N20 Program
Outline
See keynote speakers, panels and panelists shaping the 2026 Neuroscience20 Summit — alongside the working program, global panel architecture and organizations supporting the meeting.
The people shaping the N20 conversation.
The leadership directory is separated from the working schedule so visitors can understand who is leading the summit before moving into the program and panel architecture.
N20 Summit President
Babak Kateb MD, PhD
Full profile
N20 Summit Leadership
Kuldeep Singh Sidhu PhD
Full profile
N20 Summit Leadership
Vicky Yamamoto PhD
Full profile
N20 Summit Leadership
Stefano M. Sinicropi MD
Full profile
N20 Summit Leadership
Susan C. Pannullo MD, FAANS, FAAN, FCNS
Full profile
Double board-certified neurologist and neurosurgeon with subspecialty expertise in neuro-oncology and stereotactic radiosurgery. Her career bridges medicine, neuroscience, and engineering, and she holds academic appointments in Neurosurgery at Columbia University in New York and Biomedical Engineering at Cornell University in Ithaca.
As founder and leader of the New York Brain Tumor Project, Dr. Pannullo directed NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medicine’s Neuro-Oncology and Brain and Spine Radiosurgery programs for more than two decades. Her career has encompassed clinical care, translational research, education, clinical trials, biomedical innovation, and academic leadership. She is a recognized advocate for quality and patient safety and was named a 2026 Castle Connolly Top Doctor and Exceptional Woman in Medicine.
Dr. Pannullo received her undergraduate degree with honors in Anthropology from Cornell University and her medical degree from Cornell University Medical College. Following an internship at Harvard/Beth Israel Medical Center, she completed residency training in Neurology at New York Hospital/Cornell Medical Center and an American Cancer Society fellowship in Neuro-Oncology at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. She subsequently completed a second residency in Neurological Surgery at New York Hospital/Cornell and Memorial Sloan Kettering, becoming the program’s first female graduate. She is also a graduate of the Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine (ELAM) fellowship.
Dr. Pannullo’s research and innovation interests include brain tumors, stereotactic radiosurgery, advanced imaging, biomedical engineering, and the development of novel technologies for neurological disease. Her early laboratory research at the National Institutes of Health included work with Nobel Laureate and medical anthropologist Carleton Gajdusek. She later served as a brain tumor clinical trials leader and Chair of a Cancer Institutional Review Board at Weill Cornell Medicine. She is also an inventor on a U.S. patent for mixed-reality systems designed to enhance stereotactic radiosurgery treatment planning.
A committed educator and mentor, Dr. Pannullo received Weill Cornell Medicine’s Robert G. Schwager, MD ’67 Education Scholar Award. Her national leadership has included service on the Boards of Directors of the National Brain Tumor Society and the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. She serves as Chair of the Board of Trustees of The Washington Center in Washington, DC. Her South Florida activities include membership in the Miami Biotech Collective and participation in Biotech Miami, reflecting her growing engagement with the region’s neuroscience, biotechnology, and innovation community. Dr. Pannullo was recently elected to the Board of Directors of the Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics and serves as Co-Chair of the Local Organizing Committee for Neuroscience20 (N20) in Miami, bringing together her longstanding interests in neuroscience, biotechnology, engineering, education, and multidisciplinary innovation.
N20 Summit Leadership
Michael Y. Wang MD, MBA, FACS, FAANS
Full profile
Cross-sector panels built around the G20 health economy.
Panels bring together the categories specified for the Miami summit, creating a single interface for CEOs, public officials, scientists, investors, patient advocates and policy leaders.
CEOs — Neurotech, CellTech, BioTech, MedTech & PharmaTech
Mayors
Governors
Scientists — Cancer, Alzheimer’s Disease, Spine & Mental Health
Government Officials
Ministers
Brain Initiatives
Media
Philanthropists
AI CEOs
Investors
Nonprofits
Associations
Policy Think-Tanks
Invited Patient Advocates
Explore the N20 global initiatives and published work.
Access the N20 brain initiatives and key N20 publications, communiques and international program documents.
Global Brain Initiatives
Regional initiatives supporting international collaboration in brain health, neuroscience and neurotechnology.
N20 Publications
Selected N20 reports, scientific publications and international G20/N20 documentation.
