Dec 3, 2024
We are pleased to announce that the programme for the ELASF 2025 in Prague is now live on our website. Our scientific committee has worked hard to develop a programme that is filled with the latest research and best practice, with the voices of people with lived experience at its heart.
Programme topics include secondary prevention, Stroke Action Plan for Europe, technological innovations, communication and quality of life for women after stroke.
Please click to view.
Oct 29, 2024
We are pleased to announce that we are relaunching our Stroke Prevention website on World Stroke Day 2024. It has had a complete overhaul and now includes the latest facts and research on how to protect your brain and prevent stroke.
You will find essential information on risk factors, along with practical steps individuals and governments can take to reduce stroke risk, preventing a first and any further strokes. The content is designed for everyone, written in simple, non-medical language.
Oct 29, 2024
PRESTIGE-AF, an EU Horizon 2020-funded project led by Imperial College London, explored whether stroke survivors with atrial fibrillation (a heart condition that causes an irregular heartbeat and raises your risk of a serious stroke) should receive blood-thinning medication. To make this complex research more understandable, the team created Escape the Clinic!, an innovative pop-up escape room designed to educate the public about clinical trials in an engaging and fun way.
The escape room, featured at 12 events across Europe from February 2023 to August 2024, including the European Life After Stroke Forum, had over 500 participants racing against the clock to enrol a patient in a clinical trial. Along the way, they learned about the importance of trials in advancing stroke care.
“We included Escape the Clinic! at the European Life After Stroke Forum in Dublin in March this year, and it was a great success. It drew in stroke survivors, academics and healthcare professionals to engage with stroke research in a really interesting way. By making complex research concepts more accessible, we could inspire more stroke survivors to take a more active role in shaping the future of their care,” said Arlene Wilkie, Director General of Stroke Alliance for Europe.
Learn more about the project and how to create similar activities by downloading the full case study.
PRESTIGE-AF has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 754517.
You can find more information about the research project here: https://www.prestige-af.org/
Oct 29, 2024
On World Stroke Day, we are bringing attention to two groundbreaking European stroke research projects. One of these, the ANGIE project, funded by the EU Horizon 2020 programme, focuses on an innovative approach to treating ischemic strokes—strokes caused by blood clots that block blood flow to the brain.
Current treatments, like the drug rtPA, dissolve clots but must be administered in large doses, increasing the risk of dangerous side effects. To address this, researchers, led by Principal Investigator Professor Salvador Panè, developed tiny dissolvable microrobots that can be guided through blood vessels using magnetic fields. These microrobots deliver the drug directly to the clot, making treatment more precise and reducing risks.
“This is a significant leap forward in targeted drug delivery,” said Professor Panè, while Arlene Wilkie, Director General of the Stroke Alliance for Europe, added, “We look forward to seeing this technology transform stroke care and improve patient outcomes.”
This breakthrough offers hope for more effective and safer stroke treatments, potentially improving recovery rates and reducing long-term complications.
The project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement number 952152.
More information can be found at www.h2020-angie.eu
Sep 23, 2024
We are delighted to let you know that the General Assembly in June elected Hariklia Proios as our President for a second term. Hrvoje Jurlina was elected as our new Vice President. Congratulations!
Read what their ambitions are for the coming years.
Hariklia Proios, SAFE President
What is your background?
I’ve spent the last 25 years of my life working to support people affected by stroke, something that has taken me across both the U.S. and Europe. My background is in speech-language, and I am a professor at the University of Macedonia and recently I am also at the CSD department at Adelphi University in New York.
The most rewarding part has been creating and running support groups wherever I go. It’s been such a privilege to work with people from all walks of life, helping them navigate the challenges that come with life after a stroke. I’ve also had the honour of serving as President of SAFE for the past three years. Working with our incredible team to advocate for stroke survivors has been a really rewarding experience.
What is your vision for the future of SAFE?
Looking ahead, my vision for SAFE is simple: I want to keep fighting for stroke survivors. My goal is to ensure that no matter where they live or what resources they have, every stroke survivor gets the care, support and respect they deserve. The disparities in stroke care across different European countries are heartbreaking – some places provide incredible support, while in others, people are left to navigate recovery on their own. That’s something I’m determined to work to change.
We have already made great strides towards this with our work on the Stroke Action Plan for Europe and our Life After Stroke Forum. In the next chapter, we need to build on this work with our member stroke support organisations, working together to deliver campaigns, advocacy, research and raising awareness.
Hrvoje Jurlina, SAFE Vice President
What is your background?
I am a doctor of Family Medicine at a Community Health Centre in Zagreb. My professional journey took a profound turn ten years ago when, at the age of 39, I experienced a stroke at work. That moment became a catalyst for my commitment to improving the needs of stroke survivors, as well as the needs of their families and caregivers.
Five years later, my father suffered a massive stroke and I became his primary caregiver until his passing ten months later. This experience reshaped my perspective on stroke, not just as a survivor, but as someone who intimately understands the emotional, physical and logistical challenges faced by caregivers.
I was recently appointed as Vice President of SAFE and serve as Second Vice President of the Croatian Stroke Society. These roles allow me to merge my personal experiences with my professional expertise, offering a unique, three-dimensional perspective on stroke care and advocacy.
What is your vision for the future of SAFE?
My vision for the future of SAFE is to continue being the strong voice for stroke survivors, advocating for improvements within healthcare systems to ensure comprehensive recovery. We aim to educate about care options and empower stroke survivors and their families by advocating for their rights. SAFE holds a unique position with our ability to unite all the key players, healthcare providers, social services, patient advocate groups, and the families of stroke survivors, into a coordinated and collaborative approach to post-stroke care. I believe that with continued advocacy and collaboration, we can create a healthcare environment that supports stroke survivors through every stage of recovery, offering them not just survival, but a meaningful quality of life.
