The Foundation awarded five grants for a total of $89,948. The grants selected were in the following categories: Conferences & Symposia.

Henry York

VA San Diego Healthcare System

San Diego, California

“The 2026 San Diego Spinal Cord Injury Symposium (SDSCIS)”

Awarded: $20,000

The 2026 San Diego Spinal Cord Injury Symposium (SDSCIS) is a free, one-day gathering of leading researchers, clinicians, experts in the field of spinal cord injury and associated conditions (SCI/D), and individuals with lived experience, designed to share the latest advances in research, clinical care, rehabilitation, and community reintegration. The SDSCIS covers a broad range of topics related to SCI/D within an interactive format that facilitates networking, collaboration, and education for all of these stakeholders.

The SCSCIS meets a distinct need for a regional SCI/D meeting in the Western United States and directly fulfills the PVA Education Foundation mission.

ALS United Greater New York will hold a two-day virtual conference in May 2026 titled: The ALS United Greater New York Education and Resource Summit, which will provide educational and resourceful content to the Veteran ALS community, including patients, caregivers, family and friends, various health partners. The overarching goal is to educate on best care practices in navigating the difficult journey ALS.

The 20th Annual Unite 2 Fight Paralysis Science & Advocacy Symposium is a vital event in the spinal cord injury and disease (SCI/D) community. It creates an important platform for bringing together a diverse group of stakeholders—from researchers and clinicians to advocates and individuals living with SCI/D. The focus on fostering direct dialogue between these groups helps bridge the gap between research advancements and real-world challenges faced by people with SCI/D.

Carrie Hersh

Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health

Las Vegas, Nevada

“Empower Your Path: Living Well with Multiple Sclerosis and Other Nueroimmunological Disorders”

 Awarded: $19,948

The symposium is for patients newly diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS) and other neuroimmunological (NI) disorders to optimize knowledge and integration of healthy lifestyle practices for improving symptoms, disability levels, and overall quality of life. MS is a complex inflammatory and neurodegenerative disease that affects the central nervous system and is one of the leading causes of disability in young persons. Disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) are only partially effective, making the overall optimization of MS patient health essential. Significant interventions exist to address modifiable patient health behaviors that can positively impact the MS disease course overall.

Victoria Abraira

Rutgers University

Barga, Tuscany, Italy

“2025 Gordon Research Conference on Spinal Cord Injury and Regeneration”

Awarded: $20,000

The 2025 Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on “Spinal Cord Injury and Regeneration: Bridging Molecular Insights and Therapeutic Innovation” is the world’s new premier international scientific conference dedicated to the field of SCI and repair. The goal of the meeting is to advance the frontiers of science through the presentation of cutting-edge and unpublished research, prioritizing time for discussion after each talk and fostering informal interactions among attendees of all career stages and disciplines. The conference program includes a diverse range of speakers and discussion leaders from institutions and organizations worldwide, concentrating on the latest developments in the field.