About Us
Learn from dozens of world-leading migraine experts, doctors and specialists from around the world to help answer the most difficult questions for those with migraine.
About Us
The Migraine World Summit is an annual, free online event held each March. It offers patients and caregivers the chance to enhance their understanding of migraine and headache disorders by accessing insights from world-leading migraine experts, doctors, and specialists worldwide.
Our Mission
Our mission is to reduce the global burden of migraine. By providing access to top experts, we share valuable information that patients can discuss with their healthcare professionals to improve health and wellness. While the Migraine World Summit is not a replacement for medical advice, it empowers attendees to reduce their attacks and discover the best treatment and management plans for better health.
Our Impact
Watch short impact video here and read the full report using the link below.
Read our 10-Year Impact Report here >>
For 10 years, the Migraine World Summit has helped millions of people from more than 150 countries find answers to their questions. Through surveys of thousands of participants, we’ve been able to quantify our impact: 94% of participants feel more informed about migraine, 93% plan to take action after attending MWS, 60% reported a reduction in migraine days and disability, and 83% report feeling less alone in their journey with migraine. Additionally, 56% of survey respondents report a reduction in migraine days and, of those people, 9 out of 10 attribute their progress at least partly to the Migraine World Summit.
Event Highlights
Each year, 32 internationally recognized experts discuss a wide range of topics, from non-drug interventions and chronic migraine, to comorbidities and the latest on treatments and research. This guidance and information can significantly impact your headache or migraine condition and your quality of life.
Supporting Nonprofits
The Migraine World Summit is a socially driven organization partnering with and supporting nonprofits. While the Summit is free during the live event, we offer Access Passes with premium benefits. Up to 50% of the funds raised from these passes are directed to our migraine nonprofit partners, listed on our homepage. These organizations play a crucial role in funding migraine research, supporting, and advocating for those living with migraine or headache disorders.
To date, we’ve contributed over $180,000 USD to migraine and headache nonprofits, groups, and foundations. The support from individuals who purchase the Migraine World Summit each year helps sustain these donations. Importantly, we do not solicit donations or compete with other nonprofits for fundraising.
Trustworthy Information
By providing unprecedented access to many of the world’s top experts, we ensure you receive high-quality, trustworthy information. This knowledge can be discussed with your healthcare professional to improve your situation.
Hosts & Patient Advocates
Carl Cincinnato and Paula K. Dumas are both internationally recognized patient advocates, speakers and leaders in the field of migraine and headache. Over the last 10 years they have hosted and produced the Migraine World Summit. This year we also welcome Elizabeth DeStefano as an event co-host.
As patient advocates, they dedicate their time and expertise to raising awareness and advocating for people living with migraine and headache disease. Their efforts include lobbying governments for increased research and support, public speaking events, education and empowering others to understand and manage their condition.
There is a broader team of interviewers who research, plan and prepare interviews with the experts who feature on the Migraine World Summit. Meet all of our interviewers from this year on our Meet the Interviewer page.
Our Hosts
Co-host
Carl Cincinnato
Carl stopped taking his health for granted at an early age due to migraine. He has had migraine for 30 years. Over this time health has become central throughout his life and work. This includes working with some of the biggest health companies in the world.
Today, he works with several charities, foundations, and organizations, including Headache Australia, the Brain Foundation, the Coalition of Headache and Migraine Patients, the Global Patient Advocacy Coalition and the World Headache and Migraine Alliance. He is a member of the International Headache Society, he acts on several advisory councils and he also is the editor at MigrainePal.com and co-host for the Migraine World Summit.
Carl is a public and passionate patient advocate for migraine. He has spoken nationally and internationally about migraine and the need to increase research funding, reduce stigma, increase patient support and education.
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Co-host
Elizabeth DeStefano
Elizabeth has been a key member of the Migraine World Summit team since 2018, contributing across a variety of roles, including content editing, interviewing, production, and operations. Her expertise and dedication have been instrumental in shaping the Summit’s mission to empower and educate the migraine community.
Elizabeth joined Carl Cincinnato in 2025 as co-host for the Summit’s live webinars during premiere week, bringing her extensive experience and passion to the forefront. Her inspiring story, shared on her interviewer page video, has resonated with many attendees over the years.
Elizabeth’s journey with migraine began in childhood, fueling her commitment to improving the lives of others. She holds a Master of Public Health from George Washington University and dual Bachelor’s degrees in Science and Arts from Washington & Lee University. With a background in public health, nonprofit leadership, and professional education, she brings a wealth of knowledge and compassion to her work.
We’re thrilled to see Elizabeth expand her role as co-host, continuing the Summit’s tradition of service and dedication to the migraine community. Please join us in welcoming her to this new chapter!
