Scientific Program

(SESSION)NNS Business Breakfast Meeting

(SESSION)KN03 - From Lesion to System: Prioritizing Autonomic Circuit Repair in Spinal Cord Injury Management

From Lesion to System: Prioritizing Autonomic Circuit Repair in Spinal Cord Injury Management

Traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) at or above T6 causes dysautonomia, a syndrome of organ pathophysiology that significantly impairs quality of life. While research often prioritizes locomotor recovery, people with SCI frequently rank autonomic complications as a higher priority. This lecture explores how "lesion-remote" spinal remodeling—driven by spinal interneurons and microglia—causes pathological circuit assembly. These maladaptive circuits drive immune dysfunction across diverse organs and likely underlie well known clinical complications (e.g., immune dysfunction, pneumonia, impaired wound healing) and prognostic indicators (high neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios, dysbiosis) of poor outcome after SCI. We will discuss how targeting these maladaptive circuits, using experimental tools that may serve as indicators for the successful implementation of bioelectric medicine in humans or currently available drugs, might help prevent or mitigate the consequences of these systemic comorbidities.

KN03.01 - From Lesion to System: Prioritizing Autonomic Circuit Repair in Spinal Cord Injury Management

(SESSION)POB - Poster Group B

(SESSION)PL01 - Award Winners Session

(SESSION)Lunch with Neurotrauma Survivors

(SESSION)NIH Funding Opportunities

(SESSION)PL02: Latent Neurotropic Pathogens as Modifiers of Brain Injury Pathophysiology and Recovery

Session Description:

The pathophysiology of TBI is complex, and a constellation of biological and environmental influences are involved in response to and recovery from injury. There is growing appreciation that neurotropic pathogens that result in lifelong infections, such as herpesviruses and the single-cell parasite toxoplasma gondii, are associated with psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases. Yet, a potential role of these common pathogens in the effects of and recovery from TBI have historically not been considered.

This session will present novel research investigating the extent to which latent neurotropic pathogens moderate pathophysiology and recovery of TBI. This session will span cutting edge preclinical and cross-disciplinary clinical research, consistent with the NNS 2026 theme and call for creative thinking and innovation.

Dr. Dana Cairns will present data demonstrating that repetitive mild injuries reactivate herpes simplex virus type 1, which in turn promotes an Alzheimer’s Disease-associated pathological phenotype in a three-dimensional in vitro brain tissue model.

Dr. Timothy Meier will present novel findings suggesting a role for cytomegalovirus seropositivity in moderating the effects of concussion on clinical measures, blood-based biomarkers, and neuroimaging metrics in a cohort of collegiate athletes and military service academy members.

Dr. Sandy Shultz will present preclinical results showing that pre-existing infection of the parasite toxoplasma gondii exacerbates the neuropathophysiological effects and associated functional deficits in a mouse model of TBI.

Finally, Dr. Gershon Spitz will present results from chronic TBI survivors (≥10 years post-injury) showing that those infected with toxoplasma gondii have worse MRI and psychiatric outcomes compared to uninfected counterparts.

PL02 - Chair

PL02 - Chiar

PL02.01 - Exploring the role of Herpesviruses and Concussive Injury in Pathogenesis of Alzheimer's Disease Using a 3D Human Brain Tissue Model

PL02.02 - Concussion goes Viral: The Moderating role of Cytomegalovirus on Clinical, Blood, and MRI Outcomes in the CARE Consortium

PL02.03 - Catastrophic Consequences: Infection of the Feline Parasite Toxoplasma Gondii Worsens TBI Outcomes in Mice

PL02.04 - Toxoplasma Gondii Infection Modifies Chronic Recovery in TBI Survivors

(SESSION)S07 - From Damage to Defense: The Paradox of the Secondary Injury Cascade After Spinal Cord Injury

Session Description:

After a spinal cord injury (SCI), the initial mechanical trauma is only the beginning of the damage. What follows is a complex secondary injury cascade that involves a series of biochemical and cellular processes that unfold over minutes to weeks after the primary insult. This cascade includes ischemia, inflammation, oxidative stress, excitotoxicity, and apoptosis, all of which contribute to progressive tissue degeneration and neuronal loss beyond the original injury site. Paradoxically, some of these same mechanisms—such as inflammation and glial activation—also play roles in tissue repair and neuroprotection, highlighting the dual nature of the secondary response. Understanding this delicate balance between destructive and reparative processes is critical for developing therapies that can minimize damage while promoting recovery after SCI. This session aims to explore the secondary response after SCI through a collaborative lens. A neurosurgeon will discuss the secondary response from a clinical perspective, while basic scientists will examine the roles of inflammation, macrophage/microglia activation states, and the astrocytic border. Finally, we will highlight some current drug delivery platforms being developed to mitigate secondary damage after SCI.