Tentative Program* · December 13, 2026 · Miami
Location: Pullman Miami Airport Hotel, Miami, Florida. Initiatives: Middle East; Australasia; America; Europe; Latin America. Topics: Spine and Regeneration; Computational Neurotechnology; Longevity; Immunocellular Therapeutics; Neuroeconomics (Brain, Spine and Mental Wellness Economics).
The schedule, session titles, room assignments, speakers and timing are tentative and may be revised as the N20 Summit program is finalized.
| Time | Room I | Room II | Room III |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7:00 AM | Breakfast + Registration | Breakfast + Registration | Breakfast + Registration |
| 8:00 AM | 1. Opening Ceremony [Presidential Keynote] | 1. Opening Ceremony [Presidential Keynote] | 1. Opening Ceremony [Presidential Keynote] |
| 9:00 AM | Break + Press | Break + Press | Break + Press |
| 10:00 AM | 1p. Breakouts — Plenary/Panel Discussion (Global Burden of Traumatic Brain and Spine Injury and Disorders) | 1p. Breakouts — Plenary/Panel Discussion (Global Burden of Brain Cancers — Neuro-Oncology) | 1p. Breakouts — Plenary/Panel Discussion (Role of AI in Brain Mapping and Imaging) |
| 10:45 AM | Break | Break | Break |
| 11:00 AM | 2. Keynote/General Session | 2. Keynote/General Session | 2. Keynote/General Session |
| 11:20 AM | 2p. Breakouts — Plenary/Panel Discussion (BioTech and PharmaTech in NeuroTech) | 2p. Breakouts — Plenary/Panel Discussion (International Brain Initiatives) | 2p. Breakouts — Plenary/Panel Discussion (Neuro-ophthalmology and neuro-optometry) |
| 12:00 PM | 3. Keynote/General Session | 3. Keynote/General Session | 3. Keynote/General Session |
| 12:20 PM | Luncheon + Working Group / Keynote Panel | Luncheon + Working Group / Keynote Panel | Luncheon + Working Group / Keynote Panel |
| 1:20 PM | 4. Keynote/General Session | 4. Keynote/General Session | 4. Keynote/General Session |
| 1:40 PM | 3p. Breakouts — Plenary/Panel Discussion (Global Neurosurgery and Neuroscience Partnership) | 3p. Breakouts — Plenary/Panel Discussion (Global Mental Wellness) | 3p. Breakouts — Plenary/Panel Discussion (Impact of Neurotechnology on the G20 Economy) |
| 2:25 PM | Break | Break | Break |
| 2:40 PM | 5. Keynote/General Session | 5. Keynote/General Session | 5. Keynote/General Session |
| 3:00 PM | 4p. Breakouts — Plenary/Panel Discussion (AI in Neurotech Innovation) | 4p. Breakouts — Plenary/Panel Discussion (Neurodegenerative Disorders — Global cost and burden) | 4p. Breakouts — Plenary/Panel Discussion (Immuno-cellular Therapeutics and its impact on Global Burden of disease) |
| 3:45 PM | Break | Break | Break |
| 4:00 PM | 6. Keynote/General Session | 6. Keynote/General Session | 6. Keynote/General Session |
| 4:20 PM | 5p. Breakouts — Plenary/Panel Discussion (Global Burden on Pediatric Disorders) | 5p. Breakouts — Plenary/Panel Discussion (AI application and regulation in Neurotech) | 5p. Breakouts — Plenary/Panel Discussion (FinTech and Neurotech) |
| 5:05 PM | Resolution | Resolution | Resolution |
| 6:00 PM | Picture + Press | Picture + Press | Picture + Press |
| 8:00 PM | Reception Dinner (GALA) | Reception Dinner (GALA) | Reception Dinner (GALA) |
Session format: Keynotes / General Sessions (15 min) in the Ballroom; Plenary / Panel Discussions (45 min) in breakout rooms. Mandatory session: Global Partnerships and Brain Initiative. Neuroeconomics focus: Brain, Spine and Mental Wellness Economics.
Key Thought Leaders
Confirmed speakers and selected invited participants for the 13th Annual Neuroscience20 Summit in Miami. Mehmet Oz is listed as To Be Confirmed pending final confirmation.
Confirmed Thought LeaderPatrick Soon-Shiong MBBCh, MSc, FRCS(C)
Physician, surgeon, scientist, inventor and healthcare entrepreneur; Chairman and CEO of NantWorks, with work spanning cancer therapeutics, biotechnology, healthcare technology and media.
