The American Stroke Association will honor 11 prominent scientists for their exceptional contributions to stroke and brain health research during the International Stroke Conference 2026, taking place in New Orleans from February 3-6. The awards recognize both lifetime achievements and promising new research, underscoring the conference's role as a premier global event for stroke science.
Among the honorees is Dr. Bruce Ovbiagele from the University of California, San Francisco, who will receive the Edgar J. Kenton III Lecture Award for his work on racial and ethnic stroke disparities. Dr. Pooja Khatri, chair of neurology at Yale School of Medicine, will receive the William M. Feinberg Award for Excellence in Clinical Stroke. Dr. Raghu Vemuganti from the University of Wisconsin-Madison will be awarded the Thomas Willis Lecture Award for basic science contributions.
International recognition includes Dr. Kazunori Toyoda from Japan, who will receive the Ralph L. Sacco Outstanding Stroke Research Mentor Award, and Dr. Zhe Cheng from China, who will receive the Robert G. Siekert New Investigator Award. The awards highlight global collaboration in stroke research.
Several awards are named after pioneering figures in stroke medicine. The Edgar J. Kenton III Lecture Award, for instance, honors the late Dr. Kenton, a Black vascular neurologist dedicated to reducing disparities. The William M. Feinberg Award recognizes clinical research excellence.
New investigator awards are also being presented to early-career researchers. Dr. Soomin Jeong from the University of Pennsylvania will receive the Stroke Basic Science Award for research on blood-brain barrier restoration. Dr. Daniela Renedo from Yale will receive the Mordecai Y.T. Globus New Investigator Award for genomic studies of embolic stroke. Zhiyu Yan, a Ph.D. student at Harvard, will receive the Vascular Cognitive Impairment Award for proteomic signatures linking cerebrovascular disease to cognitive decline.
The conference will feature award lectures and presentations of new research. Dr. Ovbiagele will speak on stroke disparities, Dr. Khatri on clinical trial innovations, and Dr. Vemuganti on RNA roles in ischemic brain damage. Dr. Toyoda will mentor future researchers, and Dr. Chaturvedi will discuss stroke prevention.
The American Stroke Association emphasizes that the findings presented are preliminary until published in peer-reviewed journals. The association receives funding from various sources, including corporations, with strict policies to prevent influence on scientific content.
According to the American Heart Association's 2026 statistics, stroke is now the #4 leading cause of death in the U.S. The conference aims to advance stroke prevention and treatment through collaborative research.
For more information about the conference and awards, visit the American Stroke Association website.