S07 - Chair

S07.01 - Clinical Ramifications of Spinal Cord Injuries – Trauma and Beyond

S07.02 - The Macrophage Contribution to Secondary Injury: Cell Origin and Heterogeneity in Spinal Cord Injury Pathophysiology

S07.03 - Infections After SCI: An Additional Insult to Locomotor Recovery

S07.04 - Targeted Therapeutics to Mitigate Secondary Damage After Spinal Cord Injury

(SESSION)S08 - Translational Swine Models Advancing Neurotrauma Research

Session Description:

Neurotrauma, both TBI and SCI, impact millions of people annually, leading to sensory, cognitive, pathological, and molecular morbidities. While the field has learned much about TBI and SCI using rodent models, there are still no efficacious therapies that have translated to clinical use. To address this translational “valley of death”, this session will focus on the development and expansion of higher order swine models of neurotrauma to begin filling this translational void.  The swine has similar cytoarchitecture, consistent metabolic rates, compatible inflammatory systems, and analogous glial ratios to humans making swine an excellent translational model. In this session Dr. Candace Floyd will discuss her work validating neuropathic pain outcomes after SCI in swine. Dr. Michael Grovola will then discuss his work investigating proteomics, transcriptomics, and spatial characterizations of neural tissue in a swine model of TBI. Dr. Cole Vonder Haar will discuss his work developing and validating a touchscreen system for evaluating swine motor and cognitive function for neurotrauma research. Finally, Dr. Audrey Lafrenaye will discuss her work evaluating somatosensory and cognitive changes as well as microglial process convergence associated with axonal injury in a swine model of central fluid percussion injury. Together these talks will highlight the breakthroughs being made utilizing translational swine models of neurotrauma. 

S08 - Chair

S08 - Chair

S08.01 - Validation of Neuropathic Pain Outcomes After Spinal Cord Injury Using a Pig Model

S08.02 - Multi-omics and Spatial Biology Approaches to Characterize Pig Neural Tissue

S08.03 - A 20-Minute Tour: Six Swine Models — Asymptomatic to Severe, Photons to Seizures

S08.04 - Behavioral and Microglial Changes Following Diffuse Swine TBI

(SESSION)S09 - Robert Grossman Symposium on Personalized Approaches to Managing Spinal Cord Injury

Session Description:

We are only beginning to grasp the profound heterogeneity of spinal cord injury (SCI) recovery. SCI is a dynamic, evolving network of interrelated pathological processes. Its complexity—both biological and clinical—demands a shift from “one-size-fits-all” approaches to precision-guided therapies. Identifying robust biomarkers will be essential for stratifying patients into responder subgroups and tailoring individualized treatments. A deeper understanding of the anatomical basis of functional variability will further inform personalized strategies. The growing success of neuromodulation techniques—such as epidural and percutaneous stimulation —highlights the critical importance of individualized treatment planning. This symposium will explore the multifaceted heterogeneity of SCI pathophysiology and the central role of personalized care in optimizing recovery.

NASS (North American Spine Society) is a global multidisciplinary organization dedicated to fostering the highest quality evidence-based spine care. The Spinal Cord Injury Section at NASS is devoted to the scientific advancements for SCI and spine trauma management through research, teaching and collaborations.

NACTN (North American Clinical Trials Network) is a collection of academic and military centers with a mission of continually advancing the quality of care and life of people with SCI through the application of emerging treatments in the setting of clinical trials and a SCI Registry.

NASS and NACTN will collaborate with NNS and propose a session within the 2026 NNS symposium on “Personalized Approaches to Managing Spinal Cord Injury”.

For the sixth year, the symposium would be presented in honor of Dr. Robert Grossman who contributed greatly to the field of neurotrauma and spinal cord injury treatment.

S09 - Chair

S09 - Chair

S09.01 - Personalized Approaches to Managing Cord Injury

S09.02 - Anatomic Basis for the Heterogeneity of Spinal Cord Injury Recovery

S09.03 - Personalized Surgical Approaches for Spinal Trauma

S09.04 - Biomarkers for Spinal Cord Injury

(SESSION)S10 - PPRECISE-TBI: Leveraging Shared Data and Analytics to Improve Rigor and Reproducibility in the Assessment of Injury Severity in Animal Models

Session Description:

Over the past decade, the evaluation of traumatic brain injury (TBI) has evolved beyond the traditional Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), which, while essential for initial triage, fails to capture the complexity of individual injury mechanisms and patient-specific factors. A more nuanced framework—Clinical presentation, Biomarkers, Imaging, and Modifiers (CBI-M)—has emerged, integrating acute signs (e.g., GCS, loss of consciousness) with biological, radiological, and contextual data (e.g., medications, prior TBI, healthcare access). This multidimensional approach enhances clinical decision-making and trial design but introduces new challenges for preclinical research. Animal models of TBI often define injury severity by device parameters (e.g., pressure, acceleration) rather than biological response, limiting translational relevance. Bridging this gap requires a shift toward outcome-based classification in preclinical studies that mirrors the CBI-M framework. To address this, the VA, NIH, and DoD have championed the development of standardized Common Data Elements (CDEs) and the Open Data Commons for TBI (ODC-TBI), a centralized repository for harmonized datasets. These initiatives aim to improve data interoperability, enable cross-study comparisons, and identify which acute measures—biomarkers, imaging, behavioral outcomes—best predict injury severity and therapeutic response. By aligning preclinical and clinical definitions of TBI severity, we can accelerate the identification of effective interventions and improve the fidelity of bench-to-bedside translation.

S10 - Chair

S10.01 - Improving Rigor and Reproducibility by Leveraging Data Sets Across Institutions: A Case Study.

