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President Message Archive
May 2026
Dear friends,
Welcome NNS members and affiliates to Spring of 2026! We look forward to seeing all of you at the upcoming 43rd NNS symposium, “Brainstorming for Breakthroughs,” running from June 14-17, 2026, in Milwaukee, WI. It will be held at the Baird Convention Center.
The 2026 symposium program is now set and is available online: https://www.neurotrauma-symposium.org/scientific-program/ . We want to again thank the Society members who submitted session proposals for this year’s meeting, as well as the program committee for their dedication in assembling an exciting and diverse program. Special thanks to planning committee co-chairs, Drs. Gene Gurkoff and Isobel Scarisbrick for their hard work in setting up the program.
As always, the program will allow ample time for reconnecting, networking and poster viewing. We also remain dedicated to providing mentoring activities as well as patient and caregiver outreach efforts. This annual gathering is a celebration of our unique multidisciplinary collaborations that rapidly advance the understanding of CNS injuries and provide new approaches for the care of individuals with traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries.
We would also like to congratulate the trainees selected as part of this year’s Top 20 abstracts. We look forward to seeing their posters and Data Blitz presentations at the meeting. Our trainees represent the future of the neurotrauma field, and we encourage all members to attend these sessions, engage with the presenters, and continue supporting the next generation of investigators.
Prior to the symposium, on Saturday June13th, there will be a special advocacy event at the conference site. We thank the advocacy committee, chaired by Grace Griesbach, for their extensive effort in this patient and caregiver outreach event.
We wish to thank those who joined the Neurotrauma Virtual 5K fundraiser and congratulations to the winners.
This year, we have invited four dynamic and motivational speakers for our keynote sessions. These include lived-experience stakeholders, Scott Hamilton, who will speak on Resilience and Recovery after TBI, and Jason Stoffer on Advocacy for SCI research. In addition, our scientific keynote speakers include the esteemed Profs. Willie Stewart, who will provide perspective on TBI and tau pathology and Phillip Popovich, who will address autonomic circuit repair in SCI.
Finally, as always, if any of you would like to be involved in NNS committees or other activities, please reach out and let us know. We are growing and your participation not only helps the Society, but it is also certain to be fulfilling for you as well.
Looking forward to spending time with all of you at the June symposium!
Douglas H. Smith, MD
President, The National Neurotrauma Society
September 2025
Dear friends and colleagues,
As the current President of the National Neurotrauma Society (NNS), I would like to thank our immediate past NNS President, Gene Gurkoff, for his steadfast stewardship of the society through very challenging times. Indeed, we were very concerned that the 42nd NNS Symposium in Philadelphia this past June would be poorly attended due to multiple sudden travel and financial concerns across the NNS membership. However, through no small effort by our dedicated program committee, the symposium was a huge success, with attendance only slightly lower than last year. Program Committee chairs, Audrey Lafrenaye and Adam Ferguson were quintessential hosts of the engaging meeting. They were supported by council members, multiple committees and our partners at International Conference Services, who deserve our heartfelt thanks. The amount of volunteer service performed by our membership is truly astounding and demonstrates our collective dedication to the NNS mission.
For our 2025 Society Award Winners and Poster Award Winners, I would like to congratulate and thank you for your ongoing contributions to the Society and beyond. This past meeting was also the first to hold a special session where Society Award winners presented their research. This well attended session was very touching and impactful, so we plan on having it again this coming symposium. Please consider worthy individuals to nominate for next year’s awards and follow the instructions on the NNS website to submit your choices.
Please mark your calendars for the 43rd Annual National Neurotrauma Society Symposium, to be held in Milwaukee, WI, from June 14–17, 2026, at the Baird Center. As in previous years, the NNS will co-host this meeting with the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/CNS Joint Section on Neurotrauma & Critical Care. Our theme this year is “Brainstorming for Breakthrough.” Milwaukee, also known as “Brew City”, is an ideal city for my favorite part of our symposia, the social gatherings at the end of each day. I look forward to ‘brainstorming’ over a beer or other beverage with you and whipping up new ideas and collaborations during the meeting.
