Advocacy

AAN and SfN Joint Forum: How Federal Funding Works and Why It Matters

March 30, 2026

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM EDT

Why does federal funding for neuroscience matter—and how does it help you and your family? Get all the details from the experts at the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and the Society for Neuroscience (SfN) in this free webinar for the public, academics, and clinicians.

You’ll learn how federal funding works, what happens during a funding lapse or government shutdown, and what you can do to help keep important research moving. You’ll also hear how to connect with fellow NeuroAdvocates and keep taking meaningful action in support of science.

Our panelists are AAN President Natalia S. Rost, MD, MPH, FAAN, FAHA; SfN President Nicholas Spitzer, PhD; Justin T. Jordan, MD, MPH, FAAN;and Marsha Pierce, PhD. The webinar will end with a moderated Q&A session with participants.

Key Takeaways

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:

Understand the return on investment from neuroscience research and explain the critical role of federal funding in advancing research and patient care.
Describe the federal appropriations process and its impact on neuroscience and neurology.
Identify best practices for engaging policymakers and supporting advocacy initiatives, as well as fellow advocates.
Apply strategies for individual action to strengthen support for federal research funding.

Speakers

Nicholas Spitzer, PhD

Nicholas Spitzer, PhD, is the Atkinson Family Distinguished Professor within the neurobiology department at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and president of SfN. He has served as chair of his department multiple times, co-chair and chair of the UCSD Academic Senate, and co-chair of the Task Force to Promote Establishment of the Preuss Charter School at UCSD. Spitzer received his PhD in neurobiology from Harvard University. 

Natalia Rost, MD

Natalia Rost, MD, is professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, the C. Miller Fisher Endowed Chair in Stroke Research, former chief of the stroke division at Massachusetts General Hospital, and president of AAN. A cum laude graduate of Boston University School of Medicine, she also holds a master’s in public health from Harvard School of Public Health. Rost trained in neurology and vascular neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women's Hospital residency and fellowship programs. A clinician-scientist at the helm of the ambitious research program dedicated to reducing the global burden of stroke-related cognitive and functional disability, Rost is MGH Research Scholar and the principal investigator of DISCOVERY, an innovative national clinical research network funded jointly by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and the National Institute on Aging to address post-stroke cognitive impairment and dementia.

Justin Jordan, MD

Justin Jordan, MD, is a neurologist from Dallas with a busy academic clinical practice and an extensive translational and clinical research portfolio. He currently or previously has held funding from NIH, DOD, and PCORI, as well as from nonprofit entities. He additionally created and oversaw a national nonprofit research-granting program focused on high-risk, high-reward preliminary scientific inquiries. Within the American Academy of Neurology (AAN), Jordan currently serves as vice chair of the Advocacy Committee as well as member of the Brian Health Committee and previously served as vice chair of the Health Policy Subcommittee.

Marsha Pierce, PhD

Marsha Pierce, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Pharmacology at Midwestern University. Pierce earned her PhD in biomedical sciences from Creighton University with her focus on microRNA regulation of inner ear development and function. She completed her postdoctoral research in pharmacology, studying oxytocin and vasopressin signaling and high throughput screening of marine natural products. As an associate professor, Pierce directs her research lab in studying marine natural products for neuroscience drug discovery. Pierce’s current research focuses on neuropharmacology, with an emphasis on high‑throughput screening of marine‑derived natural products to identify compounds that modulate neuronal signaling, viability, and neurite outgrowth.

Who can attend this webinar? This webinar will be complimentary.

Will this webinar be available on demand? Yes, this webinar will be available on demand one week from the live broadcast.

Will a certificate of attendance be offered for this event? No, SfN does not provide certificates of attendance for webinars.

How do I access the conference on the live day? After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with the event link and the option to download calendar reminders.

What are the technology requirements for attending? This webinar will be hosted on Zoom Webinar. Instructions for joining and participating in a webinar can be found here.

Can I ask the presenters questions? Yes! You can submit any questions before the webinar through the registration form. During the webinar, you can submit questions through the Q&A box.

I have other questions not answered here. Email neuronline@sfn.org with any other questions.

Review SfN’s Code of Conduct, rules for virtual events in the Digital Learning Community Guidelines, and communications policies regarding dissemination of unpublished scientific data, listed below. SfN asks that conference attendees respect the sensitivity of information and data being presented that are not yet available to the public by following these guidelines:  

Do not capture or publicly share details of any unpublished data presented.

If you are unsure whether data is unpublished, check with the presenter.

Respect presenters' wishes if they indicate that the information presented is not to be shared.

SfN webinars can be watched on-demand if someone is unable to attend the live broadcast.

AAN and SfN Joint Forum: How Federal Funding Works and Why It Matters

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