S10.02 - Leveraging Large Samples in the Open-data Commons to Create a Personalized Medicine Approach to Assessing Injury Severity in Pre-clinical Studies

S10.03 - Putting the M Inside Preclinical Research – Why Subject Modifiers are as Important in Pre-clinical Models as in our Patients

S10.04 - fergBig Data and Analytics – How Data in the Open Data Commons can Help your Lab Enter the Era of New Approach Methods (NAM)

(SESSION)S11 - Contextualizing Novel Tools and Applications of Blood-based Biomarkers and Trajectories in Post-acute and Chronic Neurotrauma Patients.

Session Description:

This symposium will focus on increasing our understanding of TBI and SCI recovery trajectories by utilizing novel technical approaches such as high multiplex proteomic platforms, capillary and dry blood samples as well as machine learning data analysis. Current clinical TBI classification, including the new classification framework (CBI-M) and regulatory approved biofluid biomarkers, focuses mainly on the acute phase of TBI. Long-term variability, secondary condition risk assessment, and differences in responsiveness to rehabilitation have made it challenging to establish effective therapeutic pathways that personalize and optimize function and recovery. Here we will present state of the art and complimentary preclinical and clinical approaches and findings in identifying key variants in post-acute chronic blood-based biomarkers associated with neurotrauma severity and morbidity, as well as recovery potential and treatment responsiveness. This session will be partially sponsored by the Chinese Neurotrauma Scholar Association (CNSA).

S11 - Chair

S11 - Chair

S11 .01 - Studying the Biomarker Trajectory in Preclinical TBI Models; Lesson learning from the TOP-NT Consortium Project.

S11.02 - Identifying High-Multiplex Biomarker Signature in Addressing Broader Chronic Neurotrauma Pathophysiology and Morbidity in a Real-World Clinical Setting.

S11.03 - Biomarker Patterns and Longitudinal Trajectory Among Severe-moderate TBI Patients.

S11.04 - The INFORM-TBI Vision: Building a Global Framework for Biomarker Validation and Clinical Implementation.

(SESSION)Tuesday - Exhibition and Poster Reception - Poster Group B (POB)

A Chemically Gated Platform for Precise Control of Viral Gene Expression in the Central Nervous System

A Weighted K-Nearest Neighbor Machine Learning Approach for Parcellating Brain Cortical Functional Regions in Finite Element Head Models

Action Collaborative on Traumatic Brain Injury Care: Longitudinal Patient Characteristics From an Early Single-Center Post-Acute Clinic

Acute CT Findings and Their Relation to Outcome in a Large Prospective Norwegian Cohort of Patients With Moderate and Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

Acute Changes in Circulating MicroRNAs Indicate Neuronal Stress Following Repetitive Sub-Concussive Blast: INVICTA Study

Adult Hypertension as a Clinically-Relevant Comorbidity Augmenting Cognitive Deficits, Anxiety, and Pathological Outcomes After TBI in Pediatric and Adult Rats

Age-Adjusted Normative Data Improves Interpretation of Serum Neurofilament Light Associations with Neurologic and Extracranial Injury After Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury

Alterations in Cerebral Blood Flow Associated with White Matter Hyperintensities Following Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)

Association of Systemic Hospital Complications with Functional Disability After Moderate to Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: A TRACK-TBI Study

Beyond Glasgow Coma Scale: Applying the Comprehensive Brain Injury Model to Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury

CT-Independent Mortality Prediction After Traumatic Brain Injury Using Soft-Voting Machine Learning: A Multicenter Study

Chronic Pain Following Mild Concussive-like Injury: Development of a Rat Model

Closed-Head Diffuse Traumatic Brain Injury Alters the Gut Microbiome in Female Pigs

Concussive Injury Modulates Neurogenesis and Circuit Function in Human Forebrain Organoids

Differentiating Concussion-Related and Organic Phenotypes of Depression in Former Collegiate Athletes: A CARE-SALTOS Integrated Study-Based Analysis

Elevated Intracranial Pressure Alters Astrocyte-Related Protein Expression, Localization, and Solute Clearance Following Traumatic Brain Injury in Rats.

Female Mice Exhibit Amplified Cortical Metabolic Responses Following Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Headache Burden Independently Predicts Impairment in Cognitive Performance in Persisting Post-Concussion Symptoms

Hydrogen Inhalation Attenuates Oxidative Stress After Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury

Implantable Flexible Head-Mounted Circuit Interface for Neural Recording and Stimulation in Freely Moving Spinal Cord–Injured Mice

Implementation of a Standardized Framework to Mitigate Challenges in Imaging Repository Organization for Large Multisite Studies

Liposomal Dexamethasone Delivery Reduces Neuroinflammation and Amyloid Pathology in APP/PS1 Mice Following Traumatic Brain Injury

Modeling CTE-Associated Pathological Features: A Human 3D In Vitro Triculture System for Mild Repetitive Injury.