To Be ConfirmedMehmet Oz MD, MBA
Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and a cardiothoracic surgeon whose work spans medicine, health policy and healthcare delivery. Status: To Be Confirmed.
Confirmed Thought LeaderRobert J. Hariri MD, PhD
Surgeon, biomedical scientist and entrepreneur; founder and CEO of Celularity and a pioneer in cellular and regenerative medicine.
Confirmed Thought LeaderGiulio Maria Pasinetti MD, PhD
Saunders Family Chair and Professor of Neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Dr. Pasinetti is also Chief of the Brain Institute Center of Excellence for Novel Approaches to Neurodiagnostics and Neurotherapeutics. His research spans aging, Alzheimer’s disease, neurodegeneration, neuroinflammation, genetics, genomics and molecular mechanisms of brain resilience.
Confirmed Thought LeaderMo Heidaran PhD
Chief Regulatory Scientist at Cellx Inc. and founder of the Cory Heidaran Charitable Foundation (CHCF), with more than 35 years of experience spanning the FDA, biotech, industry and consulting. His expertise includes cell and gene therapy development, CMC, GMP, regulatory strategy and advanced therapeutics.
Confirmed Thought Leader
Kasif Nevzat Tarhan MD
President and Rector of Üsküdar University and a leading Turkish psychiatrist and neuropsychology expert.
Confirmed Thought LeaderAaron G. FillerMD, PhD, JD, FRCS
Medical Director of the Institute for Nerve Medicine in Santa Monica and Houston. A globally recognized neurosurgeon and specialist in peripheral nerve and spine disorders, Dr. Filler pioneered MR Neurography and advanced image-guided and minimally invasive approaches to complex nerve and spine conditions. He holds an MD from the University of Chicago, a PhD from Harvard University and is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
Confirmed Thought LeaderNagy Youssef MD, PhD
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Professor and Director of the Division of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine, West Michigan, at Michigan State University, and Vice President for Research at Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services since 2023. A physician-scientist in neuromodulation and genomic medicine, he previously directed the neuromodulation program and Clinical Research at Ohio State University, and the Mood Disorder and PTSD clinical and research programs at MCG and Duke University.
He also studies diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutics to improve response and remission in treatment-resistant neuropsychiatric disorders, with over $40 million of collaborative multisite studies funding and over 300 scientific publications and 2 books disseminating research findings, including the volume Epigenetics of Stress and Stress Disorders.
Confirmed Thought Leader
Denis Fedorenko MD
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Dr. Denis Fedorenko’s research interests include autoimmune diseases of the central nervous system, in particular, multiple sclerosis. He is a professor at the A.A. Maximov Department of Hematology and Cellular Therapy, Pirogov National Medical Surgical Center.
Dr. Fedorenko is responsible for the development and implementation of the autologous transplantation program for multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases in Russia. He is a member of the Russian expert group on transplantation in multiple sclerosis.
He is the co-author of more than 200 publications and 2 patents. Dr. Fedorenko is also a member of the American Society of Hematology (ASH), the European Hematology Association (EHA), the European Bone Marrow Transplantation group (EBMT), and the Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics (SBMT).
Confirmed Thought LeaderJessica Sonia Fortin DVM, PhD
Assistant Professor at Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine and leader of the Fortin Drug Discovery Lab, focused on neurodegenerative disease therapeutics.
Confirmed Thought LeaderKeerthy Sunder MD
Double board-certified psychiatrist and Chief Medical Officer of Karma Doctors and Karma TMS, with extensive work in neuromodulation, addiction psychiatry and PTSD research.
Confirmed Thought LeaderDeborah Zelinsky OD
Founder and Executive Research Director of the Mind-Eye Institute and former President of SBMT, with a focus on neuro-optometric rehabilitation.
Confirmed Thought Leader
Kianor Shah DMD, MBA
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Dr. Kianor Shah is a practicing dentist, inventor and entrepreneur from Palm Desert, California. As a traveling healthcare provider, he has practiced in more than 300 offices and has built numerous cobrand, private-label and doctor-to-doctor partnerships in the healthcare industry. He currently serves as a key opinion leader for a range of companies and organizations and is the founding regent of the Global Summits Institute.
Dr. Shah earned a Bachelor of Science from Western Illinois University, graduating Summa Cum Laude in 2000, and received his Doctor of Dental Medicine from Southern Illinois University in 2006. He completed an MBA in International Business at Brandman University in 2016. His professional distinctions include Fellow of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists, Fellow of the California Implant Institute and Fellow of the International Academy of Dental-Facial Esthetics, culminating in Mastership and Diplomate status with the International Congress of Oral Implantologists.
