Dr Santiago Ortega earned his MD at University of Alcala in Madrid Spain, did his Internal Medicine and Neurology residency at the Medical College of Wisconsin, completed a Neurocritical care and Stroke Fellowship at Columbia University, and an Endovascular Neurosurgery fellowship at Mount Sinai in New York. He is currently the Director of Neuro Interventional Surgery in Neurology at UI and the Neuroendovascular Surgical Neuroradiology Fellowship Director. He is also the Vice Chair of the Mechanical Thrombectomy 2020+ initiative and President-Elect of the Society of Vascular and Interventional Neurology. His research interest includes cerebral autoregulation and hemodynamics, neuroimaging as a selection tool and developing novel endovascular approaches and devices to treat cerebrovascular ischemic and hemorrhagic disease. Currently Dr. Ortega-Gutierrez has over 300 publications in peer-reviewed journals as well as he is the PI in several NIH/NINDS, PCORI and industry funded investigator-initiated studies and Randomized Trials including MAP-STROKE, DIRECT and DONE SYMPLE.

Dr. Mario Zanaty is a neurosurgeon specializing in cerebrovascular, skull base, and oncological surgery. He serves as the Director of Cerebrovascular Surgery at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics (UIHC). His research focuses on investigating the central autonomic network (C.A.N.) in humans, with the goal of advancing treatment strategies, enhancing neuromodulation techniques, and improving outcomes for stroke patients.

Dr. Milagros Galecio-Castillo is a Peruvian neurologist pursuing advanced neurology training in the US. She is passionate about stroke, neurogenetics, and movement disorders, with a strong focus on applying clinical research and biostatistics to drive advancements in these fields. Her leadership has resulted in research grants, publications in high-impact journals, and presentations at key conferences such as SVIN, ISC, and AAN. Currently, she serves as a team leader and study coordinator, preparing for a long-term career as a physician-scientist.

Dr Céspedes, is a Costa Rican physician and neurosciences researcher focused on advancing patient care through clinical research. He completed medical training at the Universidad Autónoma de Centroamérica, Postgraduate Medical Education at Harvard Medical School, and bioethics studies in Rome, Italy. He previously served as a Postgraduate Research Associate at Yale University. He has co-authored several publications in leading neurology and neurosurgery journals. His interests include neurosurgery, neurological disorders, and social work, with global experience in Colombia, Bolivia, and Africa. In his free time, he enjoys cycling, hiking, and Nordic skiing.

Dr. Leonardo Cruz-Criollo is a Peruvian neurologist who completed his residency at the renowned Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Neurológicas through the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos (UNMSM). During his residency, he developed a deep interest in vascular neurology, endovascular neurology, and neurocritical care. As part of his residency training, he enhanced his expertise through observerships in Canada and Mexico, focusing on vascular and endovascular neurology. Driven by his passion for advancing medical knowledge and innovative treatments, Dr. Cruz-Criollo came to the United States to collaborate on research in cerebrovascular diseases, neurocritical care and neurointervention. He is committed to driving innovations that transform clinical practices and improve patient outcomes.

Dr. Brito Alvarado earned his medical degree from Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU) in the Dominican Republic. He has a deep passion for clinical research and is dedicated to advancing patient care through innovative approaches in neurosurgery. Aspiring to become a neurological surgeon, his focus is on improving outcomes for patients with critical neurological conditions. Prior to joining the Cerebrovascular and Neurointerventional (CVNI) lab, Dr. Brito Alvarado served as a research fellow at the Dominican Gamma Knife Center, where he co-authored several publications on Gamma Knife radiosurgery.

Dr. Nashwa is an Egyptian neurologist who graduated from Minia University. She earned her MSc and PhD from the Department of Neurology, at Minia University before she moved to the USA to expand her experience and knowledge in Neurology. Dr. Nashwa has a great passion for vascular neurology, neurophysiology, and neuroimmunology. Her research aims to improve outcomes in cerebrovascular accidents. Her goal is to prepare for her career as a physician and significantly participate in clinical research that would be game-changing and improve patient care in clinical practice. Dr. Nashwa believes that passion, hard work, persistence, and communication are the cornerstone of being a good physician.

Jenny Huynh is an undergraduate student at the University of Iowa studying Biology. Her interest in neurology research stems from her desire to learn more about the human brain and her past experiences volunteering with the hospital's neuroscience unit. She plans on going to medical school and hopes to make meaningful differences in the lives of patients.

Arsh is an undergraduate student majoring in neuroscience. Passionate about medical research, he strives to assist with research projects focused on treating neurological disease. His experiences at the lab fuel his ambition to pursue a career in the medical field, with a keen interest in neurology.

Dr. Nils Petersen is a neurointensivist at Yale New Haven Hospital, specializing in the care of critically ill patients with neurological conditions. He is the Director of the Yale Cerebral Blood Flow Laboratory, and his research focuses on brain blood flow regulation after stroke. His work aims to improve outcomes through advanced neuromonitoring and ultrasound techniques.

Dr. Nicholas Mohr is a physician-scientist specializing in emergency and critical care medicine. He is a Professor at the University of Iowa and serves as Vice Chair for Research in Emergency Medicine. His work focuses on neurologic emergencies and improving critical care delivery through research and training.

Dr. Brian J. Smith is Professor of Biostatistics at the University of Iowa and directs the Biostatistics Core for the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center. With 150+ publications, his work spans Bayesian methods, imaging, and predictive modeling. He leads collaborative studies in clinical trials, epidemiology, and translational science.

Dr. Elena Garrido is an expert in neuroanesthesia and obstetric anesthesia, known for her work at the intersection of clinical care, research, and education. Trained in both Spain and the U.S., she explores neurovascular physiology with a particular focus on stroke interventions, postoperative cognitive outcomes, and overall brain health. Her contributions include major research efforts such as the SEGA trial. Alongside her clinical and scientific pursuits, Dr. Garrido is deeply passionate about teaching, dedicating herself to mentoring the next generation of healthcare professionals.

Dr. Brown is an Associate Professor of Biostatistics at the University of Iowa. His research focuses on computational statistics with expertise in Bayesian hierarchical models, longitudinal methods, and spatial statistics. Dr. Brown leads significant projects in geospatial modeling for stroke care and developing interactive risk maps for cancer control efforts. His work combines advanced statistical methodologies with real-world applications in public health, particularly in infectious disease modeling and population health analytics.

Carlos Contreras is a researcher at the Cerebrovascular & Neurointerventional Lab at the University of Iowa, where he contributes to the planning and execution of clinical trials, optimizing research processes, and ensuring regulatory compliance. His work focuses on integrating innovative methodologies and interdisciplinary approaches to advance cerebrovascular research. In addition to his work in academia, he has experience in GovTech initiatives such as Jarín-Jarín, a project accelerated by CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean, which leverages artificial intelligence and satellite imagery to monitor public infrastructure and enhance transparency. He has also led international market research, particularly through the "Bean to Bar" project, which facilitated the commercialization of Colombian chocolate in Japan by integrating sustainability and innovation strategies.