6th Annual Brooklyn Stroke Symposium: Innovations in Stroke
The Jaffe Comprehensive Stroke Center at Maimonides, Maimonides Neurosciences Institute, and SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University Department of Neurology jointly present the 2026 Annual Brooklyn Stroke Symposium.
This free, hybrid (virtual/in-person) symposium features exciting topics on evolving clinical and research paradigms of stroke management with the next generation of innovations and future development.
Innovations in Stroke
Date: Thursday, May 14, 2026
Location:
Maimonides Medical Center
Schreiber Auditorium, Administration Building, 2nd Floor
4802 10th Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11219
Virtual symposium: Via Webex, link to follow
CME credit: Maximum of 8.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™
Registration: Free but required to attend
Symposium objectives
- Showcase and inspire innovations in stroke treatment and research
- Promote scientific and entrepreneurship pathways for translating clinical research insights into revolutionary innovations with real-world impacts at bedside
- Analyze and apply integrated systems of care and interdisciplinary approaches in clinical neurosciences and stroke for efficiency and effectiveness improvement
- Describe the history, progress, and future of evolving therapeutic and surgical strategies, including carotid revascularization, large vessel occlusion ischemic stroke treatment, intrasaccular aneurysm, and management of other cerebrovascular diseases
- Apply state-of-art multimodal neurocritical care strategies in the treatment of acute stroke
- Assess the impact of rapidly progressive artificial intelligence and digital technologies on stroke triage, treatment, and outcomes
- Share a holistic approach to stroke therapy and recovery including laughter and music therapy for post-stroke depression
Who should attend
- Physicians, including neurologists, neurosurgeons, neurointerventionalists, neuroradiologists, intensivists, psychiatrists, psychologists, hospitalists, cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, vascular and trauma surgeons, emergency medicine specialists, anesthesiologists, critical care specialists, and rehabilitation specialists, as well as medicine, primary care, and other physicians.
- Allied healthcare professionals, including first responders/EMTs, nurses, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, therapists, and others care providers
- Interested public, especially stroke survivors and their families and friends
2026 program details
7:00–8:00 am: Breakfast & Registration / Sponsor Exhibits
Breakfast & Registration
Maimonides Medical Center, Schreiber Auditorium
Sponsor Exhibits
Maimonides Medical Center, 2nd Floor 2C conference room
8:00–8:05 am: Welcome Remarks
Daniel M. Rosenbaum, MD
Distinguished Service Professor and Chair of Neurology, SUNY Downstate
Regional Chair of Neurology, Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY
8:05–8:15 am: Opening Remarks
Q. Tony Wang, MD, PhD
Director, Jaffe Comprehensive Stroke Center and Vice Chair of Neurology, Maimonides Medical Center/SUNY Downstate, Brooklyn, NY
8:15–8:45 am: Acute Stroke Management in the AI Era
Chaitanya Medicheria, MD
Assistant Professor of Neurology, Maimonides Medical Center/SUNY Downstate, Brooklyn, NY
8:45–9:45 am: State-of-Art Multimodality Neurocritical Care of Stroke
Darya Khazanova, MD
Assistant Professor of Clinical Neurology, Neurocritical Care, Maimonides Medical Center/SUNY Downstate, Brooklyn, NY
9:45–10:00 am: Break / Q&A / Sponsor Exhibits
10:00–11:00 am: System Innovation & Integration: The Cutting-Edge of Clinical Neurosciences
Adnan Siddiqui, MD, PhD, FAANS, FAHA
Distinguished Professor and Vice Chair of Neurosurgery, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, SUNY Buffalo
CEO and CMO, Jacobs Institute
Director, Canon Stroke and Vascular Research Center, Buffalo, NY
11:00 am–12:00 pm: Novel Thrombectomy Approach: Mini-Spinner Clot Buster Devices
Renee Zhao, PhD
Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, BME and MSE, Stanford University
12:00–12:30 pm: Lunch Break / Q&A / Sponsor Exhibits
12:30–1:30 pm: Observation, Creativity & Happy Accidents: Transitioning from Clinical Science to Industry Work
Ajay K. Wakhloo, MD, PhD, FAHA
Professor of Radiology, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Tufts University School of Medicine
