Originally, the Neurotrauma Symposium was a satellite meeting of the Society for Neurotrauma (SfN)
ABOUT NNS
About > NNS History Project
NNS HISTORY PROJECT
National Neurotrauma
Society Mission Statement:
The National Neurotrauma Society is committed to the promotion of neurotrauma research by enhancing communications, providing a forum, and increasing support on the national and international level.
History Project Goals:
- Collect, digitize, archive and store critical elements of the Society history
- Highlight the scientific and clinical milestones contributed by the Society members
- Maintain past and current records of successes in achieving Society mission and goals
- Make Society history accessible for all Society members
What is the History Project?
“For many years, neurotrauma research was not recognized as a separate scientific discipline and had not distinct organization which represented scientists working in the field. In a recent poll of attendees of the Fifth Neurotrauma Symposium (held at the Society of Neuroscience Meeting), virtually all respondents indicated their strong enthusiasm for the formation of such a society and their interest in joining. Based on this poll, several of us (Tom Anderson, Alan Faden, Edward Hall, John Povlishock, and Wise Young) decided to form the Neurotrauma Society.”
Excerpt from Neurotrauma Society Announcement
THE EARLY YEARS
The inauguration of the Neurotrauma Society was in 1988 at the 6th Annual Neurotrauma Symposium
Alan Faden, Wise Young, and John Povlishock recall that the team “neurotrauma” was coined by the formation of the Neurotrauma Symposium and the Neurotrauma Society
In 1989, the journal CNS Trauma was changed to the Journal of Neurotrauma, to be edited by John Povlishock
A pivotal meeting was in Fukushima, Japan in 1989. Eighty-six speakers from the United States attended (most rode a bus to the meeting site together)
In 2003, the Neurotrauma Symposium became independent from SfN
Presidential Reflections
“My presidency of the Society (2001–2002) coincided with the First Joint Symposium of the National and International Neurotrauma Societies — the Saddle Brook Resort, Florida. I had the honor of sharing the responsibilities of this meeting with the local representatives, Dalton Dietrich and Doug Anderson. What an awesome team!”
Linda J. Noble, Ph.D.
“Although there were many highlights for me during the 2015 NNS meeting, one in particular is that the speakers in the opening plenary session were new investigators. I think it is important for the society that we continue to include not only seasoned speakers from the CNS injury field but also young speakers who will eventually be guiding the area of neurotrauma in new directions.”
Helen M. Bramlett, Ph.D.
“Upon reflection, the unique aspects of the first symposium and the Society start were: the linking and relatively equal participation of the acute TBI and SCI research leaders; and the fact that secondary injury was not yet a well accepted concept — particularly in the TBI community.”
Alan Faden, Ph.D.
“It has been amazing to see the ~10% per year growth of the Neurotrauma Society, over the years… Constructing the program, and selecting the speakers for the meetings in 1999 and 2011 was a huge honor, and an opportunity to showcase the dynamic advances in the field… Karen Gottlieb and her team made it a pleasure to actualize the meetings, and brought it all together…”
M. Ross Bullock, M.D., Ph.D.
“Watching the society grow from a group of friends meeting before the Society for Neuroscience into an independent organization of over 500 members was a source of great pride for me.”
Wise Young, Ph.D.
“One of the memorable highlights of the 2007 NNS Symposium was Tom Genarella’s talk on ‘Traumatic Unconsciousness/coma’ in the Understudied areas of CNS Trauma session in which he described the anomaly of how woodpeckers don’t sustain concussions despite their rapid, repeated head banging on trees.”
Bruce G. Lyeth, Ph.D.
“In 2003, I was President of NNS. In April 2003, we found out that the Society for Neuroscience could not guarantee meeting space in New Orleans for our symposium, despite being a satellite meeting for twenty years…
Our meeting organizers… found suitable meeting space in a casino located an hour away in Biloxi, Mississippi…From this point on, the NNS symposium has been an independent meeting that has grown yearly.”
C. Edward Dixon, Ph.D.
“During my first tenure as President we had to change the name of our society… Some people did not like the term ‘National’… During my second tenure… we joined with the International Neurotrauma Society and invited the American Association for Neurological Surgeons (AANS), trauma section to join us… Fortunately it turned out OK.”
David A. Hovda, Ph.D.
“I was President for the 30th Neurotrauma 2012 in Phoenix. I remember it was a celebration of the National Neurotrauma Society’s big 3-0 Annual conference. Great, great science, great hot Arizona desert weather and lots of great fun!”
Kevin W. Wang, Ph.D.
“I am particularly proud of two things about the 2008 meeting in Orlando. The first is that it was the first joint meeting of the Neurotrauma Society and the Joint Section on Neurotrauma… Secondly, it was the third meeting after breaking away from the Society for Neuroscience when we bounced back from attendance in the 300s… to 608 attendees…”
Edward D. Hall, Ph.D.
NNS Symposium Through the Years
- 1983 — Boston, MA
- 1986 — Washington, DC
- 1987 — New Orleans, LA
- 1990 — St. Louis, MO
- 1991 — New Orleans, LA
- 1992 — Anaheim, CA
- 1994 — Washington, DC
- 1995 — San Diego, CA
- 1996 — Washington, DC
- 1997 — New Orleans, LA
- 1998 — Los Angeles, CA
- 1999 — Miami, FL
- 2001 — San Diego, CA
- 2002 — Tampa, FL
- 2003 — Biloxi, MS
- 2004 — San Diego, CA
- 2005 — Washington, D.C
- 2006 — St. Louis, MO
- 2007 — Kansas City, MO
- 2008 — Orlando, FL
- 2009 — Santa Barbara, CA
- 2010 — Las Vegas, NV
- 2011 — Hollywood, FL
- 2012 — Phoenix, AZ
- 2013 — Nashville, TN
- 2014 — San Francisco, CA
- 2015 — Santa Fe, NM
- 2016 — Lexington, KY
- 2017 — Snowbird, UT
- 2019 — Pittsburgh, PA
- 2022 — Atlanta, GA
- 2023 — Austin, TX
- 2024 — San Francisco, CA
- 2025 — Philadelphia, PA
WiNTR Research Porject
Women in Neurotrauma Research
WiNTR is an organization established to promote international gender equality in neurotrauma research. It is open to all individuals regardless of gender and values diversity of ideas and opinions.
Mission: To promote gender equality through mentoring and networking activities.