Neurological Blood-Based Biomarkers of Chronic Exposure to Intimate Partner Violence Caused Brain Injury – Preliminary Study

Optical Characterization of Cerebral Pulsatility During Postural Intracranial Pressure Changes: A Feasibility Study

Phrenic Proprioceptor Activation Induces Plasticity and Is Associated With c-Fos Activation Within the Phrenic Motor Nucleus

Putting a Damper on TBI: Identifying Injury-Derived Progressive Transcriptional Regulation Occurring within Midbrain Inhibitory GABAergic Neuron Populations

Role of Neuronal CCR5 in Spinal Cord Injury

Sex- and Stress-Dependent Relationships With NOP Receptor Modulation on Cerebral Blood Flow and Neurotrophin Signaling After Traumatic Brain Injury

Sex-Specific Glial Remodeling and Sleep Fragmentation Disrupt Growth Hormone Signaling After Juvenile Traumatic Brain Injury

Targeting Microbial Poly-N-acetylglucosamine Reduces Neuroinflammation and Improves Neurological Outcomes Following Traumatic Brain Injury

The COVID Effect: National Changes in Neurotrauma Injury Patterns, Imaging, and Resource Utilization in U.S. Emergency Departments

The Prevalence of Multiple Concussions in Professional Football Players: A Scoping Review

Transcranial Neuromodulation for Epileptogenesis Prevention in the Sleep-Disrupted Injured Brain

Translational Trauma Model Defines Dose-Response, Repair Mechanisms, and Biomarkers of Adenosine Receptor Agonist AST-004 in Human Astrocytes

Traumatic Brain Injury and HSV-1 Infection Interact To Alter Post-Injury Sleep Architecture in Mice

(SESSION)Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony

(SESSION)PL03: Harnessing Sensory Afferents to Restore Function After Spinal Cord Injury: From Breathing to Bladder and Beyond

Session Description:

Restoration of function after spinal cord injury (SCI) remains a major goal in spinal cord injury research. A growing body of evidence highlights the powerful role of sensory afferents in driving neuroplasticity and promoting functional recovery. This symposium will bring together a diverse panel of investigators who are advancing our understanding of how targeted activation of sensory afferents can be leveraged to restore critical physiological and motor functions including breathing, locomotion, and bladder control following SCI.

Dr. Paloma Bittencourt-Silva will discuss recent work demonstrating that phrenic nerve and diaphragm stimulation can engage sensory afferents to enhance respiratory motor output and improve breathing after cervical SCI. Dr. Erica Dale will highlight how epidural spinal stimulation can recruit afferent pathways to promote respiratory plasticity and function. Extending beyond breathing, Dr. Aaron Mickle will present findings on how selective activation of afferents can improve bladder control and autonomic function after SCI. Finally, Dr. Andrew Spence will discuss how afferent stimulation strategies can facilitate locomotor recovery through modulation of spinal networks.

Together, these talks will showcase converging evidence that sensory afferent activation represents a powerful and underutilized therapeutic target to promote recovery across multiple systems. The session will stimulate discussion on mechanistic underpinnings, translational challenges, and future directions for afferent-targeted interventions to improve quality of life after SCI.

PL03 - Chair

PL03 - Chair

PL03.01 - Activating Phrenic Afferents to Enhance Respiratory Recovery after Cervical SCI

PL03.02 - Afferent Contributions to Epidural Stimulation-induced Respiratory Neuroplasticity

PL03.03 - Targeted Neuromodulation of Sensory Neurons for Improvement of the Lower Urinary Tract Function Following SCI

PL03.04 - Chemogenetic Afferent stimulation with Treadmill Training to Promote Plasticity and Locomotor Function after SCI

(SESSION)PG02 - Poster Group B I Day 2

(SESSION)S13 - Vascular Responses to Neurotrauma

Session Description:

The neurovascular system plays a critical role in both the acute and chronic responses to brain and spinal cord injury. This session will explore how trauma disrupts vascular integrity, alters cerebral blood flow, and contributes to secondary injury cascades that shape long-term outcomes. Presentations will integrate clinical and preclinical perspectives to highlight how structural and functional imaging, histopathological assessment, and biomarker studies reveal key features of vascular and blood–brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction after neurotrauma.

Speakers will discuss advances in neuroimaging approaches to visualize vascular injury in vivo, including high-resolution MRI and advanced ultrasound imaging techniques that capture brain and spinal cord blood flow as well as microvascular hemodynamics. Pathological analyses will detail cellular and molecular changes in the vasculature - ranging from endothelial damage and pericyte loss to inflammatory, metabolic, and mitochondrial contributions to vascular dysfunction.

By bridging translational research across traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spinal cord injury (SCI), this session aims to identify common mechanisms and therapeutic opportunities that target vascular dysfunction and enable neuroprotection. Attendees will gain a comprehensive view of how vascular pathology influences neural recovery and how emerging tools can be leveraged to improve diagnosis, prognosis, and intervention strategies after neurotrauma.

S13 - Chair

S13 - Chair

S13.01 - Vascular and BBB Pathology After SCI

S13.02 - Mitochondrial-related Vascular Changes After Blast TBI

S13.03 - Clinical Biomarkers and Perivascular Changes After TBI

S13.04 - MRI-based Perfusion Imaging in Neurotrauma

(SESSION)S14 - Understanding White Matter Dynamics Linking Mild TBI and Psychiatric Burden: Insights from Advanced Neuroimaging and Therapeutic Development

Session Description

Damage to and degeneration of white matter are particularly consequential, given its critical role in communication between brain regions. Emerging evidence suggests that traumatic brain injury (TBI) and psychiatric burden are linked to white matter damage through overlapping yet distinct biological processes. However, how these processes differ, evolve over time, and relate to functional outcomes remains unclear, as few in-vivo imaging methods can independently detect these subtle changes.