View more/lessJoin Our Team
The annual Migraine World Summit draws 100,000 participants from more than 100 countries who tune in to learn from 32 world-leading experts. This year we received countless emails, messages, and social media comments sharing how the Summit opened up a world of hope and transformed lives.
This impact is only possible thanks to the generosity of our expert speakers and dedicated volunteers, who freely contribute their knowledge, time, and passion. We are deeply grateful to everyone who has been part of this journey.
Now, you have the opportunity to get involved in this life-changing work. We’re looking for a few capable, compassionate volunteers to join the team that helps bring this event to life each year.
Our roles are flexible, purpose-driven, and remote. By joining the team, you may gain new skills, friendships, and insights into better health while helping support others with migraine. It could also be a valuable stepping stone if you’re re-entering the workforce — or simply a meaningful way to empowerment on your own migraine journey.
Roles include:
The Social Media Team at the Migraine World Summit helps fulfill our mission by creating a welcoming, compassionate, and informed space across platforms like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok.
No advanced social media skills required!
View the full role description >>
- You are reliable and responsive in a team setting, while knowing you are supported by a team which understands the ups and downs of living with migraine and needing time for your health.
- You are open to feedback and enjoy being part of a collaborative environment.
- You have capacity to stay connected with the team during peak periods (flexibility offered when needed).
The Email Marketing Team plays a key role in supporting the Migraine World Summit year-round, with the workload varying based on time of the year.
View the full role description >>
- You love writing and reading; language and grammar come naturally to you.
- You have strong editing skills and enjoy the editing process.
- You can write clearly about migraine-related topics in an accessible, informative way.
The Articles team creates world-class and in-depth articles using the MWS library of transcripts.
View the full role description >>
- You are a talented writer who can express yourself clearly.
- You enjoy understanding and distilling (sometimes) complex topics into plain language.
- You work well independently and are self-driven. At the same time, you are happy to join team meetings and support others in the team by reviewing their work.
The Partnerships team works to connect with organizations and people outside of the traditional migraine advocacy space, including affiliated disease organizations, companies, and bloggers.
View the full role description >>
- You are excited about building connections with different communities
- You are patient and determined when facing a challenge and understand that successful outreach can take time, persistence, and multiple follow-up actions
- You enjoy online research
This role within the Partnerships team supporting the Migraine World Summit Affiliate Program will focus on work with companies, organizations, and bloggers that help make the Summit a success each year.
View the full role description >>
- You are excited about building connections with affiliates
- You are comfortable resolving technical issues
- You can work both independently and as part of a team
The Content Editing team ensures clarity and accuracy of MWS materials by reviewing written content, collaborating on cohesive interview footage, crafting concise summaries, and meeting deadlines to keep projects on track.
View the full role description >>
- You have a natural affinity for language and grammar as well as a keen eye for errors.
- You ask questions when something doesn’t make sense and work well with others.
- You are interested in learning and using new software and are comfortable working within deadlines to support project timelines.
Video Reviewers are part of the Content Editing team who help refine and elevate our expert interviews by carefully reviewing draft video recordings, identifying issues, and providing feedback to our editing team.
No technical video editing skills required!
View the full role description >>
- You are attentive to detail and able to focus on both visual and auditory elements of video content.
- You are comfortable providing constructive, clear, and respectful feedback.
- You are reliable in meeting review deadlines and communicating progress.
The Web Publishing team is comprised of detail-oriented volunteers with strong communication skills and a desire to learn. If you’re comfortable working with WordPress and web tools (no high-level coding required) and you’re passionate about supporting others, this role could be a great fit.
View the full role description >>
- You are confident using CMS platforms (WordPress or High-Level preferred) and visual page builders (Divi or Elementor preferred) to add new content, duplicate pages, and handle light troubleshooting
- You are proactive, independent, patient, and tech-savvy
- You are able to be helpful and responsive when assisting members with tech support
Apply Now
We recognize that life with migraine — or other health challenges — can make extra commitments difficult. If you feel that volunteering at this time could negatively affect your well-being, we completely understand and encourage you not to apply right now. Your health comes first, and you’re always welcome to reapply when you’re in a better place to contribute.
If you have the relevant skills and feel well enough to take part, we encourage you to apply or share this opportunity with someone who might be a good fit. Our volunteer roles are open globally and filled on a rolling basis — some immediately, others as needs arise. Thank you for your interest and your patience as we thoughtfully review all applications.
Click on the role(s) you are interested in, listed to the left, and complete the linked questionnaire to be considered for the Migraine World Summit team.
Join us in making a world of difference.
Join Us
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Free Access
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Expert Interviews
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User Discussion
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Register now to get free access to 8 expert interviews from the 2025 Summit
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