NEWS

Written by Courtney L. Robertson, MD, President, National Neurotrauma Society

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!

Written by Dr. Bridgette Semple, Ph.D, on behalf of the Membership Committee

The NNS Membership Committee has been working hard behind the scenes! Our primary goal is to promote and enhance both new memberships and renewals to the Society, by planning and executing events and opportunities of benefit and interest to members. Some of these benefits were highlighted via social media posts and email blasts sent out in the lead-up to the NNS 2022 Symposium registration, which resulted in a spike in new and renewing memberships.

A key focus over the past few months has been on updating the NNS membership webpage, including the definitions of membership categories. In particular, we have added a discounted Standard Membership sub-category for Allied Health professionals with an interest in neurotrauma research; and secondly, expanded the Student Trainee Membership (Graduate) category to also include research staff/post-baccaleureate graduates within 5 years of receiving their undergraduate or Masters degree. These expanded descriptors have been approved by the NNS Council, and are intended to assist NNS to become more inclusive and accessible.

The virtual roundtable events, held via Zoom, have continued to garner enthusiastic participation. If you missed the discussion at February’s roundtable discussion was on the topic of ‘Sham controls in TBI and SCI preclinical research’, featuring expert panelists Dr. Dana McTigue, Dr. Adam Ferguson, Dr., Grace Griesbach, and Dr. Ed Dixon, and organized by Zoe Tapp, Eleni Haritomeni Moschonas, and Dr. Audrey Lafrenaye. This roundtable involved a vibrant discussion regarding various controls and conditions to consider as we all plan our next rounds of neurotrauma experiments. By popular demand, the recording and chat transcript from this event are available on the NNS members-only webpage, alongside some relevant literature for future reading. Also, please join us for our upcoming roundtable on Careers in Neurotrauma: Academia and beyond on Monday, May 9th at 6pm EST, featuring panellists: Dr. Maha Saber, Dr. Stacy J. Suskauer, Dr. Justin Beller, and Dr. Beth D. Slomine. Registration: https://www.neurotrauma.org/2022-Ask-an-Expert-Virtual-Roundtable .

We are also excited to be working closely with the Finance Committee on some NNS merchandise! The plan is to start small and scale up if there is sufficient demand, both within the Society and externally. Our goal with NNS-branded merchandise is to promote brand awareness and recognition of NNS and the work that we do, and we are planning to have items available for purchase via an online store. Watch this space – more details to come shortly!

The Membership Committee is hosting a panel and roundtable discussion targeted toward exploring the various careers in neurotrauma including clinical research, law, and industry. Our expert panelists will highlight the various paths in neurotrauma including experiences of coming into their respective careers from different backgrounds. Please join us for this members-only event on May 9th at 6:00 pm EST via Zoom.

The application period for the TEAM WiNTR Visa award has been extended to May 15!

This Award provides an opportunity for national or international collaboration by subsidizing both travel to the National Neurotrauma Symposium and a brief period of research training/collaboration in a sponsor's laboratory. This Award supports the mission of TEAM to promote gender equality in neurotrauma research to learn new skills or techniques pertinent to their research project.

The Award covers roundtrip airfare to the NNS meeting and sponsoring laboratory, registration, abstract fee, lodging, and meals, up to $5,000

Looking for a sponsoring lab or eligible applicant?

Want to be part of this list? Contact Tiffany Greco, Ph.D. (tiffanygreco@ucla.edu).

Eligibility Requirements

1. Female applicant, applicant’s advisor (mentor or Chair), and sponsor must be current International/National Neurotrauma Society (INTS/NNS) members.

2. Applicant must be a female doctoral student, postdoctoral fellow, or junior independent scientist in neurotrauma research.

3. Awardee agrees to give a brief presentation at the next NNS TEAM business meeting to share their experience.

Contact Tiffany Greco, Ph.D., Chair of the WiNTR VISA Committee (tiffanygreco@ucla.edu) with any questions.

Applications are due to Tiffany Greco by midnight EST on May 15th, 2022.