For symposium session ideas, the Session Proposal Submission portal will be open October 1 – November 8. We encourage all our members to submit exciting and timely themes. Our multidisciplinary program committee, representing all career stages, will carefully consider each submission. They are committed to deliver a bold program that highlights the most exciting developments in our field and fosters collaborations.
I look forward to seeing everyone storm Milwaukee next June, where swirling discourse will lead to breakthroughs!
Douglas H. Smith, MD
President, The National Neurotrauma Society
February 2026
Dear friends,
Welcome to 2026! While many unusual struggles in biomedical research remain, recent good news about government grant support represents a great, refreshing and hopeful start for the year. Although 2025 had its unique challenges for scientists, the collective experience has brought a great sense of community and fellowship amongst the members of the National Neurotrauma Society (NNS).
Looking forward to warmer weather, we would like you to mark your calendars for upcoming 43rd NNS symposium, “Brainstorming for Breakthroughs”, running from June 14-17, 2026, in Milwaukee, WI. As is custom, we are joined by American Association of Neurological Surgeons/CNS Joint Section on Neurotrauma & Critical Care. As opposed to a hotel venue, due to our growth in recent years, we will hold the symposium at a convention center, The Baird Center.
The 2026 symposium is designed to be highly engaging, with an exciting program and ample time for intermingling, networking and poster viewing. Of course, we include our dedicated mentoring activities as well as patient and caregiver outreach efforts. Session topics will address novel technological advancements to groundbreaking therapeutic strategies that are certain to stimulate thoughtful discussions. This annual gathering is not just a platform to showcase exciting discoveries by NNS members, but also to celebrate our unique multidisciplinary collaborations that rapidly advance the understanding of CNS injuries and provide new opportunities to enhance the care of individuals with traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries.
We want to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the Society members who submitted session proposals for this year’s meeting as well as the program committee for their dedication in assembling an exciting and diverse program. In particular, we thank 2026 planning committee co-chairs, Drs. Gene Gurkoff and Isobel Scarisbrick for their ongoing refinements that will ensure the success of the symposium.
Finally, if any of you would like to be involved in NNS committees or other activities, please reach out and let us know. We are growing and your participation not only helps the society, it is also certain to be fulfilling for you as well.
Looking forward to our annual ‘reunion’ at the June symposium!
Douglas H. Smith, MD
President, The National Neurotrauma Society
September 2025
Dear friends and colleagues,
As the current President of the National Neurotrauma Society (NNS), I would like to thank our immediate past NNS President, Gene Gurkoff, for his steadfast stewardship of the society through very challenging times. Indeed, we were very concerned that the 42nd NNS Symposium in Philadelphia this past June would be poorly attended due to multiple sudden travel and financial concerns across the NNS membership. However, through no small effort by our dedicated program committee, the symposium was a huge success, with attendance only slightly lower than last year. Program Committee chairs, Audrey Lafrenaye and Adam Ferguson were quintessential hosts of the engaging meeting. They were supported by council members, multiple committees and our partners at International Conference Services, who deserve our heartfelt thanks. The amount of volunteer service performed by our membership is truly astounding and demonstrates our collective dedication to the NNS mission.
For our 2025 Society Award Winners and Poster Award Winners, I would like to congratulate and thank you for your ongoing contributions to the Society and beyond. This past meeting was also the first to hold a special session where Society Award winners presented their research. This well attended session was very touching and impactful, so we plan on having it again this coming symposium. Please consider worthy individuals to nominate for next year’s awards and follow the instructions on the NNS website to submit your choices.
