Director's Messages

Each September, Pain Awareness month gives us an opportunity to reflect on the needs of the millions of people with chronic pain, as well as the research that we hope will better prevent and treat it.

Earlier this summer, NINDS hosted our annual Nonprofit Forum, an annual event in which nonprofit leaders can network with colleagues and engage in discussions with NINDS staff. This year, considerable attention was paid to the emerging field of gene-targeted treatments for multiple neurological conditions.

The annual NINDS Nonprofit Forum, taking place July 24-25, 2023, brings together organizations that represent the many neurological diseases within the NINDS portfolio. It’s a valuable venue for the organizations to collaborate and share lessons learned among themselves; and for NINDS to understand how we can most effectively work with organizations to address research needs and challenges.

On June 12-13, 2023, NIH will host the 9th Annual Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies® (BRAIN) Initiative Meeting.

For over a decade, NINDS has worked to bring increased attention to the importance of scientific rigor and transparency. Now, I am delighted to share that NINDS is launching two new initiatives to further engage the research community in this work.

May is National Stroke Awareness Month, a time to raise awareness about the symptoms and risk factors of stroke. The latter is so important as most strokes are thought to be preventable with lifelong control of risk factors, especially high blood pressure.

April is Parkinson’s Disease Awareness Month, chosen because it is the birth month of James Parkinson, who first identified the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease more than 200 years ago. Since then, we have made considerable progress towards understanding what causes the motor symptoms we most associate with Parkinson’s disease (PD).

At NINDS, we are committed to supporting researchers across career stages whose work advances our mission to further our understanding of the brain and nervous system and to use that knowledge to reduce suffering due to neurological disorders. An important part of this support lies in providing accessible and up-to-date web information about how we fund research.

Although SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, was initially identified as a respiratory virus, its effects on the nervous system have been profound.

For over ten years, NINDS has participated in Brain Awareness Week, taking place in 2023 from March 13 – 19, as a weeklong celebration of both the complexity and mystery of the brain. At NINDS, we strive to gain a deeper understanding of the brain and nervous system to develop effective therapies for all people with neurological disorders and stroke.