This session features an integrated framework of cross-sectional and longitudinal neuroimaging approaches to assess white matter microstructural brain health. Spanning clinical cohorts, MRI modalities, and preclinical models, this collaborative platform highlights how white matter disruption evolves over time, contributes to functional and clinical outcomes, and informs therapeutic development. The first presentation will introduce the biological interpretability of longitudinal white matter microstructural changes following concussion in a juvenile rodent model. The second will transition to human clinical mTBI, presenting longitudinal data from the TRACK-TBI study and emphasizing “what the injury brings to the brain, and what the brain brings to the injury.” The third will build on this framework by examining TBI-related changes in white matter integrity in a longitudinal cohort of trauma survivors. The fourth will extend these concepts to Veterans, presenting longitudinal evidence of tissue contrast changes, with trajectories varying by neurotrauma history and demonstrating accelerated age-related decline in the presence of psychiatric conditions. The final presentation will return to a preclinical perspective, highlighting potential white matter-related therapeutic targets and reinforcing the translational relevance of these findings.

Across these datasets, regionally specific alterations provide converging evidence of neural vulnerability across injury mechanisms, psychiatric burden, and aging. These presentations underscore the translational potential of harmonized, cross-cohort imaging approaches to link white matter characteristics with functional outcomes and therapeutic insight.

S14 - Chair

S14 - Chair

S14.02 - White Matter Changes in Patients from the TRACK-TBI Study: What the Injury Brings to the Brain, and What the Brain Brings to the Injury

S14.03 - Trauma-related Changes in Diffusion Metrics Across Post-traumatic Recovery and Associations with Symptoms Over Time: Findings from the AURORA Study

S14.04 - Longitudinal Trajectories of Cortical Interface and White Matter Health in Veterans with mTBI and Psychiatric Disorders

S14.05 - Acute Treatment for Axon Damage and White Matter Degeneration in Experimental Traumatic Brain Injury

(SESSION)S15 - Bridging Circuit-Behavior Dysfunction in Preclinical TBI with Advanced Brain Recording Methods

Session Description:

Modern neuroscience emphasizes neural circuits. Historically, preclinical TBI has focused on the location of injury and pathology as well as the specific type or model of injury. However, understanding precisely how injury affects interconnected circuits as well as how adaptation during recovery alters the function of these circuits will be critical to developing meaningful treatments. Measurements of circuit function require appropriate targeted behavioral measurements to enable the use of this high-resolution data. The current session will describe advances in these areas to enable circuit-focused and translational models of preclinical TBI.

Miranda Koloski (University of California-San Diego, confirmed) will present results from multi-site electrode arrays to better understand impaired behavioral flexibility after injury. Neil Harris (University of California-Los Angeles, confirmed) will describe the use of functional ultrasound imaging to capture brain-wide dynamics after concussion during a head-fixed discrimination task. Cole Vonder Haar (Ohio State University, confirmed) will show behavioral and on-task fiber photometry data that identifies the nucleus accumbens as a locus of reward-learning deficits. John Wolf (University of Pennsylvania, confirmed) will present high-density electrophysiology data from awake, behaving rats and pigs following TBI.

At the conclusion of this session, attendees will have a better understanding of how modern methods for brain recording can be applied to questions of circuit dysfunction after TBI.

S15 - Chair

S15 - Chair

S15.01 - Examining Disrupted Structure and Network Function in Cortico-striatal Circuits After TBI

S15.02 - Capturing Simultaneous Behavior and Circuit Dysfunction During and After Repeat Concussion in the Mouse with Functional Ultrasound

S15.03 -Real-time Calcium Activity Reveals Nucleus Accumbens Dysfunction After Frontal Injury   

S15.04 - Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Limbic Circuit Dysfunction following TBI: High-Density Electrophysiology During Motivated Behavior in Rats and Pigs

(SESSION)S16 - Unraveling Sleep and Circadian Pathways in Neurotrauma

Session Description

Sleep and circadian rhythm disturbances are nearly universal after brain injury, yet their role in neural repair and recovery remains underrecognized. Beyond contributing to fatigue and cognitive slowing, disrupted sleep actively influences neural circuit function, neuroinflammation, and immune regulation; key processes that govern both early outcomes and long-term recovery.

Organized by trainees from underrepresented backgrounds, this trainee-led symposium integrates mechanistic and translational perspectives to examine how sleep and circadian biology can be leveraged to promote recovery after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Emerging evidence demonstrates that improving sleep quality, timing, and structure can directly influence these mechanisms, positioning sleep as a promising therapeutic target. Experimental studies using non-invasive modulation of cortical excitability reveal how repetitive brain injury alters sleep-dependent network dynamics, while advanced actigraphy now enables precise assessment of sleep fragmentation and circadian misalignment across species. Clinically, poor sleep is an independent predictor of persistent post-concussion symptoms and may exacerbate stress-related immune responses, including viral reactivation.

