The Malaysian Society of Neuroanaesthesiology and Neurocritical Care (MSNACC) successfully organised the prestigious biennial 7th Neuroanaesthesia Symposium 2025 (NAS 2025) at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC), Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, from May 16 to 18, 2025 (Friday to Sunday). The 2.5-day event was attended by 265 participants, including 47 foreign delegates from the United Kingdom, USA, Australia, UAE, Hong Kong, China, Philippines, Canada, Indonesia, Singapore, Brunei, Thailand, Egypt, and India.

This marked the first NAS held in Kota Kinabalu, led by the state’s sole consultant neuroanaesthesiologist and senior lecturer from Universiti Malaysia Sabah, Dr Yeap Boon Tat.

Opening Day Highlights – May 16, 2025

The symposium commenced at 8:15 AM in Sipadan 2 Hall, SICC, with the first plenary titled “Intraoperative EEG: The Basics, the Problems and the Future” by Associate Professor Dr Paul Garcia (USA), moderated by Dr Zarina Abu Kasim (Hospital Kuala Lumpur).

The opening ceremony followed, beginning with an Islamic recitation by Dr Mohd Faizal bin Mohd Hashim (Hospital Queen Elizabeth). Dr Yeap Boon Tat, in his welcome speech, expressed gratitude to global neuroanaesthesia societies such as SNACC, Neuro Anaesthesia & Critical Care Society (NACCS) UK, and Asian Society for Neuroanesthesia and Critical Care (ASNACC) for their support. He thanked MSNACC President Dr Peter Tan for his role in securing renowned international speakers.

Figure 1. Officiation of NAS 2025 by Assoc Prof Dr Geraldine Jose.

Professor Dr Ines Koerner, President of SNACC, gave her address emphasizing international collaboration in Neuroanaesthesiology and invited delegates to Portland, USA. Dr Gemma Nickols, Honorary Secretary of NACCS UK, congratulated MSNACC on hosting its first NAS in Kota Kinabalu. She shared her personal experience of having successfully hiked Mount Kinabalu. Dr Geraldine Jose, President of ASNACC, also commended the organizing committee, emphasized continued collaboration, and ceremonially struck the traditional gong three times to officiate the event. This was followed by a traditional dance performance, sponsored by the Sabah Convention Bureau (SCB).

Figure 2. Presentation of souvenir to Prof Dr Ines Koerner (SNACC) and Dr Gemma Nickols (NACCS, UK)

At 10 AM, the symposium resumed with Plenary 2 by Dr Gemma Nickols on “NAP 7: Perioperative Cardiac Arrest and Implications for Neuroscience”, followed by various symposia and lunch talks.

From 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM, oral and poster presentation sessions were held in Kadamaian Room and Sipadan 1, respectively.

• Best oral presentation was awarded to Dr Shilpi Awasthi (India)
• Best poster presentation went to Dr Alwyn Lee Chee Yuan (Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia)

Day 2 – May 17, 2025

Day 2 began at 8 AM with Plenary 3 delivered by Dr Geraldine Jose titled “Functional Neurosurgery and Its Impacts on Anesthesia Delivery”, followed by Dr Ines Koerner’s plenary.

A memorable drone photo session of all delegates, speakers, and sponsors was held in the open space on Level 3 of the SICC.

At 7:30 PM, a faculty dinner was hosted at Hyatt Centric Hotel, Kota Kinabalu, attended by 15 foreign speakers and local committee members. A 10-course Chinese dinner was served, and the evening concluded by 9:30 PM.

Final Day – May 18, 2025

The final day opened at 8:30 AM with a plenary by Dr Matthew Wiles (UK), followed by Associate Professor Dr Alana Flexman’s plenary titled “Value-Based Care in Neuroanaesthesia Practice: The Time Has Come”. The event concluded at 2 PM, with a closing speech by Dr Cheah Siew Lean, Co-Chairperson of NAS 2025. She expressed gratitude to the organizing committee, delegates, sponsors, Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau, SCB, and SICC. 36 lucky draw winners received gifts courtesy of local hotels and MSNACC.

Figure 3. Group photo on Day 1 during the officiating ceremony and the SNACC and NACCS, UK Panel Session (from left to right: Associate Professor Dr Alexander Papangelou, Associate Professor Dr Jason Chui, Dr Audrey Tan & Dr Joseph Sebastian)

Additional Highlights

Over the 2.5 days:

• Delegates visited booths hosted by 21 multinational biomedical companies
• Hands-on sessions were held for new medical devices like laryngoscopes and fibrescopes
• There were discussions on medico-legal responsibilities in modern medical practice

A Milestone for MSNACC

NAS 2025 recorded the highest-ever attendance in NAS history with 337 participants including staff and sponsors, supported by 30 local and international sponsors. It featured 15 international faculty members from SNACC, NACCS UK, and ASNACC, who contributed to 6 plenaries, 25 symposium lectures, and 2 lunch talks. Notably, two international speakers also climbed Mount Kinabalu, enjoying the beauty of Sabah’s natural landscape.

Looking Ahead

MSNACC looks forward to welcoming even more delegates to the 8th NAS 2027, which will be held in conjunction with the 9th Congress of the Asian Society for Neuroanaesthesia & Critical Care (ASNACC 2027) from May 7–9, 2027, in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. https://asnacc2027.org/