Hans-Christoph Diener is Professor of Neurology and Chairman of the Department of Neurology at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany. He is Chairman of the West-German Headache Centre, the Essen Pain Clinic and the outpatient rehabilitation unit (NETZ). He is Past President of the German Neurological Society, President of the European Headache Federation (EHF) and President Elect of the International Headache Society (IHS). Dr Diener also chairs the German Headache Consortium and the German Stroke Data Bank. His special research interests focus on headache, stroke and cerebellar physiology.