the University of Tasmania in an academic role and as Stream Coordinator for the Postgraduate Neuroscience Nursing Stream. Linda also has a passion for public health and is an Authorized Nurse Immunizer working as an independent practitioner and as part of previous pandemic responses (influenza H1N1) and now Covid-19. Linda has a passion for learning and holds a Clinical Masters in Neuroscience Nursing, Graduate Certificate in University Learning and Teaching, University of Tasmania, as well as postgraduate qualifications in Oncology and aged care nursing. Linda is currently completing her PhD in an epidemiological study of aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhages. Linda’s research field is epidemiologically focused on the determinants of health, rural vulnerability and translational research. Her international standing is growing and evidenced though her collaboration in a number of other projects across a range of fields. Her research experience is evidenced through her published manuscripts, with her ability to present work orally evidenced by her invited and keynote lectures and awarded conference presentations. Linda has been actively engaged as a committee member for the Australasian Neuroscience Nurses Association since 2010, fulfilling the role of Scientific Conference Convener from 2010-2016 and editor in chief of the Australasian Journal of Neuroscience (AJON) from 2016 to present.

Charmaine Arulvarathan is a Registered Nurse in Toronto, Canada with nearly 10 years of experience. The majority of her clinical experience has been in the adult population of neurosurgery and neurology with specialization in stroke, neurovascular surgeries and high acuity care. From 2012, she has worked for the University Health Network –ranked as the leading research hospital network in Canada. For the past 6 years, she has held the position of an Advanced Practice Nurse Educator within the Krembil Neuroscience Program. She is also a Neuroscience Educator within the Neuroscience Education Outreach Network (NEON) for Critical Care Services Ontario. Charmaine holds a Masters Degree in Nursing with a focus on Education and Health Policy. She is certified with the Canadian Nurses’ Association in Neuroscience Nursing and has previously held the post of Councillor of the Ontario Central Chapter of the Canadian Association of Neuroscience Nurses. She maintains a keen interest in research and authorship and is a certified instructor in Emergency Neurological Life Support (ENLS) with the Neurocritical Care Society.