Alyson Stewart will discuss sleep disruption–induced reactivation of Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1 after TBI. Ian Díaz Nieves will examine MCH neuron dysfunction in the lateral hypothalamus following mild TBI. Rebecca Boland will describe microglial contributions to the neuroimmune environment under combined TBI and sleep fragmentation. Nija White will present how repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation influences sleep efficiency and astrogliosis via adenosine metabolism. Rida Ismail will highlight the clinical impact of poor sleep on persistent post-concussion syndrome. A concluding panel will bridge laboratory insights with translational and clinical applications.

S16 - Chair

S16 - Chair

S16.01 - Sleep Disruption as a Driver of HSV-1 Reactivation After Traumatic Brain Injury

S16.02 - Understanding the Contribution of Hypothalamic MCH Neurons in Sleep Disruptions After mild TBI 

S16.03 - Defining Microglia-Mediated Neuroinflammation in Traumatic Brain Injury with Sleep Fragmentation

S16.04 - Effects of Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation on Sleep and Astrogliosis Following Repetitive Traumatic Brain Injury

S16.05 - Integrating Sleep Metrics and Neuromodulation to Predict Recovery after Concussion

(SESSION)S17 - Emerging Roles for Inflammation in Neurotrauma

Session Description

Neurotrauma is accompanied by complex neuro-immune interactions that substantially contribute to long-term outcomes. However, nonspecific anti-inflammatory therapies fail to improve recovery following neurotrauma and can even worsen functional recovery and morbidity. Thus, a better understanding of the damaging and reparative functions of inflammation is necessary for advancing immune-focused therapies. In this session, we will present novel findings on the critical roles of central and peripheral immunity in spinal cord injury (SCI) and traumatic brain injury (TBI). Dr. Angela Filous will discuss the mechanisms for SCI-induced immune depression syndrome and how it worsens neurological outcomes, using a clinically relevant mouse model of acquired pneumonia after SCI. Dr. Olga Kokiko-Cochran will present on the neuroimmune responses to the loss of glucocorticoid receptor on microglia after lateral fluid percussion injury in mice. Dr. Andrew Gaudet will describe his recent findings that reveal how targeting the circadian system benefits microglia and macrophage responses and neurologic recovery after SCI. Dr. Dylan McCreedy, the session chair, will discuss how early innate immune cells can promote long-term recovery after SCI in a sex-dependent manner. Collectively, this session will highlight the current state of knowledge on the complex consequences of inflammation in neurotrauma to inform the next generation of neuroprotective and regenerative strategies for SCI and TBI.

S17 - Chair

S17.01 - Skull Bone Marrow-derived Cells in TBI

S17.02 - Defining the Role of Microglia Glucocorticoid Receptor in Outcome After Brain Injury

S17.03 - Circadian Control of Neuroprotection After Spinal Cord Injury

S17.04 - Neutrophils Promote Resolution of Inflammation and Functional Recovery After Spinal cord Injury

(SESSION)S18 - Caring for the Whole Community: Considerations of Patient Demographics in Neurotrauma

Session Description

Advances in neurotrauma research and clinical care have significantly improved outcomes for many individuals affected by traumatic brain injury (TBI) and spinal cord injury (SCI). However, measurable differences in access to treatment, participation in research, and long-term recovery outcomes remain across these patient populations and care settings. These variations may reflect differences in socioeconomic factors, healthcare infrastructure, geographic location, and system-level access to specialized neurotrauma services and rehabilitation options.

This session will bring together neurotrauma experts across both basic science and translational research and clinical care to examine factors contributing to variable outcomes across both the TBI and SCI patient populations. Presenters will address patterns in neurotrauma research participation and clinical care delivery, with emphasis on populations who are more at risk for poor outcomes, injury management, optimizing treatment and rehabilitation access, and recovery pathways for both TBI and SCI patients. This session will also highlight current limitations to the existing research that hinder a comprehensive understanding of outcome variability. Collectively, these perspectives will highlight opportunities to improve outcomes for all individuals affected by TBI and SCI through more comprehensive data, broader research participation, and equitable access to high-quality care.

S18 - Chair

S18 - Chair

S18.01 - Historical Lessons from the Professional Football: Neurotrauma Race Norms and Concussion Payout

S18.02 - Social determinants of TBI in adults

S18.03 - Health Disparities in the Care, Management and Outcomes following Pediatric TBI

S18.04 - Socioeconomic Status Effect on Spinal Coordinate Injury Rehabilitation

(SESSION)WS01 - Designing and Delivering Effective Chalk Talks

Session Description

Chalk talks are often a much-feared, yet critical, aspect of faculty job interviews and research presentations. This workshop prepares early career scientists to deliver compelling chalk talks. Through a structured presentation with opportunities for interactive discussion throughout, participants will learn how to clearly articulate their scientific vision, outline future research directions, and engage faculty audiences without relying on slides.

The session will highlight the expectations and common formats of chalk talks, strategies for balancing technical depth with accessibility, and methods for demonstrating independence and feasibility. Presenters will share practical advice drawn from experience on both sides of the interview process, offering insights into how to avoid common pitfalls and strengthen delivery.

