Awards & Lectures – International Stroke Conference

ISC 2023 Award Winners

See all Past ISC Award Winners and Distinguished Lectors (PDF)

William M. Feinberg Award for Excellence in Clinical Stroke Award
José Biller, MD, FACP, FAAN, FANA, FAHA

David G Sherman Lecture Award
George Howard, DrPH

Thomas Willis Lecture Award
Zena Vexler, PhD

Ralph L. Sacco Outstanding Stroke Research Mentor Award
Cheryl Bushnell, MD, MHS, FAHA

Edgar J Kenton III Lecture Award
Cheryl Bushnell, MD, MHS, FAHA

Mordecai Y.T. Globus New Investigator Award
Shun-Ming Ting, MS

Stroke Basic Science Award
Daniela Renedo, MD

Stroke Care in Emergency Medicine Award
Brian Mac Grory, MB BCh BAO, MRCP, FAHA

Robert G. Siekert New Investigator Award in Stroke
Eva Mistry, MBBS, MSCI, FAHA

Stroke Rehabilitation Award
Kent P. Simmonds, DO, PhD

Vascular Cognitive Impairment Award
Kyle Kern, MD, MS

Nomination Awards


Thomas Willis Award

This award recognizes contributions to the investigation and management of stroke – basic science.

Criteria: Thomas Willis Lecture (Printable PDF)

Note: Nominee cannot previously have been the recipient of any of the following awards: Feinberg Award, Willis Award or David Sherman Award.

Deadline: Nomination materials must be sent via e-mail no later than Monday, October 3, 2022. Nominations and/or support letters arriving after this date cannot be considered and hard copies of the materials will not be accepted.

Send all materials in one email to:
Ashley Savage
[email protected]
214.706.1009

Outstanding Stroke Research Mentor Award

This award recognizes the outstanding achievements in the mentoring of future generations of researchers in the field of cerebrovascular disease. Although recipients are expected to be successful physician scientists, the award recognizes mentorship rather than scientific accomplishment, emphasizing the training experiences and successes of the nominee’s mentees, not the mentor’s personal career achievements.

Outstanding Stroke Research Mentor Award (Printable PDF)

Note: Previous recipients of the Feinberg or Willis Awards will be considered for the Stroke Research Mentor Award only in extreme circumstances when winning two awards in a career is clearly merited. Recipient cannot have won either the Feinberg Award or the Willis Award in the past seven years.

Deadline: Nomination materials must be sent via e-mail no later than Monday, October 3, 2022.  Nominations and/or support letters arriving after this date cannot be considered and hard copies of the materials will not be accepted.

Send all materials in one email to:
Ashley Savage
[email protected]
214.706.1009

Pre-Con III: HEADS-UP – Edgar J. Kenton III Lecture

The Kenton Award recipient presents a lecture directly or indirectly related to race-ethnic stroke disparities each year at the Pre-Con III Symposium HEADS-UP: Health Equity and Actionable Disparities in Stroke: Understanding and Problem-solving of the International Stroke Conference (ISC). This award recognizes lifetime contributions to the investigation, management, mentorship and community service in the field of race-ethnic stroke disparities or related disciplines.

Criteria: Edgar J. Kenton Lecture (Printable PDF)

Deadline: Nomination materials must be sent via e-mail no later than Monday, October 3, 2022. Nominations and/or support letters arriving after this date cannot be considered and hard copies of the materials will not be accepted.

Send all materials in one email to:
Ashley Savage
[email protected]
214.706.1009

William M. Feinberg Award for Excellence in Clinical Stroke

The award recognizes ongoing contributions to the investigation and management of stroke – clinical science.

Criteria: William M. Feinberg Award for Excellence in Clinical Stroke (Printable PDF)

Note: Nominee cannot previously have been the recipient of any of the following awards: Feinberg Award, Willis Award or David Sherman Award.

Deadline: Nomination materials must be sent via e-mail no later than Monday, October 3, 2022. Nominations and/or support letters arriving after this date cannot be considered and hard copies of the materials will not be accepted.

Send all materials in one email to:
Ashley Savage
[email protected]
214.706.1009

David G. Sherman Lecture

This award recognizes lifetime contributions to investigation, management, mentorship and community service in the stroke field.

David G. Sherman Lecture (Printable PDF)

Note: Previous recipients of the Feinberg or Willis Awards will be considered for the Sherman only in extreme circumstances when winning two awards in a career is clearly merited. Recipient cannot have won either the Feinberg Award or the Willis Award in the past seven years.

