September 2026

NEUROSCIENCES

ANA PRESIDENT SHARES SESSIONS TO WATCH AT THE 2026 ANA ANNUAL MEETING

As president of the American Neurological Association, Dimitri Krainc, MD, PhD, FANA, looks forward to welcoming colleagues to ANA2026 in San Diego. Below are some of the sessions that Dr. Krainc believes highlight important developments and expects to generate meaningful discussion.

The Role of CAR T-Cells in Changing the Therapeutic Algorithm in Autoimmune Neurology
Saturday, October 17 | 5:00 – 6:30 pm | Opening Plenary Symposium
Few areas of neurology are evolving as rapidly as cellular therapies. Led by Marinos Dalakas, MD, PhD, with presentations from Scott Zamvil, MD, PhD, and Josep Dalmau, MD, PhD, this session will explore the growing evidence supporting CAR T-cell therapy across autoimmune neurological disorders and examine both its promise and its challenges.

VPS39 Variants Cause a Spectrum of Neurological Disorders Through Impaired Lysosomal Function and Autophagy
Sunday, October 18 | 10:00 – 11:30 am | Plenary Session: Repetitive Sequences in Neurological Diseases and Health
Northwestern Medicine neurologist and 2026 ANA Emerging Scholar Niccolò Mencacci, MD, PhD, will present research describing a newly characterized neurological disorder associated with variants in the VPS39 gene, providing important insights into lysosomal function and autophagy.

Emerging Approaches to Enhance Neuronal Resistance Against Neurodegeneration
Monday, October 19 | 10:15 – 11:45 am | Plenary Session
While much of neurodegeneration research focuses on the mechanisms that drive neuronal injury, this session explores the equally important question of why some neurons remain resilient. Featuring presentations from Martin Kampmann, PhD, Inma Cobos, MD, PhD, Viviana Gradinaru, PhD, and ANA Emerging Scholar Yagiz Altun, MD, PhD, the discussion will examine biological pathways that may protect vulnerable neurons and inspire new therapeutic approaches.

TDP-43 Loss of Function as a Convergent Driver of ALS Pathophysiology
Monday, October 19 | 1:15 – 3:30 pm | Derek Denny-Brown Young Neurological Scholar Symposium
As part of the prestigious Derek Denny-Brown Young Neurological Scholar Symposium, Northwestern Medicine's Evangelos Kiskinis, PhD, will present emerging research on how loss of normal TDP-43 function contributes to ALS pathophysiology. Drawing on advances in human genetics, stem cell biology and RNA biology, the presentation will highlight new insights into disease mechanisms and opportunities for therapeutic development.

Advances in Microscopy for Visualizing Neurologic Disease
Sunday, October 18| 1:30 – 3:30 pm | Plenary Session – Presidential Symposium
New imaging technologies are transforming how scientists study neurologic disease. Featuring Craig Blackstone, MD, PhD, FANA, Erika Holzbauer, PhD, and Steve Finkbeiner, MD, PhD, FANA, this session will examine advances in AI-enabled analytics, multimodal data integration and super-resolution microscopy, highlighting their potential to reveal early disease signatures and accelerate the translation of scientific discoveries into clinical practice.

Northwestern Medicine faculty will participate in numerous presentations, plenary sessions, workshops and award lectures throughout ANA2026. View the full list of Northwestern Medicine speakers and presentations.
​Dimitri Krainc, MD, PhD, the Chair and Aaron Montgomery Ward Professor of Neurology at Northwestern Medicine 

Refer a Patient

Northwestern Medicine welcomes the opportunity to partner with you in caring for your patients. ​

You May Also Like