Post by Ahmed K Helmy

🧠 A year ago, the Neurodiversity Society at the University of Buckingham was just an idea. I founded the society because I felt strongly about raising awareness of neurodiversity in medicine and creating a space where students could feel understood, supported, and represented. I never imagined that within a year, that same vision would help contribute to a conference bringing together neurodiversity, psychiatry, and neurology. This weekend, seeing BrainConnect 2026 come to life at the University of Buckingham Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, alongside the Psychiatry Society and the Neurology & Neurosurgery Society, was one of the proudest moments of my time at medical school. To me, this conference represented something much bigger than lectures and workshops. It represented conversations around autism, dyslexia, ADHD, mental health, and the importance of understanding both our patients and our colleagues as individuals. I am incredibly grateful to my fellow presidents, Haneen Satti and Varunikha Anandan Sangeetha. It has been a pleasure working together over the past months to turn an idea into reality. A special thank you to my Neurodiversity Society committee, Abdelrahman Abdellatif Yazan Alistewani,Malik Ahrash and @Ashvin Bhangav . Thank you for believing in the vision of the society and for all of your hard work throughout the year. It has truly been a pleasure working alongside you, and I am incredibly proud of everything we have achieved together. A huge thank you as well to all of the committee members and executives across the three societies. Although I can't mention everyone individually, it has truly been a pleasure working alongside you all. I am incredibly proud of what we achieved together, and BrainConnect would not have been possible without everyone's hard work and dedication. We were also incredibly fortunate to be supported by outstanding speakers, workshop facilitators, judges, and faculty members. Thank you to Mr Farouk Olubajo, Dr Mohamed Morsy, Mr Alex Gibson, Mr Oyeleye Egunjobi, Dr Prince Deepak Okong'o, Dr Lois Hills, Sarah J Myhill , Dr Shazia Iqbal AI/VR/MR Iqbal, and Professor Nigel Adams for their generosity, support, and dedication to medical education. A special thank you to Dr Mitchell O., who unfortunately couldn't attend on the day but has supported and encouraged the Neurodiversity Society from the very beginning. As others take the reins in the future, I sincerely hope the Neurodiversity Society continues to grow and continues advocating for something that means so much to me. Here's to continuing the conversation around neurodiversity in medicine. 🧠💙 #BrainConnect2026 #Neurodiversity #MedicalEducation #Leadership #InclusiveHealthcare #UniversityOfBuckingham