By the end of the workshop, attendees will have a clear framework for preparing and presenting a confident and compelling chalk talk that communicates their research and scientific goals.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the purpose and expectations of chalk talks in academic interviews.
• Learn strategies to effectively communicate research vision and independent viewpoint.
• Gain practical tips for handling questions and maintaining clarity under pressure.

Target Audience:
Senior graduate students, postdoctoral researchers, and junior faculty preparing for faculty interviews or seeking to strengthen their ability to present research plans in chalk talk format.

Participants will leave with actionable guidance, increased confidence, and a roadmap for delivering an effective chalk talk.
 

WS01 - Chair

WS01.01 - Speaker

(SESSION)WS02 - Preclinical CDEs

(SESSION)S19 - How TBI may Accelerate the Development of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia (ADRD)?

Session Description:

Emerging evidence from clinical and preclinical studies suggests that traumatic brain injury (TBI) may accelerate the progression of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia (ADRD), though the evidence remains inconclusive. Further questions about the roles of TBI severity and number of TBI events have also been unresolved to date, but data suggest they are important factors in accelerating ADRD progression. Plasma and cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers enable a minimally invasive assessment of the onset and progression of pathobiological changes after TBI, but outside of acute measures, long-term evolution in biomarker profiles has not been established. This session proposal will bridge the gap between the role of acute and long-term pathobiological changes after TBI focused primarily on ADRD pathobiology. To address these gaps, Jaclyn Iannucci will update on the immune linkages between TBI and future progression to ADRD. Paul Territo will examine how TBI and AD neurovascular coupling abnormalities share similar phenomena in both clinical subjects and preclinical models of disease. Rachel Rowe will describe how fragmented sleep may be a mechanistic link between TBI and ADRD. Finally, clinical and preclinical biomarker studies are showing great promise in assessing the role of TBI in ADRD progression and will be discussed by Denes Agoston. In summary, this session will lay the foundation for future investigations and future directions about how a heterogeneous TBI may confer increased risk for development of ADRD.

S19 - Chair

S19 - Chair

S19.01 - Blood Borne Protein Biomarker Signatures of TBI-induced Vascular Injury in the Development of ADRD

S19.02 - Assessing the role of Closed Head Injury on Neurovascular Uncoupling and Network Function

S19.03 - Exploring Immune Mechanisms in Preclinical Traumatic Brain Injury: Insights into Alzheimer's Disease Pathogenesis.

S19.04 - Fragmented Sleep as a Mechanistic Link Between Traumatic Brain Injury and Alzheimer’s Disease–Related Dementia

(SESSION)S20 - Understanding Cause and Effect in Neurotrauma: A Practical Introduction for Researchers and Clinicians

Session Description:

Understanding Cause and Effect in Neurotrauma: A Practical Introduction for Researchers and Clinicians

After a TBI or SCI, countless biological, clinical, and environmental factors interact in ways that are difficult to untangle. As a field, we often ask questions like: Why do two patients with similar injuries recover differently? Which treatments truly help, not just correlate with better outcomes?How can we learn from realworld clinical data when randomized trials aren’t feasible?  To answer these types of causeandeffect questions, we need to apply causal reasoning and modern data science instead of traditional statistical approaches. This session will introduce these ideas in a simple, intuitive, and scientifically grounded way through examples. Large randomized controlled trials may not always be feasible to answer important clinical questions due to ethical, logistical and/or financial reasons. Causal inference methods applied to data from large observational studies offer a valuable solution to such problems and opportunities to: 1) Distinguish correlation from cause and effect, 2) Design better studies, even using existing data, 3) Identify mechanisms that drive recovery or deterioration, 4) Evaluate the realworld impact of diagnostics, treatments, and rehabilitation strategies, 5) Discover new intervention targets by understanding how factors influence one another, and 6) Make more confident clinical and scientific inferences when randomized clinical trials are not possible. Participants will walk away with a practical understanding of how causal thinking can help us to better understand complex neurotrauma data, improve the studies they undertake, strengthen evidence, and ultimately guide decisionmaking. This session will show, through concrete examples, how these methods can meaningfully strengthen neurotrauma research.

S20 - Chair

S20 - Chiar

S20.01 - An Introduction to Causal Inference

S20.02 - Neurotrauma, Inflammation and Patient Outcomes: Connecting the dots with Causal Inference

S20.03 - Application of Dynamic Treatment Regimes for Personalized Hemodynamic Treatment in Spinal Cord Injury

S20.04 - Discovering the Causal Dynamics of TBI from large datasets. Use Case in Sports Concussion with CARE data

(SESSION)S21 - Novel Biomarkers for Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury in the Eras of Precision Medicine and CBI-M

Session Description

Recovery from pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI) is driven by complex, dynamic biological processes that evolve over time, contributing to striking heterogeneity in outcomes that limits accurate prognostication and targeted treatment. In the era of precision medicine, existing physiological, neuroimaging, and protein biomarkers have fallen short in capturing this complexity particularly in children, highlighting the urgent need for novel and age-specific biomarkers to guide individualized care.

This need has become even more salient with the introduction of the CBI-M (Clinical, Biomarker, Imaging, Modifiers) framework, which emphasizes the integration of multimodal data to refine TBI classification, improve prognostic precision, and enhance trial design. Within this emerging framework, the dearth of validated pediatric biomarkers remains a critical research gap.

