Two Neuroscientists Awarded 2026 Ralph L. Sacco Scholarships for Brain Health Research

The American Academy of Neurology and the American Heart Association have awarded the 2026 Ralph L. Sacco Scholarships for Brain Health to neuroscientists Sarah Kettlety, Ph.D., of Baltimore, Maryland, and Cali McEntee, Ph.D., of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Each will receive a $150,000 two-year scholarship to support scientific research in brain health, continuing a program established through a bequest from the late Ralph L. Sacco, M.D., M.S., FAAN, FAHA, the only neurologist to have served as president of both organizations.

‘As we learn more about the importance of the cognitive and physical aspects of the heart-brain connection, it’s critical to grow the body of evidence that can help us reduce risk and improve health,’ said Stacey E. Rosen, M.D., FAHA, volunteer president of the American Heart Association. The scholarships support the American Academy of Neurology‘s Brain Health Initiative and the American Heart Association‘s mission to advance scientific understanding of cardiovascular and neurological health.

Kettlety, a postdoctoral researcher at Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University, will study how childhood concussions affect long-term health by examining heart-rate responses during exercise after injury. Her research aims to determine whether specific heart-rate patterns can help doctors predict which young patients will experience prolonged concussion symptoms, potentially enabling earlier, more customized treatments for recovery.

McEntee, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Michigan Medical School, will investigate the connection between exercise and brain health by studying exerkines—small substances released from muscles and fat during physical activity that may travel to the brain and enhance cognitive function. Her work seeks to identify which exerkines are most important for maintaining brain sharpness with age, with implications for older adults, people with conditions like diabetes or obesity, and those unable to exercise due to illness or disability.

‘Dr. Ralph Sacco inspired many physicians and researchers through his remarkable career, and his legacy lives on through the Ralph L. Sacco Scholarships in Brain Health,’ said American Academy of Neurology President Natalia S. Rost, M.D., M.P.H., FAAN, FAHA. The program honors Sacco’s dedication to mentoring young scientists and his advocacy for recognizing the importance of brain health during his more than 20 years of volunteer service with the American Heart Association.

American Academy of Neurology Chief Executive Officer Mary E. Post, M.B.A., CAE, emphasized that ‘robust research funding is critically important to support innovative ideas that can lead to scientific breakthroughs in prevention, diagnosis, and treatments for a variety of conditions.’ The collaborative partnership through the Sacco Scholars program represents a commitment to improving lives and making a meaningful impact on the landscape of brain health research.

Kettlety and McEntee will begin their two-year research projects on July 1, 2026, joining a growing community of Sacco Scholars whose work advances preventive neurology and explores the vital connection between heart and brain health.

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