I am deeply honored to step into my new role as President of the National Neurotrauma Society. This role is especially meaningful to me as I follow in the footsteps of remarkable Safar Center faculty and leaders who have helped shape the field and the Society as NNS Presidents, including Ed Dixon, Anthony Kline, and Amy Wagner. Their scientific contributions, mentorship, and service to neurotrauma have left an enduring legacy, and I am grateful to build upon that foundation while helping guide NNS into its next chapter.
Over the past year, as Vice President, I had the privilege of helping oversee our Society Awards, abstracts, travel awards, and poster awards, roles that gave me a front-row seat to the extraordinary depth, creativity, and promise of our neurotrauma community. From trainees presenting their first discoveries to established investigators pushing the boundaries of traumatic brain injury and spinal cord injury science, I was reminded repeatedly that the strength of NNS lies in its people.
As we look ahead, I am thrilled to invite our community to join us for Neurotrauma 2027, the 44th Annual Symposium of the NNS, June 13–16, 2027, in Portland, Oregon. Portland, the City of Roses, offers a fitting setting for our next gathering. Roses are beautiful, resilient, and rooted in careful cultivation, much like the science of neurotrauma recovery. The theme, “Rooted in Discovery, Rising Toward Recovery,” captures both our past and future. We are rooted in rigorous basic, translational, and clinical science, and we rise together toward better outcomes for patients, families, and communities affected by neurotrauma.
As one of the Executive Directors of the Safar Center, I warmly welcome researchers, clinicians, trainees, rehabilitation scientists, neurosurgeons, neuroscientists, industry partners, advocates, and all members of our neurotrauma community to join us in Portland. I hope you will bring your best science, your boldest ideas, and your collaborative spirit. See you in Portland for Neurotrauma 2027, where discovery takes root and recovery continues to bloom.