Press Release – Migraine World Summit

The 10th Migraine World Summit is Almost Here

The world’s largest online migraine self-advocacy event will soon open its virtual doors—for free.

For the tenth year, Migraine World Summit will host more than 30 of the world’s leading experts on the widely misunderstood topic of migraine and headache. To date, more than 550,000 people worldwide have participated in the Migraine World Summit, and organizers expect more than 130,000 people will attend this year’s sessions starting March 20 at 3:00 pm Eastern Time (ET). All sessions are available free for a full 24 hours starting from 3:00 pm ET in every time zone globally after each presentation. The Summit concludes on March 27.

Carl Cincinnato and Elizabeth DeStefano lead a cast of patient advocates who interview top migraine experts from around the globe, all of whom are engaged in seeking solutions to one of the world’s most disabling conditions. Migraine is common and can be a debilitating disease that accumulates an enormous cost of more than $17 billion in the U.S. alone.¹ It can take a heavy toll on the individual with chronic pain, varying symptoms and distress. Those with frequent migraine are attacked on both physical and psychological fronts. 

 “The Summit provides the latest information about prevention and treatment to people with migraine so they can become informed and effective advocates for themselves,” said Migraine World Summit Founder, Carl Cincinnato. “Migraine is a painful neurological disease that is under-recognized and undertreated. It’s much more than ‘just a headache.’”

Event co-host, Elizabeth DeStefano, expands on the Migraine World Summit’s purpose: “Despite the prevalence and disability of migraine, far too few people have access to specialists who have the latest information about the condition. Our goal is to reduce the global burden of this disease by offering access to experts who provide that information. With information comes empowerment so more and more people with migraine can get the support and treatment they need and deserve.”

This year’s Summit includes renowned experts from academic research centers such as Mayo Clinic, Weill Cornell Medicine and MedStar Georgetown Headache Center. The expert interviews cover a range of topics including the latest on migraine medications, research in progress, complementary and alternative approaches, gut health’s connection to migraine, treatment risks, exercise and GLP-1 options, brain training and more.  

Proceeds benefit migraine research and support around the world with organizations such as the American Migraine Foundation, National Headache Foundation, Migraine & Headache Australia, and The Migraine Trust 

Participation in the eight-day Migraine World Summit is free and online from March 20-27, 2025, and available to order thereafter. To register, go to MigraineWorldSummit.com.

Our Impact 

For the past decade, the Migraine World Summit has been on a mission to reduce the global burden of migraine—and thanks to our incredible community of experts, volunteers, partners and participants, we’ve made a real difference.

Our biggest milestone yet: Together, we’ve helped prevent 1.6 million migraine days—empowering individuals with expert knowledge and support to improve their quality of life.

Our 10-Year Anniversary Impact Report highlights the impact MWS has had within the migraine community, including:

✅ 94% of participants feel more informed about migraine.

✅ 93% of participants plan to take action after attending MWS.

✅ 83% of participants report feeling less alone in their journey with migraine.

✅ 56% of survey respondents report a reduction in migraine days. Of those people, 9 out of 10 attribute their progress at least partly to MWS. 

Read the Full 10-Year Impact Report Here >>

About Migraine

Migraine is a debilitating and painful neurological disease that is under-recognized, undertreated and frequently misunderstood as “just a headache.” Despite 1 in 7 people living with this incapacitating condition worldwide,² finding access to qualified healthcare professionals can be difficult. In addition, because migraine is so often misunderstood, there is stigma associated with publicly admitting to having the disease, especially in professional settings where it can be perceived to compromise work performance.

About Migraine World Summit

The mission of the Migraine World Summit is to reduce the global burden of migraine through education and fundraising. Each year, patient advocates Carl Cincinnato, Elizabeth DeStefano and other advocates interview more than 30 leading migraine experts, doctors and specialists from around the world to provide free, unprecedented access to the latest science in migraine and answer the most difficult questions for patients in desperate need of relief. To date, more than 550,000 people have participated in the Migraine World Summit to discover how to better manage the disease.

Each year, topics voted on by the Migraine World Summit community are explored through in-depth interviews with leaders in the field and their areas of focus. More than 30 experts each year share the knowledge they’ve accumulated through research, clinical practice and experience – professionally and, sometimes, personally. Through this extensive collaboration between experts and advocates, the Migraine World Summit is able to bring critical, expert information to the many people who would otherwise be unable to access such comprehensive support.

Proceeds help benefit migraine research and support through organizations like American Migraine Foundation, Migraine Research Foundation, Migraine & Headache Australia and the National Headache Foundation.

Participation in the 8-day Migraine World Summit is free and online from March 20-27, 2025, and available to order thereafter. To register, go to MigraineWorldSummit.com.

Media Contact

For media inquiries, please utilize the Chat button at the bottom of the screen.

1) Goldberg, Lawrence D. The Cost of Migraine and Its Treatment. Am J Manag Care. 2005;11:S62-S67
2) Steiner TJ et al. Migraine: the seventh disabler. The Journal of Headache and Pain 2013, 14:1.

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