Deadline: Nomination materials must be sent via e-mail no later than Monday, October 3, 2022. Nominations and/or support letters arriving after this date cannot be considered and hard copies of the materials will not be accepted.

Send all materials in one email to:
Ashley Savage
[email protected]
214.706.1009

2022 Award Winners

See all Past ISC Award Winners and Distinguished Lectors (PDF)

William M. Feinberg Award for Excellence in Clinical Stroke Award
Karen Johnston MD, MSc

David G Sherman Lecture Award
Hee-Joon Bae, MD, PhD, FAHA

Thomas Willis Lecture Award
Gary Rosenberg, MD

Outstanding Stroke Research Mentor Award
Bradford Worrall, MD

Edgar J Kenton III Lecture Award
Moira K Kapral, MD, MS, FRCP

Mordecai Y.T. Globus New Investigator Award
Julian Acosta, MD

Stroke Basic Science Award
Eunsu Park, PhD

Stroke Care in Emergency Medicine Award
May Nour, MD

Robert G. Siekert New Investigator Award in Stroke
Peipei Pan, PhD and Yejie Shi, MD

Stroke Rehabilitation Award
Julie DiCarlo, MS

Vascular Cognitive Impairment Award
Michelle Johansen, MD

Abstract-based Awards


Junior Investigator Travel Grants for ISC

The International Stroke Conference 2023 Travel Awards for Junior Investigators encourage and support the efforts of early career investigators in cerebrovascular disease research and encourage participation in the International Stroke Conference by providing travel funds to attend the International Stroke Conference 2023, present research in oral or poster format, and engage in discussion with senior investigators.

Criteria: Junior Investigator Travel Grants for ISC (Printable PDF)

Application Deadline
Abstracts must be submitted by August 23, 2022, 11:59 p.m. CDT. Supporting documents must be submitted by August 29, 2022, 11 p.m. CDT.

For questions, please contact:
Telephone: 214.706.1009
E-mail: [email protected]

Mordecai Y. T. Globus New Investigator Award in Stroke

This award recognizes Dr. Mordecai Y.T. Globus' major contributions to research in cerebrovascular disease and his outstanding contributions to the elucidation of the role of neurotransmitters in ischemia and trauma; the interactions among multiple neurotransmitters; mechanisms of hypothermic neuroprotection; and the role of oxygen radical mechanisms and nitric oxide in brain injury.

Criteria: Mordecai Y. T. Globus New Investigator Award in Stroke (Printable PDF)

Application Deadline
Abstracts must be submitted by August 23, 2022, 11:59 p.m. CDT. Supporting documents must be submitted by August 29, 2022, 11 p.m. CDT.

For questions, please contact:
Telephone: 214.706.1009
E-mail: [email protected]

Stroke Rehabilitation Award

Rehabilitation after stroke is an essential part of stroke recovery and helps to enhance and restore functional ability and quality of life to stroke survivors. This award encourages investigators to undertake or continue research and/or clinical work in the field of stroke rehabilitation and to submit an abstract to the International Stroke Conference.

Criteria: Stroke Rehabilitation Award (Printable PDF)

Application Deadline
Abstracts must be submitted by August 23, 2022, 11:59 p.m. CDT.

For questions, please contact:
Telephone: 214.706.1009
E-mail: [email protected]

Vascular Cognitive Impairment Award

Understanding and preventing cognitive impairment due to cerebrovascular disease is one of the highest priorities for patients and a key step to improving brain health. This award encourages investigators to undertake or continue research or clinical work in the field of vascular cognitive impairment and submit an abstract to the International Stroke Conference. The research must be submitted in the Vascular Cognitive Impairment category to be eligible for the award.

Criteria: Vascular Cognitive Impairment Award (Printable PDF)

Application Deadline
Abstracts must be submitted by August 23, 2022, 11:59 p.m. CDT.

For questions, please contact:
Telephone: 214.706.1009
E-mail: [email protected]

Robert G. Siekert New Investigator Award in Stroke

In recognition of Dr. Robert G. Siekert, founding chairman of the American Heart Association’s International Conference on Stroke and Cerebral Circulation, this award encourages new investigators to undertake or continue stroke-related research.

