Important Deadlines 

Early Registration Deadline: November 18, 2026 

Scholarship Deadline: September 22, 2026 

Short Talk Abstract Deadline: September 22, 2026 

Poster Abstract Deadline: December 28, 2026  

Meeting Summary 

Title: Neural Plasticity and Recovery after Traumatic CNS Injury & Stroke 

Date: January 19 - 22, 2027 
Location: Beaver Run Conference Center, Breckenridge, CO, USA  

Scientific Organizers: William A. Zeiger, Mary Teena Joy, and Florence Bareyre 

Keynote Speaker(s): Karunesh Ganguly, UCSF 

Stroke and traumatic injury are common neurologic disorders and the leading causes for adult-onset disability. Development of therapeutics to improve recovery has been hindered due to a limited understanding of how circuits within the central nervous system (CNS) are affected by injury. Technological advances have enabled interrogation of the CNS with unprecedented resolution. These are being applied to stroke and trauma survivors and to animal models, allowing for a critical re-appraisal of proposed mechanisms of recovery. This knowledge is crucially important as neuromodulation therapies are available for clinical trials, but when and how to apply these to patients are not well understood. This conference will bring together scientists working across species, using diverse approaches, to understand the mechanisms underlying dysfunction and recovery after stroke or injury to the brain or spinal cord. The specific goals and aims of this meeting include: 

Identifying convergent mechanisms across CNS injuries, including stroke, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and spinal cord injury (SCI), at molecular, synaptic, cellular, and network scales 

Highlighting cutting edge methods and technologies for the interrogation and modulation of the CNS after injury 

Determining innovative emerging avenues for promoting neural repair and recovery after injury 

The cross-disciplinary nature of our symposium will stimulate collaborations, spark insight, and generate avenues of investigation to transform our understanding of how the CNS reorganizes after an injury. This conference will be unique in its focus on basic and translational science of CNS recovery that brings together researchers working across many disease models and injury types. 

*This meeting will be held jointly with Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Mechanisms and Therapeutics 

View the program 

Join Options 

Attend in person or catch sessions on demand after the conclusion of the conference. 

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*Keystone Symposia Scholarships & Awards* 

Keystone Symposia offers discounted registration to students in undergraduate, M.S., Ph.D., or M.D. programs, providing access to the latest scientific advances, technologies, and approaches to further research and careers.  

In addition, several financial aid opportunities are also available to support attendance at its scientific meetings: 

• Student and Postdoctoral Scholarships provide up to $1,200 to help defray travel, lodging, registration, and related costs when presenting a poster at an in-person conference. Awards are competitive, based on the abstract’s scientific quality and relevance, and you must apply by the individual scholarship deadline for the desired meeting (abstract + mentor letter required).   

• Early-Career Travel Awards (ECITAs) support early-career investigators with funding to attend meetings; these also require application by the posted deadline for each conference.  

• Global Health Travel Awards (GHTAs) provide financial aid for scientists, clinicians, fellows, and students from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to participate in select Keystone Symposia meetings, especially those focused on global health topics. These awards may cover registration, lodging, airfare, and ground transportation, and applications are submitted through the Financial Aid Portal by the listed meeting deadlines. Learn which meetings have in-person GHTAs available: https://www.keystonesymposia.org/financial-aid/global-health-awards/ghta-listing 

For details on eligibility, deadlines, and how to apply for financial aid, visit: https://www.keystonesymposia.org/financial-aid.