Please mark your calendars for the 43rd Annual National Neurotrauma Society Symposium, to be held in Milwaukee, WI, from June 14–17, 2026, at the Baird Center. As in previous years, the NNS will co-host this meeting with the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/CNS Joint Section on Neurotrauma & Critical Care. Our theme this year is “Brainstorming for Breakthrough.” Milwaukee, also known as “Brew City”, is an ideal city for my favorite part of our symposia, the social gatherings at the end of each day. I look forward to ‘brainstorming’ over a beer or other beverage with you and whipping up new ideas and collaborations during the meeting.
For symposium session ideas, the Session Proposal Submission portal will be open October 1 – November 8. We encourage all our members to submit exciting and timely themes. Our multidisciplinary program committee, representing all career stages, will carefully consider each submission. They are committed to deliver a bold program that highlights the most exciting developments in our field and fosters collaborations.
I look forward to seeing everyone storm Milwaukee next June, where swirling discourse will lead to breakthroughs!
Douglas H. Smith, MD
President, The National Neurotrauma Society
April 2025
I hope that everyone is having a productive spring, that the weather is improving, that you are enjoying the extra hours of sunlight, and that your excitement for NNS 2025 in Philadelphia, PA, is growing each and every day!
I feel that it is critically important at this time to remember our mission. The National Neurotrauma Society is committed to the promotion of spinal cord and traumatic brain injury research, with the goal of identifying critical targets for therapeutic intervention and then leveraging that knowledge to develop innovative strategies to improve the quality of life for millions of patients and ease the $400 billion annual burden that neurotrauma inflicts on the global economy. We also strive to train the next generation of neurotrauma researchers, passionate scientists, clinicians, and entrepreneurs to continue fueling progress. This has been and will always be our goal!
Our membership includes not only basic science researchers, but also clinicians, healthcare providers, businesses in the health sciences and technology space, as well as entrepreneurs. Research is conducted not only in the academic setting but also within governmental organizations, not-for-profits, and private industry. Our membership comes from across the United States and includes a highly diverse group of individuals representing a range of career stages, a spectrum of research interests and expertise, members from most states and from around the world, men and women, people of all races, religions, and ethnicities, as well as individuals with disabilities. Our strength in research comes from our variety of experiences and expertise!
There have been many proposed changes to the way we support research in the United States since the start of January 2025, and there continues to be a great deal of uncertainty. Several fundamental changes to the biomedical science business model have been suggested, and the proposed timelines to adjust to the new guidance have been minimal. Many of the planned changes, for example the termination of CDMRP funding for the TBI-PHRP, would have significant and immediate effects on scientists and clinicians in the field of neurotrauma, slowing ongoing research, reducing support for future research and therefore necessarily negatively impacting patients with spinal cord and traumatic brain injury and their families. While change can be beneficial, and we should all be open to new opportunities, it is essential for our community to continue to advocate for patients with TBI and SCI, and for the research that is needed to improve their long-term outcomes. It is critical to these individuals that we do not give up, but instead continue our research with as much energy and rigor as ever.
The National Neurotrauma Society strongly advocates for a thoughtful discussion about how to improve the field of biomedical sciences in a way that accelerates new discoveries and the translation of exciting new research findings from the bench-to-the-bedside. We also echo many of the other voices from the biomedical science community that many of the proposed changes, and the uncertainty in general, jeopardize our ability to hasten discovery and would be devastating to those patients and their families who are trying their best to manage spinal cord and traumatic brain injury each and every day.
As President of the Society, I want you to know that I am listening to all the comments that I receive from our membership. I want to reassure you that NNS leadership continues to meet and discuss the current challenges facing TBI and SCI research specifically, and biomedical research more broadly. I also want to assure you that the Program at our Annual Meeting has not been compromised. We will continue to present our highly rigorous and exciting work and provide an opportunity for our trainees to grow within the Society. What we are doing with our careers is important. And it is critical that in challenging times we support each other to ensure that the research continues.
Please do not hesitate to reach out to me or any of the NNS Executive Committee or Council with questions and concerns. We were elected to be responsive to the membership, and we take our responsibilities seriously.
