October 30, 2025
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM EDT
Federal research funding is essential for advancing science, improving patient care, and sustaining the future of neuroscience and neurology. Yet, the appropriations process that determines this funding can be complex and unpredictable. Meaningful and effective engagement requires strong, coordinated advocacy.
This webinar, hosted by the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) and the Society for Neuroscience (SfN), will help participants: understand why federal funding matters for research and patient outcomes; clarify how the federal appropriations process works; understand the implications of a lapse in funding or a government shutdown; explore proven advocacy strategies; and identify practical ways they can take action to strengthen support for science. Featuring insights from AAN President Natalia Rost, MD, SfN President John H. Morrison, PhD, AAN Science Committee Chair Paul George, MD, PhD, AAN Advocacy Vice-Chair Justin Jordan, MD, and SfN Government and Public Affairs Committee Chair Diane Lipscombe, PhD, the session will conclude with a moderated Q&A to connect participant questions directly with advocacy leaders.
Key Takeaways
By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to:
- 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.
- Apply strategies for individual and organizational action to strengthen support for federal research funding.
Speakers
John H. Morrison, PhD
John H. Morrison, PhD, is the president of SfN and professor of neurology and neuroscience at UC Davis. He is also the former director of the California National Primate Research Center. Morrison earned his bachelor’s degree and PhD from Johns Hopkins University and completed postdoctoral studies in the laboratory of Floyd E. Bloom at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. Morrison’s research program focuses primarily on the neurobiology of aging and neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s Disease, particularly as they relate to cellular and synaptic organization of cerebral cortex. Within this broad arena, his lab works specifically on the interactions between endocrine factors (e.g., estrogen, stress steroids) and aging, and the synaptic determinants of cognitive aging. He has published over 300 articles on cortical organization, Alzheimer’s disease, the neurobiology of cognitive aging, and the effects of stress on cortical circuitry. Deeply committed to the public communication of neuroscience, he was a member of the BrainFacts Advisory Board, which helped guide the development of BrainFacts.org from its inception, prior to becoming editor-in-chief. Morrison is a member of the National Academy of Medicine.
Diane Lipscombe, PhD
Diane Lipscombe is a professor in the neuroscience department at Brown University and is the interim director of the Brown Institute for Brain Science. She teaches advanced cellular and molecular neuroscience and chairs the Neuroscience Graduate Program Steering Committee. Her research focus is on a family of proteins that control the flow of calcium into neurons. Lipscombe has authored numerous publications and has given named lectures, including the Joan Mott Prize Lecture for the Physiological Society in the United Kingdom. She is a regular member of NIH scientific review panels, serves on several editorial boards, and is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement Science.
Natalia Rost, MD
Natalia Rost, MD, is professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, the C. Miller Fisher Endowed Chair in Stroke Research, and former chief of the stroke division at Massachusetts General Hospital. 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. Rost is internationally recognized for her expertise in vascular neurology, neuroimaging of cerebrovascular disease, and big-data science applications to personalized clinical outcome prediction in acute stroke. A clinician-scientist at the helm of the ambitious research program dedicated to reducing 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 National Institute on Aging to address post-stroke cognitive impairment and dementia.
Paul M. George, MD, PhD
Paul M. George, MD, PhD, serves on the faculty at Stanford University as a vascular neurologist in the Department of Neurology and Neurological Sciences. He is a physician-scientist focused on caring for neurology patients and improving neural recovery therapies. As faculty, he helped create a multi-disciplinary stroke recovery clinic at Stanford. George received his undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering at Tulane University. He then pursued his graduate studies, earning a master’s from Johns Hopkins University and a doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He attended medical school at Harvard University before completing his residency and fellowship at Stanford University, where he served as chief resident. He has spoken nationally and internationally on stroke and neural recovery―a topic for which he has received national research funding and written numerous articles and reviews. George is also involved in Stanford’s neuroscience graduate program, serving on the admission and DEIB committees, and teaching the first-year Responsible Conduct of Research course.
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.