Chair of NeuroInterventional Radiology; Director, Image-Guided Therapy Innovation Center
Lehay Hospital and Medical Center; Beth Israel Lehay Health, Burlington, MA
President and CEO, Prometheus Therapeutics; Co-Founder Neurofine, Surpass Medical
1:30–2:00 pm: Carotid Revascularization Post CREST-2: A Multidisciplinary Approach
Robert Rhee, MD
Professor and Director of Vascular Surgery, Maimonides Medical Center/SUNY Downstate, Brooklyn, NY
2:00–3:00 pm: History, Progress & Innovations of Cerebrovascular Surgery
Michael Lawton, MD
President and CEO; Professor and Chair of Neurosurgery, Chief of Neurovascular Surgery
Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ
3:00–3:15 pm: Break / Q&A / Sponsor Exhibits
3:15–4:15 pm: SEAL: An Innovative Approach to Intra-Saccular Aneurysm Embolization
Osama O. Zaidat, MD, MS, FAHA, FAAN
Director, Neuroscience and Stroke Programs, St. Vincent Mercy Health, Toledo, OH
President and CEO, Co-Founder of Galaxy Therapeutics
4:15–4:45 pm: Post-Stroke Depression & the Healing Power of Laughter & Music
Steve Sparr, MD
Clinical Professor of Neurology, Maimonides Medical Center/SUNY Downstate, Brooklyn, NY
4:45–5:00 pm: Q&A / Sponsor Exhibits
5:00 pm: Closing Remarks
Q. Tony Wang, MD, PhD
Director, Jaffe Comprehensive Stroke Center and Vice Chair of Neurology, Maimonides Medical Center/SUNY Downstate, Brooklyn, NY
Symposium presented by
Jaffe Comprehensive Stroke Center and Maimonides Neurosciences Institute
The Jaffe Comprehensive Stroke Center at Maimonides is among the elite few hospitals designated as a Comprehensive Stroke Center by the Joint Commission.
Maimonides has been on the American Heart Association Gold Plus Honor Roll for 16 consecutive years and earned the Target Advanced Therapy and Stroke Elite plus awards for its exceptional care in thrombolytic treatment and endovascular therapy. Our team of neurologists, neurointerventionalists, neurosurgeons, and neuroradiologists takes an adaptive multidisciplinary approach 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, performing minimally invasive procedures and managing patients in state-of-the-art facilities.
Maimonides Neurosciences Institute is recognized for clinical excellence and is a leading center for neurosciences research and medical education. The institute comprises the Divisions of Neurology, Neurosurgery, Neuroradiology, Neurocritical Care, and the Jaffe Comprehensive Stroke Center.
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Designated as both a Joint Commission Certified Advanced Primary Stroke Center and a Primary Stroke Center by the NYS Department of Health, SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University is recognized for providing high standards of care for the diagnosis and management of stroke patients in Brooklyn. Using advanced multimodal diagnostic imaging studies, it offers cutting-edge medical therapy for ischemic stroke.
SUNY Downstate is the first and leading university hospital and clinical research center in Brooklyn, and one of the leading cerebrovascular research centers (in combination with Kings County Hospitals and the Jaffe Comprehensive Stroke Center at Maimonides Medical Center) in the state. The Regional Stroke Center offers stroke prevention education and screening through community outreach programs to the population it serves and is also part of the NIH-sponsored Stroke NET Clinical Trials network under the Columbia University-Weill Cornell Regional Coordinating Center.
Maimonides and SUNY Downstate formed a partnership in 2017 to expand delivery of, and access to, high-quality neurosciences care in Brooklyn. Together we have a joint Department of Neurology led by Regional Chair Dr. Daniel Rosenbaum.
Continuing education accreditation and credit designation statement
Maimonides Medical Center is accredited by the Medical Society of the State of New York to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
Maimonides Medical Center designates this live activity for a maximum of 8.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™. Physicians should claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
Contact us
For more information, please contact the Stroke Program Coordinator, Rayna Sciarrotta:
Call: 718-283-7603 or 718-283-7670
Email: Stroke@maimo.org or RSciarrotta@maimo.org
Previous symposiums
See previous years’ speaking programs and highlights: