Preface to Clinical Neurosurgery Volume 70, Proceedings of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons 2023 Annual Meeting

The 2023 Annual Meeting of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons was held in Washington, DC, from September 9 to 13, 2023. Volume 70 of Clinical Neurosurgery represents the official compilation of the 2023 Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) Annual Meeting. This volume highlights the Honored Guest Lectures from Dr L. Nelson "Nick" Hopkins and Dr Douglas Kondziolka, as well as the 2023 CNS Presidential Address from Dr Elad I. Levy. In addition, you will find bibliographic information on the 2023 Honored Guests, Dr L. Nelson "Nick" Hopkins and Dr Douglas Kondziolka. The annual meeting leadership team included Dr Lola B. Chambless, Annual Meeting Chair; Dr Garni Barkhoudarian, Scientific Program Chair; and Dr Edjah K. Nduom, Vice Scientific Program Chair. This year's meeting, themed "Imagine, Innovate, Inspire," was embodied by the spirit of its leadership and participants. The meeting set a record for attendance and more importantly created a space for students, trainees, faculty and practice-based neurosurgeons, industry, and more to engage with content and each other. International attendance continued to increase, and members from around the world were greeted and welcomed at a special reception. The CNS was thrilled to partner with The Japanese Congress of Neurological Surgeons, Neurological Society of India, and the Brazilian Society of Neurosurgery. The scientific and lectureship content of this year's annual meeting succeeded in its aim to inspire and highlight imagination. We heard from the likes of entrepreneur Safi Bahcall, Astronaut Chris Cassidy, Martin Eberhard the founder of Tesla, and Justin Tuck a 2-time superbowl champion who dreamed big to later pursue a career in finance. A highlight of the guest speakers included a chat hosted by Drs. Lola B. Chambless and Martina Stippler with Amal Clooney, famous lawyer and Human Rights advocate. Notably, this marked the first ever lectureship named after a female neurosurgeon, Dr Dorothy Nash. Honored guest, Dr Hopkins, shared his experience in dreaming big and taking risks to make big impact. Dr Kondziolka helped us imagine a future of big data in neurosurgery. Scientific content also found ways to innovate including having the first scientific session dedicated to Healthcare Disparities and continuing popular new programming in Data Science. Not to mention, the countless podium talks, seminars, symposia, and sessions. This meeting was inspiring in many ways, and one of the biggest was its commitment to neurosurgeons as people, their wellness, and their inclusion. Outside of the lecture halls, this meeting hosted a popular CNS 5K with nearly 400 runners! The conference hosted the inaugural meeting of the Neurological Surgeons Pride Alliance. The Pride Alliance is an organization of LGBTQ+ neurosurgeons, neurosurgical trainees, and allies, with the mission of building community and advancing equity within the field. The organization was founded by Maddie Mendlen, fourth year medical student at the University of Colorado, and sponsored by Dr Lola Chambless, CNS 2023 Meeting Chair. In accordance with this year's theme of "imagine, innovate, and inspire," this event was the first of its kind to be hosted by CNS. The atmosphere was joyful as community from far and wide gathered to discuss a love of neurosurgery and meet fellow community members. It has been a pleasure and honor to serve as Editor of Clinical Neurosurgery this past year. I would like to thank the Congress of Neurological Surgeons staff and the staff at Neurosurgery Publications, particularly Brandon Fiedor, CNS Director of Publications. I would like to extend a special thank you to Dr Douglas Kondziolka, Editor-in-Chief, Neurosurgery Publications, for all his support and dedication to this volume. I welcome Dr Alexander A. Khalessi as the new President of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons and look forward to seeing you all in Houston, TX, in 2024.