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Feb 4th, 2026

#ISC26 honors awardees


Five professional headshots of diverse business people in black and white

The ISC Main Event sessions will feature lectures by this year’s Feinberg, Willis, Sacco, Sherman and Stroke Council award recipients. The Edgar J. Kenton III Lecture was presented during the HEADS-UP Pre-Conference Symposium on Tuesday.

Six ISC abstract-based awards will be presented to their recipients in the concurrent abstract session in which their abstract is being presented. These ISC awards honor investigators for their stroke-related research. Abstract-based awards also provide funding opportunities for junior investigators to attend ISC.

ISC Pre-Conference Symposium

Professional headshot of a smiling bald man in white shirt and patterned tieBruce Ovbiagele, MD, MSc, MAS, MBA, MLS, FAHA

HEADS-UP: Health Equity and Actionable Disparities in Stroke: Understanding and Problem-Solving
Room R06-R09 (Riverside)
10:15-10:40 a.m. | Tuesday, Feb. 3


Edgar J. Kenton III Lecture, 
Bruce Ovbiagele, MD, MSc, MAS, MBA, MLS, FAHA
University of California | San Francisco
“Stroke Disparities Research Workforce: Wherefore Art Thou”
This award recognizes lifetime contributions to the investigation, management, mentorship and community service in the field of race-ethnic stroke disparities or related disciplines.


Professional woman smiling in black and white portraitPooja Khatri, MD, MS, FAHAOpening Main Event

Main Event, Hall D
11:37-11:52 a.m. | Wednesday, Feb. 4

William M. Feinberg Award for Excellence 
in Clinical Stroke
Pooja Khatri, MD, MS, FAHA
Yale University | New Haven, Connecticut
“Clinical Trial Innovations: The Future Is Now”
This award recognizes significant contributions to the investigation and management of clinical research in stroke.


Professional headshot of smiling bald man in white shirt and glassesRaghu Vemuganti, PhD

Thursday Main Event

Main Event, Hall D
11-11:15 a.m. | Thursday, Feb. 5
Thomas Willis Lecture
Raghu Vemuganti, PhD
University of Wisconsin–Madison
“Role of RNAs in Ischemic Brain Damage”
This award recognizes contributions to the investigation and management of stroke — basic science.


Closing Main Event

Professional smiling businessman in glasses and pinstripe suitKazunori Toyoda, MD, PhD, FAHAMain Event, Hall D
11-11:15 a.m. | Friday, Feb. 6
Ralph L. Sacco Outstanding Stroke Research Mentor Award
Kazunori Toyoda, MD, PhD, FAHA
National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center | Suita, Japan
“One Only Half Dies”
This annual award recognizes the outstanding achievements 
in the mentoring of future generations of researchers 
in the field of cerebrovascular disease.

11:15-11:30 a.m.
Smiling professional wearing glasses and business attire in black and whiteSeemant Chaturvedi, MD, FAHADavid G. Sherman Lecture
Seemant Chaturvedi, MD, FAHA
University of Maryland, Baltimore
“The Eternal Quest for Optimal Stroke Prevention”
This award recognizes lifetime contributions to the investigation, management, mentorship and community service in the stroke field.

11:33-11:45
Stroke Council Award and Lecture
Pooja Khatri, MD, MS, FAHA
Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
“Improving Stroke Care: A Story of Breaking Down Silos”
The Stroke Council Award and Lecture recognizes and encourages those who actively work to integrate stroke and heart disease in clinical care, education or research.


ISC abstract-based awards

Wednesday, Feb. 4 | 2:42 p.m.
Digital Oral Poster Theater 5
Psychosocial and Behavioral Aspects of Stroke Moderated Digital Oral Abstract Session 1
Stroke Rehabilitation Award
Amar Dhand, MD, DPhil, Boston
“SocialBit: Validation of a Lightweight Machine Learning Algorithm for Measuring Social Interactions in Real-Time in Stroke Survivors With Diverse Neurological Abilities” (DP098)
This award encourages investigators to undertake or continue research and/or clinical work in the field of stroke rehabilitation and submit an abstract to the International Stroke Conference.

Wednesday, Feb. 4 | 3:55 p.m.
Room 206-207
Molecular and Cellular Brain Science Oral Abstracts
Stroke Basic Science Award
Soomin Jeong, PhD, Philadelphia
“Restoring the Blood-Brain Barrier After Stroke: VCAM-Targeted MFSD2A mRNA Nanoparticle Therapy With Functional Recovery” (055)
This award encourages investigators to undertake or continue stroke research in basic or translational science, and it must be laboratory-based.

Thursday, Feb. 5 | 7:30 a.m. 
Room 206-207
Neurointervention Oral Abstracts
Robert G. Siekert New Investigator Award in Stroke
Zhe Cheng, MD, PhD, Beijing
“A Novel Adjuvant Strategy After Endovascular Therapy for Acute Posterior Circulation Stroke: Vertebrobasilar Artery Cooling Infusion (VACI) for Neuroprotection” (082)
In recognition of Robert G. Siekert, founding chair of the American Heart Association’s International Conference on Stroke and Cerebral Circulation, this award encourages new investigators to undertake or continue stroke-related research.

Thursday, Feb. 5 | 7:40 a.m. 
Room 211-213
Translational Research, Therapeutic Development and Biomarkers Oral Abstracts
Mordecai Y.T. Globus New Investigator Award in Stroke
Daniela Renedo, MD, New Haven
“Decoding the Etiology of Embolic Ischemic Stroke Through Integrated Genomic, Proteomic and Single-Cell Transcriptomic Analyse” (091)
This award recognizes Dr. Mordecai Y.T. Globus’ major contributions to research in cerebrovascular disease and his outstanding contributions to the elucidation of the role of neurotransmitters in ischemia and trauma; the interactions among multiple neurotransmitters; mechanisms of hypothermic neuroprotection; and the role of oxygen radical mechanisms and nitric oxide in brain injury.

Thursday, Feb. 5 | 9:15 a.m.
Room 211-213
Brain Health and Cognitive Impairment Oral Abstracts Vascular Cognitive Impairment Award
Zhiyu Yan, MS, Boston
“Plasma Proteomic Signatures Shared Across Cerebrovascular Diseases and Cognitive Decline” (106)
This award encourages investigators to undertake or continue research or clinical work in the field of vascular cognitive impairment and submit an abstract to the International Stroke Conference.

Friday, Feb. 6 | 9:55 a.m.
Room 211-213
Hemorrhagic Stroke Treatment Oral Abstracts
Stroke Care in Emergency Medicine Award
Sheng Zhang, PhD, Hangzhou
“Prehospital Blood Pressure Lowering in Likely Intracerebral Hemorrhage Patients Is a Cost-Effective Treatment Strategy in Both U.S. and China” (150)
This award encourages investigators to undertake or continue research in the emergent phase of acute stroke treatment and submit an abstract to the International Stroke Conference.


 

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