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July 13, 2026

Applications open July 28 for the Global Scholars and Future Ambassadors Scholarship to the Annual Meeting, a prestigious award that supports early career neurologists and neurology trainees outside the United States who are committed to advancing neurology in their home regions. Recipients receive Annual Meeting registration, airfare and hotel support, and access to customized virtual and on-site training and networking opportunities designed to help them build lasting connections and find a professional home with the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­.

The program is designed to do more than bring scholars to the world’s largest gathering of neurologists. It helps them become future ambassadors for neurological care, research, education, and advocacy—connecting promising physicians and investigators with longtime Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ members, collaborators, and peers who can help accelerate their impact long after the Annual Meeting ends.

As part of the award experience, scholars are asked to share their key takeaways from the Annual Meeting with their local neurology community from the Annual Meeting once they return to their home country.

Making global connections

For Sara Samadzadeh, MD, PhD, an Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ member at Charité–Universitätsmedizin Berlin in Germany, the scholarship offered exactly the kind of global connection she was seeking. Already active with the European Academy of Neurology and the European Charcot Foundation, Samadzadeh applied because she wanted to broaden her international collaborations, engage with the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ community, and build relationships for future research.

At the 2026 Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ Annual Meeting in Chicago, those connections quickly became one of the defining parts of her experience. 

“One highlight was meeting researchers and clinicians from very different backgrounds who were all open to collaboration and new ideas,” Samadzadeh said. The experience came at a pivotal moment as she was starting her independent research group through the Einstein Foundation Berlin award. “The discussions in Chicago strongly influenced how I am shaping the group’s vision and future collaborations.”

Samadzadeh’s research focuses on computational neuroimmunology in diseases such as MS, NMOSD, and MOGAD, integrating clinical data, fluid and imaging biomarkers, and patient-reported outcomes with machine learning and AI models. Her goal is to better characterize pre-disease states, disease phenotypes, progression, and treatment response—"work that could help advance more personalized, data-driven care in neuroimmunology,” she said.

Through the Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­, Samadzadeh found a broader network to help move that work forward.

“The Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ has helped me expand my international collaborations and connect with experts across different areas of neurology,” she said. “The Annual Meeting created opportunities for future multicenter projects and strengthened the translational perspective of my work, particularly in applying computational and biomarker-driven approaches to real-world clinical questions and patient care.”

Applications open July 28 through October 20

If you’re an early career neurologist interested in turning the 2027 Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ Annual Meeting experience into a catalyst for research collaboration, career development, and better neurological care in communities around the world, then this award may be for you!

Applicants must be Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ members and must submit an abstract to the 2027 Annual Meeting, which will take place May 1–5 in Washington, DC. Learn more about eligibility requirements for the Global Scholars and Future Ambassadors Scholarship. 

Not an Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ member yet? Explore our membership options.

For more information about the Global Scholars and Future Ambassadors Scholarship to the Annual Meeting, email Sophie Durbin, Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»­ Global Engagement Manager.