His clinical expertise includes general dentistry, prosthodontics, periodontics, endodontics, pedodontics, orthodontics, oral surgery, implant dentistry, digital dentistry and esthetic services. His executive experience spans founding, ownership, CEO, president, managing director, partnership and consulting roles across healthcare ventures. His recent work also includes research and publications on AI implementation in dental offices and AI-enabled healthcare operations. Dr. Shah reads, writes and speaks English, German and Farsi.
Confirmed Thought Leader
Dana Adyani Fard Dr.
Confirmed N20 Thought Leader from the United States.
Confirmed Thought Leader
Bruno Ponciano da Silva MSc
Brazilian neuroscientist, physiotherapist, and health-tech entrepreneur specializing in epilepsy, hippocampal neuroinflammation, and translational neurotechnology. Founder of EpiHelp, a wearable initiative focused on behavioral seizure detection and real-time emergency alerts.
Confirmed Thought Leader
Renata Esteves Attorney, Tax Law
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Attorney specializing in Tax Law from the Getulio Vargas Foundation (FGV), and partner alongside her husband, Dr. Rafael Vitorino, at Esteves & Vitorino Advogados Associados. The firm has extensive legal experience and has received consecutive National Reference Awards for Law and Justice from ANCEC.
Following her experience as the mother of Benjamin, who was diagnosed with ASD, and subsequently supporting her husband’s late diagnosis, she redirected her practice to defending the rights of autistic individuals and people with disabilities. She has become a leading national figure in inclusion, accessibility, and public policy.
She is President of the Instituto Nacional de Direitos da Pessoa com Deficiência Oceano Azul (Blue Ocean National Institute for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities), an Autism Reference Center developing projects with national social, scientific, and legal impact. She also chairs the Special Commission on the Rights of Autistic Individuals and Their Families of the OAB Niterói.
Her work includes strategic class-action and constitutional litigation in defense of the public interest, including actions before the Superior Courts and the Supreme Federal Court. She has also spoken at Neuroscience20 (N20), is a member of the Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics (SBMT), and participates in international programs at the interface of neuroscience, ethics, law, and public policy.
Throughout her career, she has coordinated congresses including the TEA Global Congress, building bridges among Law, Science, Health, education, public management, civil society, universities, public agencies, and international organizations.
Shervin Molayem Dr.
Confirmed N20 Thought Leader from the United States.
Confirmed Thought Leader
Priscila Reis Physical Education · Postgraduate in Psychomotricity
Physical education teacher with a postgraduate degree in psychomotricity and owner of LudConetcMov. Since 2009, Priscila Reis has dedicated her work to autistic children and adolescents, combining playfulness, connection, movement and each child’s interests to support development and learning.
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Priscila Reis will represent her work with child development and autism at the N20/G20 Annual Neuroscience Meeting in Miami. Her practical experience brings together playfulness, connection and movement as ways to favor development and learning.
Throughout her career, Priscila has developed her own way of working with children on the autistic spectrum, based on an essential principle: before teaching, it is necessary to connect. Through play, movement and the interests of each child, she seeks to create bonds, arouse interest and transform moments of interaction into opportunities for learning and development.
Her participation highlights the importance of looking at each child individually, respecting their time, particularities and sources of motivation. For Priscila, playing is not just fun: it is a powerful tool for connection, communication, learning and development.
By bringing her experience to an international neuroscience meeting, Priscila reinforces the importance of bringing knowledge, practice and welcoming closer together, showing that playfulness, connection and movement can open paths to new possibilities in the development of the autistic person.
Confirmed Thought Leader
Maria Emilia Andraus MD, PhD
Neurologist and Clinical Neurophysiologist, Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of UFRJ, member of the BSTM and researcher of the Core Team of the Centre for Global Epilepsy at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom.
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Prof. Maria Emilia Andraus is a neurologist and clinical neurophysiologist and a Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of UFRJ. She is a member of the BSTM and a researcher of the Core Team of the Centre for Global Epilepsy at the University of Oxford, United Kingdom.
She has served as a speaker at Neuroscience20 (N20) in Rio in 2024, Johannesburg in 2025, and Miami in 2026.
