About

The 17th International Subarachnoid Haemorrhage Conference (ISAH26) will take place in Sydney, Australia, November 2026.

Since its beginnings as the Vasospasm meeting, ISAH has evolved into the premier international forum dedicated to all aspects of subarachnoid haemorrhage and unruptured intracranial aneurysms. The conference now spans the full spectrum — from basic science and translational research through to aneurysm treatment, neurocritical care, neuromonitoring, rescue therapies, rehabilitation, and prevention.

ISAH26 will bring together a truly multidisciplinary community. Experts in neurosurgery, neurointerventional radiology, neurology, neurocritical care, rehabilitation, neuroscience, and nursing will meet to share insights and debate the latest advances. This convergence of perspectives makes ISAH unique: it is the one meeting where every discipline involved in SAH management comes together to tackle the challenges of this devastating disease.

What to expect

A high-level scientific program featuring international leaders and emerging voices.
Dedicated workshops and hands-on sessions to deepen learning.
Opportunities to explore the latest clinical trials, imaging techniques, monitoring technologies, and interventional advances.
A strong focus on collaboration and translation, ensuring new knowledge benefits both research and clinical practice.

Neurocritical Care Society

The ISAH conferences are organised in close collaboration with international societies, including the Neurocritical Care Society, to ensure broad representation and scientific excellence.

A Brief History of the ISAH meeting

The origins of the International Subarachnoid Haemorrhage Conference trace back to 1972, when Dr. Robert R. Smith, a neurosurgeon at the University of Mississippi, hosted the first ever meeting dedicated to cerebral vasospasm in Jackson, Mississippi. Known then as the International Conference on Cerebral Vasospasm (ICCV), the focus was on understanding vasospasm — a major complication of subarachnoid haemorrhage with devastating outcomes. This landmark gathering brought together leading experts from around the world, laying the foundation for a long tradition of international scientific collaboration.

Over the following decades, the meeting expanded in both scope and reach. Originally centred just on vasospasm, it grew to encompass all aspects of aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage, with a more modern understanding of the aetiology of the pathogenesis of delayed cerebral ischaemia, as well as covering unruptured intracranial aneurysms, from bench to bedside.

Reflecting this broader focus, the conference became known as ISAH.

In recent years, ISAH has continued to rotate across leading centres worldwide:

ISAH 2017 — Huntington Beach, California, USA
ISAH 2019 — Amsterdam, the Netherlands
ISAH 2023 — Durham, North Carolina, USA

Now entering its 17th iteration, ISAH26 in Sydney will continue this tradition, providing a multidisciplinary forum where neurosurgeons, neurointerventionalists, neurologists, intensivists, and scientists come together to advance research and care for subarachnoid haemorrhage.