Criteria: Robert G. Siekert New Investigator Award in Stroke (Printable PDF)

Application Deadline
Abstracts must be submitted by August 23, 2022, 11:59 p.m. CDT. Supporting documents must be submitted by August 29, 2022, 11 p.m. CDT.

For questions, please contact:
Telephone: 214.706.1009
E-mail: [email protected]

Stroke Care in Emergency Medicine Award

The acute treatment of stroke, beginning in the pre-hospital phase and the emergency department, is an essential part of stroke care and an integral link in the Chain of Recovery. This award encourages investigators to undertake or continue research in the emergent phase of acute stroke treatment and submit an abstract to the International Stroke Conference.

Criteria: Stroke Care in Emergency Medicine Award (Printable PDF)

Application Deadline
Abstracts must be submitted by August 23, 2022, 11:59 p.m. CDT.

For questions, please contact:
Telephone: 214.706.1009
E-mail: [email protected]

Stroke Basic Science Award

Stroke basic science research is an essential element of improving the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of stroke. This award encourages investigators to undertake or continue basic science research in the field of cerebrovascular disease and to submit an abstract to the International Stroke Conference. The research must be considered basic or translational science, and it must be laboratory-based.

Criteria: Stroke Basic Science Award (Printable PDF)

Application Deadline
Abstracts must be submitted by August 23, 2022, 11:59 p.m. CDT.

For questions, please contact:
Telephone: 214.706.1009
E-mail: [email protected]

Pre-Con III: HEADS-UP Travel Awards for Early Stage Investigators

In partnership with the American Stroke Association and National Institutes for Neurological Disorders and Stroke, ISC 2021 is planning to provide Travel Awards for Early Stage Investigators (ESIs). These travel funds are intended to encourage investigators to undertake or continue their efforts in the field of stroke disparities research and to submit an abstract to Pre-Con III: HEADS-UP. HEADS-UP is a multidisciplinary scientific forum focused on 5 major disparities in cerebrovascular disease (race/ethnic, sex, geographic, socioeconomic, global), with the overarching goal of reducing disparities in stroke and accelerating translation of research findings to improve outcomes for disadvantaged sociodemographic groups.

Criteria: Pre-Con III: HEADS-UP Travel Awards for Early Stage Investigators (Printable PDF)

Deadline: Abstracts must be submitted by August 23, 2022, 11:59 p.m. CDT. Supporting documents must be submitted by August 29, 2022, 11 p.m. CDT.

For questions, please contact:
Telephone: 214.706.1009
E-mail: [email protected]

Award Opportunities


CVSN Stroke Nursing Symposium Travel Grant

The Stroke Nursing Committee of the Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing is offering up to four (4) $1,000 travel grants to support registration, travel and hotel (room and tax only) for the AHA/ASA State-of-the-Science Stroke Nursing Symposium to one applicant from each of the following four categories:

  • State-of-the-Science Stroke Nursing Symposium first-time attendees
  • International Applicant
  • Nurses in their first 5 years of either nursing, research, or care of patients with stroke
  • Underrepresented racial and ethnic early career investigators and students as identified in the standard NIH definition

Please visit the CVSN Stroke Nursing Symposium Travel Grant page for eligibility criteria and additional information.

For questions, please contact:
E-mail: [email protected]

Stroke Underrepresented Racial and Ethnic Travel Grant and the Bernard J. Tyson Career Development Award

The Council on Stroke is offering up to five $2,000 travel grants to underrepresented racial and ethnic early career investigators and students who will be presenting research at the International Stroke Conference.

In addition to the travel grant, winners will receive a Bernard J. Tyson Career Development Award. This award provides those selected for the Stroke UREG Travel Grant with the opportunity to participate in one year of mentorship with a science leader in the field, and to networking and engagement opportunities including annual, exclusive webinar discussions with science and council leaders. The mentorship will include support on future abstract submissions.

Please visit the Stroke Underrepresented Racial and Ethnic Travel Grant page for eligibility criteria and additional information.

For questions, please contact:
E-mail: [email protected]

Paul Dudley White International Scholar Award

Abstracts submitted to the International Stroke Conference 2024 may be considered for a Paul Dudley White International Scholar Award. This award recognizes authors that contributed to the highest ranked accepted abstract from each country. You don't have to apply, and professional membership is not required. 

The presenting author will be notified of award selection approximately 6 weeks prior to the meeting. Interested in knowing more? Visit the Paul Dudley White International Scholar Award web page.