Eleven Stroke Researchers Honored for Groundbreaking Contributions at International Stroke Conference 2026

The American Stroke Association will honor eleven scientists for their exceptional contributions to stroke and brain health research during the International Stroke Conference 2026 in New Orleans. The recognition spans both lifetime achievements and new research findings, with awards covering diverse areas from clinical stroke management to basic science and rehabilitation.

Five researchers received awards for their career-long dedication to the field. Bruce Ovbiagele, recipient of the Edgar J. Kenton III Lecture Award, focuses on reducing stroke burden and addressing racial and ethnic disparities. Pooja Khatri earned the William M. Feinberg Award for Excellence in Clinical Stroke for her contributions to stroke care and research. Raghu Vemuganti received the Thomas Willis Lecture Award for his work on molecular mechanisms of ischemic stroke. Kazunori Toyoda was honored with the Ralph L. Sacco Outstanding Stroke Research Mentor Award for mentoring future generations of stroke researchers. Seemant Chaturvedi received the David G. Sherman Lecture Award for his work in stroke prevention and treatment.

Six additional researchers were recognized for new findings to be presented at the conference. Amar Dhand’s Stroke Rehabilitation Award-winning research, Abstract DP098, ‘SocialBit: Validation of a Lightweight Machine Learning Algorithm for Measuring Social Interactions in Real-Time in Stroke Survivors with Diverse Neurological Abilities,’ will be presented Wednesday. Soomin Jeong’s Stroke Basic Science Award-winning research, Abstract 55, ‘Restoring the Blood-Brain Barrier after Stroke: VCAM-Targeted MFSD2A mRNA Nanoparticle Therapy with Functional Recovery,’ will also be presented Wednesday.

Zhe Cheng’s Robert G. Siekert New Investigator Award-winning research, Abstract 82, ‘A Novel Adjuvant Strategy after Endovascular Therapy for Acute Posterior Circulation Stroke: Vertebrobasilar Artery Cooling Infusion (VACI) for Neuroprotection,’ will be presented Thursday. Daniela Renedo’s Mordecai Y.T. Globus New Investigator Award-winning research, Abstract 91, ‘Decoding the Etiology of Embolic Ischemic Stroke through Integrated Genomic, Proteomic and Single-cell Transcriptomic Analyses,’ will also be presented Thursday.

Zhiyu (Roman) Yan’s Vascular Cognitive Impairment Award-winning research, Abstract 106, ‘Plasma Proteomic Signatures Shared Across Cerebrovascular Diseases and Cognitive Decline,’ will be presented Thursday. Sheng Zhang’s Stroke Care in Emergency Medicine Award-winning research, Abstract 150, ‘Prehospital Blood Pressure Lowering in Likely Intracerebral Hemorrhage Patients Is a Cost-Effective Treatment Strategy in Both U.S. and China,’ will be presented Friday.

The conference serves as a premier global meeting for stroke researchers and clinicians, with the award presentations scheduled throughout the event. According to the American Heart Association’s 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics, stroke remains the fourth leading cause of death in the United States, underscoring the importance of continued research and innovation in the field. The association notes that statements and conclusions presented at scientific meetings are those of study authors and that findings are considered preliminary until published in peer-reviewed journals. More information about stroke is available at www.stroke.org.

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