I look forward to seeing everyone in Philadelphia in June. The meeting is still on. We are going to be presenting great science. There will be opportunities for new and continued collaboration. And I know that I, for one, will be having an amazing time celebrating Neurotrauma Research with old and new colleagues alike.
Gene G Gurkoff, PhD
President, The National Neurotrauma Society
January 2025
I hope everyone had a happy holiday season and welcome to 2025! The National Neurotrauma Society continues to thrive, and we continue to build for the future!
As we transition into 2025, we want you all to put the upcoming 42nd Annual National Neurotrauma Society (NNS) Symposium on your calendar. The meeting will be held in Philadelphia, PA at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown , on June 15–18, 2025. Co-hosted with the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/CNS Joint Section on Neurotrauma & Critical Care, our theme for 2025 is “Ringing in Collaboration.”
The 2025 Symposium will feature an exciting program that highlights cutting-edge clinical and translational research, showcasing how collaboration fuels innovation in the field of Neurotrauma. From novel technological advancements to groundbreaking therapeutic strategies, the meeting will provide a unique opportunity to share impactful science while fostering partnerships among researchers, clinicians, and trainees. This gathering is not just a platform for great science but also a celebration of the collective efforts that advance the care of patients with traumatic brain and spinal cord injuries.
We wanted to give a big thank you to the Society members who submitted session proposals for this year’s meeting. With ~60 submissions, the program committee was able to assemble an exciting and diverse lineup that promises to inspire, inform, and engage. Thank you for your invaluable contributions to making this meeting a success! And we are especially grateful for the work of the 2025 planning committee! Co-led by chairs Audrey Lafrenaye and Adam Ferguson, the dedication and expertise demonstrated by this group of individuals has been instrumental in shaping this year’s program.
As we close out another year of progress and collaboration, we want to take this opportunity to express our heartfelt gratitude to all our members, colleagues, and partners. In particular, we want to give a huge round of virtual applause to all of our volunteers, ranging in career stage from graduate student all the way through emeritus faculty. Your dedication to advancing the field of Neurotrauma and improving outcomes for patients with brain and spinal cord injuries continues to inspire and drive innovation. If you haven’t been involved yet, and want to be, please reach out and let us know. As a growing and thriving society, there is always work to be done!
We look forward to seeing you in Philadelphia in 2025 for what promises to be a dynamic and rewarding event. Until then, wishing you all a joyful holiday season and a healthy, prosperous New Year!
Gene G Gurkoff, PhD
President, National Neurotrauma Society
August 2024
As we kick off the 2024-2025 academic year, I wanted to start my first newsletter as NNS President thanking the Neurotrauma Society membership for an amazing 2023-2024! Our 2024 Society President, Adam Ferguson, and Program Committee Chair, Kim Byrnes, did an amazing job organizing and hosting the 41st annual National Neurotrauma Society Symposium in San Francisco this past June. They were supported by members of Society Leadership, many committees and our partners at International Conference Services – too many people to thank by name. Truly, the amount of service performed by our membership is astounding and, for those of you who have donated so much of your time, we cannot thank you enough!!
Before getting to the 2025 Conference, which I am excited to talk about, I wanted to recognize our 2024 Society Award Winners and Poster Award Winners (see more highlights below). Congratulations and thank you for the contributions you have made, and for those you will continue to make, to the Neurotrauma Society. I also want to use this space to announce a new award that will be offered for the first time in 2025. The Dash Award, generously started by our long-time colleague Dr. Pramod Dash, will recognize any investigator who has made a significant contribution to the field of Neurotrauma. Moreover, for the first time in 2025 we will have a special session where 2025 Society Award winners are asked to present their research to the Society. Please look for nominations for these awards coming this fall!
