History of the European Stroke Organisation

Advancing stroke research, education, and collaboration across Europe

The European Stroke Organisation (ESO) is a pan-European society uniting stroke researchers, national and regional stroke societies, and lay organisations. Founded in December 2007 through the merger of the European Stroke Council (ESC) and the European Stroke Initiative (EUSI), ESO has continued to expand its role in promoting excellence in stroke care.

Following the decision at the 2010 General Assembly in Barcelona, ESO established its registry office in Switzerland and continued the legacy projects of its founding bodies while introducing new initiatives.

Milestones include co-hosting the ESO–Karolinska Stroke Update Conference in 2014, launching the annual European Stroke Organisation Conference (ESOC) in 2015, and founding the European Stroke Journal (ESJ) in 2016 as its official scientific publication. In 2020, ESO was accredited as a regional non-state actor not in official relations with the World Health Organization (WHO).

HISTORY