We're proud to recognize the recipients of the 2026 AALN Faculty Leadership Award, honoring faculty members who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and made meaningful contributions within their departments. These distinguished individuals will be recognized during the AALN Business & Awards Ceremony at the AALN Annual Meeting on October 17, 2026.
Through their dedication, innovation, and commitment to advancing neurology education and leadership, these awardees have made a lasting impact on the field. We congratulate each recipient on this well-deserved recognition.
Join us in San Diego as we celebrate these outstanding leaders and their achievements.
| Name | Title | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| Bardia Abbasi, MD | Clerkship Director | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center |
| Jessica Ailani, MD | Section Chief | Georgetown University Medical Center |
| Nidhiben Anadani, MD | Section Chief | University of Oklahoma |
| Katharina Busl, MD | Vice Chair | University of Florida |
| Vanja Douglas, MD | Residency Program Director | UCSF |
| Robert Fekete, MD | Clerkship Director | New York Medical College/Westchester Medical Center |
| Klepper Garcia, MD | Section Chief | Medical College of Georgia |
| Jessica Gautreaux, MD | Clerkship Director | LSU Health Sciences Center SOM - New Orleans |
| Vijayakumar Javalkar, MD, M.Ch | Residency Program Director | LSU Health Shreveport |
| Heidi Munger Clary, MD | Vice Chair | Wake Forest University School of Medicine |
| Masaki Nagamine, MD | Residency Program Director | University of California, Irvine |
| Marissa Natelson Love, MD | Clerkship Director | UAB |
| Katherine Nearing, MD | Clerkship Director | University of Tennessee Health Science Center |
| Nicholas Poolos MD, PhD | Vice Chair | University of Washington |
| Tania Reyna, MD | Section Chief | UT Health San Antonio |
| Ajaz Sheikh, MD | Fellowship Director | University of Toledo |
| Zachary Simmons, MD | Vice Chair | Penn State Health |
| Juan Toledo, MD, PhD | Research Program Director | Houston Methodist |
| Amir Touray, MD, MBBS | Clerkship Director | Charleston Area Medical Center |
| Harold Weinberg, MD, PhD | Section Chief | NYU Langone |
| Starla Wise, DO | Clerkship Director | University of Cincinnati |
| Deepti Zutshi, MD | Associate Clerkship Director | Wayne State University |