Moving on to 2025, our theme for the 42nd Annual National Neurotrauma Symposium is “Ringing in Collaboration” which will be hosted at the Philadelphia Marriott Downtown June 15-18, 2025. When I think of Philadelphia, I think of our Founders, each with a unique background and expertise, coming together to create the United States Constitution. These individuals needed to work together, listening to one another, compromising, and sharing, to make the achievement possible. In my over 20 years as part of the Neurotrauma Society I have always marveled at our Members willingness to work together to address two of the most challenging neurological disorders: traumatic brain and spinal cord injury. We are a Society who supports each other, and particularly our trainees, as we have a shared goal of improving the quality-of-life for those patients who have experienced Neurotrauma. In 2025, we will continue to highlight all of the exciting research from our membership, the novel technological advancements, advances in our understanding of mechanisms and potential treatment paradigms – but with a nod toward how we have worked together to make these findings possible.
We have assembled a fantastic group of program committee members and volunteers, representing a wide range of expertise in preclinical and clinical research in brain and spinal cord trauma, as well as a wealth of diversity in career stages and backgrounds. This committee is well suited to provide a fresh and compelling program across a wide spectrum of research areas.The Session Proposal Submission portal will be open October 1 – November 8. We encourage all our members, even the most junior, to submit a session. This conference is designed for you!
In addition to cutting edge science, we will also offer numerous opportunities for networking, scientific exchange, advocacy, and training of our junior scientists and clinicians. We are continuing to build on programs that were successful in previous years, such as the Mentor:Mentee session, multiple workshops and our exciting local scholars program. We’re excited to have these opportunities available for our attendees, and we hope to see everyone take advantage of the diverse range of programming that the 2025 meeting will bring. We look forward to seeing everyone in Philadelphia!
Gene G Gurkoff, PhD
President, National Neurotrauma Society
March 2024
It is our distinct pleasure to invite you to attend the 41st annual National Neurotrauma Society (NNS) Symposium, to be held in San Francisco, CA on June 9–12th, 2024, at the San Francisco Hilton Union Square. As in previous years, the NNS will co-host this meeting with the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/CNS Joint Section on Neurotrauma & Critical Care. Our theme this year is “Future Classics of Neurotrauma”. As we move past our first 40 years of neurotrauma research, we hope that you will take this meeting as an opportunity to look at the breakthroughs in technology and science that will become the landmarks of future neurotrauma work.
Holding this meeting in San Francisco, a major hub of technology advancement, NNS will emphasize the great strides that the field has made using novel technologies to better approach diagnosis, treatment,and rehabilitation for brain and spinal cord injury. The planning committee has recruited 4 fantastic keynote speakers covering neurotrauma from both a scientific and lived experience perspective. I’m excited to announce that SCI keynote speakers include Monica Perez (scientific) and Chris Barr (lived experience); and TBI keynote speakers include Kristen Dams-O’Connor (scientific) and Jamie MoCrazy (lived experience). In addition, we have confirmed a number of platforms, workshops, and symposia for the meeting. The full program is available at: https://www.neurotrauma-symposium.org/program-at-a-glance/.
The abstract submission site for posters and data blitz presentations is open now!The deadline for abstracts is March 15, 2024.
I’m excited to report that NNS received an NIH R13 award, as well as commitments from several non-profits, and biotech partners that will help support trainee awards. We encourage trainees to apply for these awards when you submit abstracts.
In addition to cutting edge science, NNS 2024 will offer numerous opportunities for networking, scientific exchange, advocacy, and training of our junior scientists and clinicians. Satellite events are being planned for major neurotrauma initiatives including the federal common data elements efforts (CDEs), the PRECISE-TBI initiative, among others. We are continuing to build on programs that were successful in previous years, such as the Local Scholars Program and multiple mentoring activities. We’re excited to have these opportunities available for our attendees, and we hope to see everyone take advantage of the diverse range of programming that the 2024 meeting will bring. We look forward to seeing everyone in San Francisco!
Adam R. Ferguson, PhD
President, National Neurotrauma Society
May 2023
Dear NNS Members,
It’s almost time for NNS 2023! As my time as president comes to a close and we finalize plans for the meeting, now is a great time reflect on the year that we’ve had and what we have to look forward to.
In case you’ve forgotten, this year has been largely dedicated to getting our new Strategic Plan rolling. The plan was finished in the summer of 2022, under the direction of our past president, Dr. Courtney Robertson. The plan was published on our website in our members resources section (https://www.neurotrauma.org/Members-resources) and includes 13 goals in 5 broad categories to help us move forward toward our priorities of training and mentoring the next generation, growing the society, increasing awareness of NNS, increasing clinical and research discipline engagement, and fostering industry collaboration. I’m happy to report that we have made strong progress on many of our goals:
1. Training and mentoring the next generation of neurotrauma specialists:
a. We’ve started the process of applying for a diversity award from NIH to fund a new diversity VISA in 2024.
b. Our Publications Committee, under the guidance of Drs. Bridgette Semple and David Wright made impressive moves toward increasing trainee publications in our associated journals (Journal of Neurotrauma and Neurotrauma Reports – look for an announcement at NNS 2023!).
c. Our TEAM, Membership, Publication, and Advocacy Committees together with the president’s office held an impressive 6 virtual roundtables since Fall of 2023 on a variety of topics to increase engagement and worth to our members.
2. Grow the society
a. The By-Laws and Policy Committee have written and are vetting a new DEI statement for the society.
b. We’ve increased our collaborations with similarly minded organizations, like the North American Spine Society and the North American Clinical Trials Network, who we collaborated with to create the Robert Grossman Symposium on the Current Management of SCI for our 2023 meeting, with the goal to increase our representation in the SCI field.
3. Increase awareness of NNS
a. Our Finance Committee, particularly Drs. David Loane and Audrey Lafrenaye, worked hard to create a store to sell NNS branded items and increase our visibility: https://national-neurotrauma-society.creator-spring.com/.
b. Our Advocacy Committee, under the leadership of Dr. Grace Griesbach, has led us onto the steering committee of the Concussion Awareness Now (CAN) Campaign, to bring awareness to rapid diagnosis and care for concussions.
Now as we look forward to what is next, we’re very excited for our 2023 Symposium, which is right around the corner! Co-chairs Drs. Courtney Robertson and Linda Noble with the program committee have planned an exceptional event packed full of great science, great speakers, and great opportunities to network and connect at the Marriott Austin Downtown in Austin, TX, from June 25-28th. Sessions on the gut microbiome, epigenomics, cell therapy for SCI, and updating the TBI classification system, among many others, are planned for the meeting. Not to mention a number of workshops, poster receptions, and social events! The AANS pre-meeting will happen on Sunday, leading up to our Welcome Reception at 6pm on Sunday – I hope you come by to say hello!
This year, we’ll also have an NNS booth at the meeting, which will serve as a great spot to find out about membership, volunteer opportunities with our various committees, see some of the products available at the online store, and meet our officers and councilors. If this will be your first meeting, stop by for a first-time meeting gift!
Finally, our gala dinner and award ceremony are scheduled on Tuesday evening – if you haven’t purchased your tickets yet, get them! This is a wonderful opportunity to recognize our amazing trainees and junior members for their fantastic science, and to socialize with your fellow meeting attendees. And following in the tradition of 2022, the post-gala party will feature karaoke!
I would like to close by once again thanking all the NNS members for their ongoing support of the Society. I’ve had a wonderful time working as your society president, and I hope that the processes and activities the officers, councilors and I have put in place will make a lasting positive change in this society. I deeply appreciate the chance to be involved at this level, and I very much look forward to what NNS can do moving forward. I’m excited to see what the NNS Councilors and Officers and the ICS team, will have to offer in 2024.
Best wishes
Kimberly Byrnes
February 2023
Dear NNS Members
Happy New Year! As we pass our holiday season and embark on 2023, we have a number of exciting activities upcoming for our NNS members leading up to our 2023 meeting in Austin!