In this symposium, four investigators will present cutting-edge research in novel biomarkers of pediatric TBI, spanning preclinical and clinical studies. Biomarkers to be discussed include: (1) acute differential DNA methylation in the BDNF gene in children with TBI versus orthopedic injury; (2) multimodal biomarkers following experimental pediatric TBI: exploring molecular, physiological, and neurobehavioral domains during adolescence and adulthood phases, along with overlapping clinically-relevant factors such as early life stress or hypertension comorbidity; (3) age-related variations in expression of GFAP and UCHL1 following pediatric TBI; and (4) white matter maturation in children and juvenile mice with mild TBI. Strengths, limitations, and future directions for each biomarker will be considered in the context of advancing precision medicine for pediatric TBI and informing biomarker-driven components of the CBI-M framework.

S21 - Chair

S21.01 - Differential DNA Methylation of the Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Gene after Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury Compared to Orthopedic Injury

S21.02 - Bridging Mechanisms and Medicine: Integrative Biomarkers and Therapeutic Advances after Pediatric Brain Trauma

S21.03 - Exploring Age Specific Biomarker Expression in Pediatric Traumatic Brain Injury

S21.04 - Altered White Matter Maturation After Concussion Linked to Anxious Behaviours in Children and Mice

(SESSION)S22 - Axis of Recovery: Gut, Microbiome, and Nutrition after Spinal Cord Injury

Session Description:

Recent advances have highlighted the profound impact of spinal cord injury (SCI) on gut function and microbiome composition, extending far beyond locomotor and sensory dysfunction. Building on this foundation, this session will explore the emerging science of the gut-brain and gut-lung axis in SCI, focusing on how disruptions in gastrointestinal function and microbiome composition can drive pathology and impede recovery both in animals and humans with SCI.

The symposium will examine how SCI-induced changes in gut integrity, motility, and microbial diversity and function contribute to lung pathology, systemic complications, metabolic dysfunction, and impaired neurorecovery. Attendees will gain insights into nutritional strategies, microbiome-targeted interventions, and innovative dietary approaches—such as ketogenic therapy—that hold promise for improving outcomes.

Our panel reflects the collaborative and inclusive spirit of the NNS meeting, featuring a diverse group of experts evenly split between females and males and representing all career stages in basic and clinical research—from medical student to senior faculty. This diversity ensures a rich exchange of perspectives and experiences, enhancing the depth and relevance of the discussion.

S22 - Chair

S22.02 - The Gut-lung Axis in Lung Injury After Acute SCI

S22.03 - The Impact of Ketogenic Diet on Neurorecovery in Acute SCI

S22.04 - Nutritional Interventions Targeting Metabolism and Gut Microbiome after SCI

(SESSION)S23 - Scientific Rigor or Mortis: Are the TBI Biomechanics of Our Models Clinically Valid?

Session Description:

The biomechanics of traumatic brain injury (TBI) have been studied for centuries. However, while the biomechanical parameters of some preclinical models have been clinically validated as have their resulting pathologies, many other models lack this critical clinical comparison. This session will explore biomechanical and neuropathological aspects of various common TBI preclinical models in context with current understanding of human TBI biomechanics and consequent neuropathologies. These models will include various forms of head rotational acceleration, cortical impact, fluid percussion and blast exposure in large and small animals in comparison to the corresponding human conditions. In addition to highlighting the historical and the latest relevant literature, we will provide new data including high-speed video and sensor recording of the preclinical TBI models and analyze how they scale, or don’t, to human TBI biomechanics.

S23 - Chair

S23.01 - Neuropathologies of Animal Models of TBI in Comparison to Human TBI

S23.02 - Multiscale Modeling of TBI

S23.03 - High Speed vVdeo and Sensor Analyses of Animal Models of TBI and Relevance to Human TBI Conditions

S23.04 - TBI Biomechanics and Calibration of Animal Models to Human Conditions

(SESSION)S24 - Advances in Cell Therapy for Neural Repair

Session Description

This proposed session will present the latest advancements in cell-based therapies for spinal cord repair, featuring a panel of leading investigators spanning stem cell engineering, pre-clinical transplantation, large-animal translation, and clinical implementation. Cell therapy has emerged as one of the most promising strategies for restoring neural circuitry after spinal cord injury, supported by robust experimental evidence and accelerating translational progress. Co-chaired by Drs. Michael Fehlings (University of Toronto) and Michael Lane (Drexel University), the session will highlight how innovations in stem cell biology, neural engineering, and combinatorial therapeutic strategies are converging to advance spinal cord repair. Presentations will address recent breakthroughs in neuronal progenitor engineering, donor–host integration, large-animal validation, and clinical translation, with emphasis on how targeted cell transplantation paired with supportive interventions can promote durable neural repair and functional recovery.

S24 - Chair

S24 - Chair

S24.01 - Neuromodulation for Harnessing Donor-Cell Activity and Networking After Spinal Cord Injury

S24.03 - Extensive Restoration of Forelimb Function in Primates With Spinal Cord Injury by Neural Stem Cell Transplantation

S24.04 - Evaluating Synaptic Integration of Transplanted Engineered Neural Stem Cells in Spinal Cord Injury

(SESSION)Closing Ceremony