The American Stroke Association recognized 11 stroke researchers with prestigious awards at the International Stroke Conference 2026, held in New Orleans from February 3-6. The awards honor exceptional professional achievements and contributions to stroke and brain health care and research. The honorees include five groundbreaking scientists who have dedicated their careers to stroke research and six others recognized for new research findings presented during the conference.
Among the awardees, Bruce Ovbiagele, M.D., M.Sc., M.A.S., M.B.A., M.L.S., FAHA, from the University of California, San Francisco, received the Edgar J. Kenton III Lecture Award for his lifetime contributions to investigating racial and ethnic stroke disparities. Pooja Khatri, M.D., M.Sc., FAHA, from Yale University, received the William M. Feinberg Award for Excellence in Clinical Stroke. Raghu Vemuganti, Ph.D., from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, received the Thomas Willis Lecture Award for basic science contributions. Kazunori Toyoda, M.D., Ph.D., FAHA, from Japan, received the Ralph L. Sacco Outstanding Stroke Research Mentor Award. Seemant Chaturvedi, M.D., from the University of Maryland, received the David G. Sherman Lecture Award.
Six additional scientists were recognized for their new research. Amar Dhand, M.D., D.Phil., from Brigham and Women's Hospital, received the Stroke Rehabilitation Award for his work on measuring social interactions in stroke survivors. Soomin Jeong, Ph.D., from the University of Pennsylvania, received the Stroke Basic Science Award for research on restoring the blood-brain barrier after stroke. Zhe Cheng, M.D., Ph.D., from Beijing Luhe Hospital, received the Robert G. Siekert New Investigator Award for a novel adjuvant therapy after endovascular treatment. Daniela Renedo, M.D., from Yale School of Medicine, received the Mordecai Y.T. Globus New Investigator Award for genomic analyses of embolic stroke. Zhiyu (Roman) Yan, M.S., from Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, received the Vascular Cognitive Impairment Award for proteomic signatures in cerebrovascular diseases. Sheng Zhang, Ph.D., from Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital, received the Stroke Care in Emergency Medicine Award for cost-effectiveness of prehospital blood pressure lowering.
The conference underscores the importance of ongoing research in stroke prevention and treatment. According to the American Heart Association's 2026 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics, stroke is now the #4 leading cause of death in the U.S. The awards highlight the critical work being done to address this public health issue, from basic science to clinical innovations. The findings presented are considered preliminary until published in peer-reviewed journals. More information about the conference and awardees can be found at www.stroke.org.