This week we highlight National Neurotrauma Society membership benefits associated with the annual symposium, including trainee and merit awards for members!

With membership you receive:

• Reduced registration fees to attend the Annual Symposium – Registration is NOW OPEN for Neurotrauma 2022 Virtual “Evolution of Neurotrauma Research Past, Present, Feature ” in June 2022, Atlanta, Georgia (register NOW to take advantage of early bird discounts as well! NNS2022 Registration
• Ability to submit session proposals for the Annual Symposium (closed for the 2022 symposium; but start thinking ahead to 2023!)

NEW – Access to personalized mentorship program through TEAM

NEW – Eligibility for the Rising Star Award https://neurotrauma.org/Rising-Star-Award

NEW – Trainee member opportunities, e.g. to orally present a poster in the Data Blitz session (must be among top 40 posters)

Returning in 2022:

• Travel awards available to assist with attendance at the Annual Symposium
• TEAM VISA award open now - https://neurotrauma.org/awards/symposium-awards/wintr-visa-award - to facilitate international collaboration to learn new skills or techniques

Follow NNS

Twitter: @Neurotrauma
Facebook: @TheNationalNeurotraumaSociety

The National Neurotrauma Society is thrilled to announce the 2nd Annual Neurotrauma 5K (3.2 miles) Fun Run/Walk in support of the brain injury awareness month!

To participate in this cause, get up and get dressed in your race day gear and hit the treadmill, streets or trails running and/or walking between March 1st and 31st, 2022 and show your support! Early registration is now open until March 31st, 2022.

For more details, please check the following link Neurotrauma 5K Fun Run/Walk (regfox.com).

A message from The NNS Membership Committee

The NNS Membership committee is seeking volunteer panelists for the upcoming NNS Virtual Round Table Discussion Series. The NNS round table discussions are an opportunity for members to virtually get together to examine issues as they relate to clinical/pre-clinical traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spinal cord injury (SCI) with panelists who are experts in the designated meeting topic across various academic and career stages. Last year, topics included "MR Imaging in Experimental and Clinical Neurotrauma: Tips, Advice, and Live Q&A" and "Sex Differences in Experimental Neurotrauma: Tips, Advice, and Live Q&A".

Panelists are encouraged to highlight their research and expertise as it pertains to the topic. As such, panelists may present a brief presentation to showcase research findings, technical methods, and/or alternative perspectives. Additionally, panelists are encouraged to participate in discussions and a live Q&A where participants can ask questions. We are calling for volunteer panelists for the upcoming topics:

1. The use of sham controls in TBI and SCI preclinical research

2. Alternative careers in Neurotrauma

All members interested in volunteering as a panelist now or for future discussions please fill out the attached google form https://forms.gle/7aywjxn2opzVQwsF7.

For more information on this series please e-mail NNSvirtual@gmail.com.

By Grace S. Griesbach, NNS22 Program Chair

After a long hiatus from in-person NNS events, it’s my distinct pleasure to invite you to attend the 39th Annual National Neurotrauma Symposium, to be held in person in Atlanta Georgia on June 26-29, 2022.

As we have in previous years, the National Neurotrauma Society will once again co-host this meeting with the American Association Neurological Surgeons/CNS Joint Section on Neurotrauma & Critical Care. The symposium will take place at the Westin Peachtree Plaza hotel in downtown Atlanta. The theme for this symposium is “The Evolution of Neurotrauma Research, Past Present & Future,” and the meeting will focus on showcasing the greatest achievements in the neurotrauma field and how these have influenced emerging knowledge and tools to improve neurotrauma research and clinical care.

Like me, I know you’re eager to meet face to face with friends and colleagues again in a safe and conscientious way. In the coming months, we will be releasing more information about the symposium and the networking opportunities that will be on offer in Atlanta. Don’t forget to log in or create an account at neurotrauma.org and ensure your contact info is up to date so that you’ll receive all the latest updates.

I hope to see you in person next June!