Our 2023 Virtual Roundtables are off to a great start. We had our first Presidential Roundtable on January 19th, discussing the new NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy from the NIH. The recording of this session is now available in the Members Only section of the Neurotrauma.org website, and features presentations and discussion from Drs. Lyn Jakeman, Nsini Umoh and Hibah Awwad of NIH, Cassie Myers of Drexel University, and Adam Ferguson, Abel Torres and Russel Huie of UCSF, speaking on the policy and how universities and individual researchers are responding to it. A lot of great resources, including NIH templates for the new Data Management Plan, and links to tutorials on how to upload data to some online repositories, are included. The roundtable had a great discussion from NNS members, and drew 55 participants. I am very grateful for our panelists, and I hope the NNS members found it useful!
Our next Roundtable, “I Have a PhD, Now What?”, is scheduled for February and will be hosted by our TEAM committee! Be on the lookout for the announcement coming soon!
Thanks to our Advocacy Committee, under the leadership of Dr. Grace Griesbach, NNS has joined the Steering Committee for the Concussion Awareness Now Campaign! With actress and comedienne celebrity sponsor Rebel Wilson, the campaigns founders (Abbott and the Brain Injury Association of America), and the other members of the steering committee, NNS is happy to work on Concussion Awareness – check out the website for more information: concussionawarenessnow.org.
Our 2023 Symposium is right around the corner! Co-chairs Drs. Courtney Robertson and Linda Noble with the program committee continue to work on planning a spectacular program for our event at the Marriott Austin Downtown in Austin, TX, from June 25-28th. Registration is open now, and early registration ends on March 17th, with abstracts due on March 3rd!
Planning for 2024 is already getting off the ground (see the photo below of Drs. Gene Gurkoff, 2024 Planning Committee Co-Chair, Adam Ferguson, Vice-President and President-elect, and Courtney Robertson, 2023 Planning Committee Chair, exploring hotel options for 2024).
I would like to close by once again thanking all the NNS members for their ongoing support of the Society. I’m excited to show you what we, the NNS Councilors and Officers and the ICS team, have to offer in 2023.
Best wishes
Kimberly Byrnes
November 2022
As we approach the holiday season in the US, I can certainly say that I am very thankful to serve you as the National Neurotrauma Society President this year. I am following in very large footprints, and I am so honored to have this opportunity to work in a society that has given me so much, and try to help it continue to grow and improve. I’m writing to give a few updates on some of our progress so far, and details of exciting new things to come.
First, I wanted to update everyone on the status of our Strategic Plan. Last year, Dr. Robertson and the ICS team ran a comprehensive analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the society and our opportunities for growth. The plan was finished over the summer, and the NNS Council has now had a chance to review and approve the plan. The resulting plan will be posted on our website for all members to view in the coming weeks. Briefly, we have put into place a list of strategic priorities and goals to achieve over the next few years in 5 broad categories: training and mentoring of the generation of neurotrauma specialists, growing the society (members and financials), increasing awareness of NNS among the broader neuroscience and clinical communities, increasing membership and engagement across clinical and research disciplines, and fostering industry collaboration. Specific goals, metrics, and deadlines will be listed on our website soon.
Second, our committees are hard at work moving forward on a number of initiatives, several of which are reflected in the strategic plan or detailed in the committee updates in this newsletter. For example, we’re continuing to improve our value to our members by holding useful and informative web-based roundtable discussions. Topics of discussions include transitioning within academia (September roundtable) and the process and impact of the new NIH policy on data sharing and management (planned for January 2023). If you missed a past roundtable, check the members-only section of our website! And if you’re interested in getting involved in any of our exciting initiatives, join one of committees! There are always openings for volunteers!
Third, planning for our 2023 symposium is under way, under the leadership of co-chairs Courtney Robertson and Linda Noble. The program committee has been very hard at work, planning a spectacular program for the Symposium. It will be held at the Marriott Austin Downtown in Austin, TX, from June 25-28th, and will again be co-hosted by the AANS/CNS Joint Section on Neurotrauma and Critical Care. As the celebration of our 40th Anniversary of the Symposium and 35th Anniversary of the founding of the society, it’s fitting that the theme for this Symposium is “Celebrating the Landmarks of Neurotrauma”. The meeting will focus on showcasing the greatest achievements in the neurotrauma field and showcasing the exciting new research that will push our understanding of neurotrauma into the future. We have a number of exciting training and networking events planned, and can’t wait to see you in June!