Confirmed Thought LeaderAlexandra Talaber OD, FOVDR, FAAO
Board-certified neuro-optometrist and founder of the Neuro-Vision Therapy Institute, specializing in vision rehabilitation and post-concussion care.
Confirmed Thought LeaderPeter Schmidt PhD
Chief Scientific Officer at Dr. Vince Clinical Research with extensive leadership across neurology, psychiatry, immunology and clinical development.
Confirmed Thought LeaderAshraf Elsayegh MD, FCCP
Pulmonologist and critical care specialist at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center with extensive expertise in respiratory complications of neuromuscular disease.
Confirmed Thought LeaderChristopher Boudakian DO
Medical Director and Chief of Staff at California Rehabilitation Institute, leading spinal cord injury and disorders rehabilitation.
Confirmed Thought Leader
Shinichiro Akiyama MD, PhD
Director of the Tokyo Cancer and Intractable Disease Support Center and Natural Medica Japan, with research in cancer and gene-editing approaches.
Confirmed Thought LeaderArifa Kokab M.MSc, MScEng, Exec.MBA
Biomedical neuroscientist and applied AI engineer specializing in computational neuroscience, neuromorphic AI, governed automation and neurotechnology.
Confirmed Thought LeaderQifa Zhou PhD
Zohrab A. Kaprielian Professor in Engineering and Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Ophthalmology at the University of Southern California. A leading researcher in high-frequency ultrasound transducers, photoacoustic and multimodal biomedical imaging, Dr. Zhou is also a principal investigator at the NIH Resource Center on Medical Transducer Technology and an IEEE, SPIE and AIMBE Fellow.
Confirmed Thought Leader
Heidi Kletzien PhD
Assistant Professor in Genetics, Cell Biology and Development at the University of Minnesota. Her research focuses on aging, regenerative biology, head and neck tissue stem cells, cancer initiation and cell- and tissue-based gene therapies.
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Dr. Kletzien holds a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and completed postdoctoral training at Harvard University. Her Kletzien Lab studies mechanisms underlying age-related tissue dysfunction, stem-cell aging and head and neck cancer using integrative, translational and multi-omics approaches.
Confirmed Thought Leader
Michael A. Finn MD, DABNS
Neurosurgeon specializing in advanced spine surgery, including minimally invasive procedures, spinal decompression, fusion and complex cervical and lumbar surgery.
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Dr. Finn has held academic and clinical appointments in neurosurgery and has published extensively on spinal biomechanics, cervical fusion, occipitocervical stabilization and spinal cord injury. His professional affiliations include the University of Colorado and major Minnesota health systems.
Confirmed Thought Leader
Natanya Wachtel PhD
Behavioral scientist, wellness futurist and founder of The New Solutions Network, working at the intersection of behavioral science, media, emerging technology and public-benefit innovation.
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Dr. Wachtel’s work combines behavioral strategy, commercialization, narrative psychology and strategic partnerships across health, mental health, technology and social-impact ventures. Her current focus includes health, resilience and AI.
Confirmed Thought Leader
Kelly Marie McGuire DO
General surgeon affiliated with the Lehigh Valley Physicians Group in Pennsylvania and board-certified by the American Board of Surgery.
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Dr. McGuire completed her undergraduate education at the University of Scranton, followed by internship and residency at PCOM/Suburban Community Hospital. Her practice is based in Pennsylvania and includes general surgical care.
Confirmed Thought Leader
Carla Mann Woods
Medical-device entrepreneur and strategic adviser with extensive experience in neuromodulation, cochlear implants, spinal cord stimulation and biomedical innovation.
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Carla Mann Woods is CEO of Mann Healthcare Partners and has spent more than two decades developing and commercializing medical devices. She began her career at Pacesetter Systems and later held senior business development, product development and marketing roles at Advanced Bionics/Boston Scientific, contributing to technologies including the BION microstimulator, Precision Spinal Cord Stimulator, implantable infusion pumps and cochlear implants. She holds more than 40 U.S. patents related to these products.
In 2007, she became Vice President of Program Development and Strategic Planning at the Alfred Mann Foundation for Biomedical Engineering. Her work has also included strategic advising and board service supporting medical technology development.
Organizations supporting the N20 platform.
Current sponsor and supporting-organization entries are carried forward from the existing N20 site code, with direct links to the organizations’ websites.
Explore the N20 Sponsorship Prospectus
Review partnership opportunities, visibility, participation and sponsorship pathways.