While we’re on the subject of meetings, we’ve also started planning for 2024 and beyond. Together with ICS, our new management company, NNS has reshaped our method for selection of cities to host our meeting and will move forward with a complementary co-chair position for the planning committee. Our new system will now shift the meeting yearly across the US (east, middle, west) to allow for more inclusivity of our national researchers. Further, our new approach to utilizing co-chairs will allow us to expand our expertise and scientific focus and allow for greater representation of junior and senior scientists, gender, and/or specialties in the chair positions and within the planning committee.
I would like to close by thanking all NNS members for their ongoing support of the Society. With the assistance of the ICS team, and the amazing dedication of the NNS Councilors and Officers, I am confident that NNS has a very bright future. I hope you are as excited as I am to see what NNS will offer next.
Best wishes for the upcoming holidays and new year!
Kimberly Byrnes
May 2022
As we find ourselves in warmer spring weather, this is such an exciting time. We are less than 2 months away from our first in-person NNS meeting in 3 years! I personally am so invigorated by the idea of getting to see each other, learn about cutting edge neurotrauma research, and engage in conversations in-person. And although I feel the Society has grown and expanded in many ways over the last 2 years, nothing beats seeing each other face to face.
Along those lines, please remember that the Regular Registration deadline for the Symposium is May 15th. Also remember to reserve your hotel room at the beautiful Westin Peachtree Plaza in downtown Atlanta. The program for our 39th Annual Symposium is packed with fantastic scientific sessions, including keynote speakers, plenary sessions, abstract data blitz sessions, poster sessions and mentoring events. Grace Griesbach and the Program Committee, along with Mechthild Walter and the ICS conference team, have put together a program that truly spans from bench to bedside, from acute care to rehabilitation, across the lifespan, and includes a balance of brain and spinal cord injury research.
From a Society standpoint, NNS leadership and Council underwent a strategic planning process in March, with guidance from Amanda Lattuca and Matt Riley with ICS. Thanks to all the NNS members that completed the pre-planning survey. Matt and the ICS team will be sharing the final results of our 5 year strategic plan soon, and we will share with membership. I am confident that this will give us a solid roadmap for growth of NNS, with a sustained focus on our mission of promotion of neurotrauma research. Also, NNS elections for Officers and Council are coming soon, with voting polls opening on May 16. The list of candidates is available now on our website, and ballots will be sent out to Standard NNS members via email in mid May.
As you may have noticed through social media and your email inbox, the NNS committees have had a very busy few months. The TEAM committee has worked hard on mentoring, diversity and educational sessions for the Symposium. They are also currently reviewing WiNTR VISA award applications. The application deadline is May 15th, so please encourage trainee/junior faculty women in neurotrauma to apply. The Membership committee has worked on many initiatives, including a spring membership drive, and coordination of the NNS Roundtable discussions. The next roundtable will be on May 9th focused on career pathways in the neurotrauma field outside of academia. The Communications and Marketing committee has worked on website updates, and continued advancement of our Society social media presence . And last but certainly not least, the Advocacy committee hosted an amazing NNS 5K run/walk, with a record-breaking number of participants. Congratulations to all runners/walkers, and a special thanks to the large teams that competed. The Advocacy committee is also hosting 2 patient perspective roundtable sessions during the Symposium.
I would like to close by thanking all NNS committee members and volunteers for their hard work over the last many months. With the support of our member volunteers, and guidance from ICS, our Society has expanded, both in terms of membership and programs offered. I believe we are emerging from the pandemic as a stronger team, and this provides a great foundation for our future, as we come together in person.
See you all in Atlanta in June!