June 2026 President Spotlight: Community at the AAN

In the June episode of the President's Spotlight, Dr. Jason Crowell and Dr. Natalia Rost discuss the sense of community present within the AAN.

Stay informed by watching the President's Spotlight video.

Show transcript:

Dr. Jason Crowell:

This is Jason Crowell with today's Neurology Minute. Once again, this month for our presidential spotlight, we have Natalia Rost joining us. Natalia, thanks so much for your time today.

Dr. Natalia Rost:

Hi, Jason.

Dr. Jason Crowell:

So what is on your mind this month, Natalia?

Dr. Natalia Rost:

Well, if you remember, last month we talked about our annual meeting, and since I've been thinking about AAN's value of community. Community is top of mind because staying connected, of course, sharing questions, experience, and ideas is how we keep improving care and advancing the field, but also how we elevate wellness for all of us.

Dr. Jason Crowell:

I'm sure there are many different ways we could talk about this sense of community showing up within the AAN, but what are you thinking of specifically?

Dr. Natalia Rost:

Well, of course, we love our annual meeting reunions, but one way we thrive as a community all year long is online through our AAN member sections. As you know, sections are our AAN vibrant member-led groups and each has a dedicated community on Synapse, our online community platform and mobile app. What you'll find there is discussions, resources, announcements, events, and peer Q&A.

Dr. Jason Crowell:

So can you give us some examples of how these sections work and how people participate?

Dr. Natalia Rost:

Yeah. Sections is our online community and our response onto how our field moves fast and sections are where you can stay connected and share knowledge. Every section is dedicated to a different subspecialty or interest. No matter where your focus is, there's probably an AAN online community. For instance, with my specialty in vascular neurology, I can connect with other members in the stroke and vascular neurology section. The topics can range from a tricky case question sharing a protocol or a career advice thread and we've done that for years now. But I'm also passionate about humanities and art, and so I can also explore the interface between neurology and the arts in my neuro-humanities synapse community. I highly recommend it.

Dr. Jason Crowell:

Are there any practical real-life benefits that members talk about when they're discussing these sections, and who all is behind the scenes making this work happen?

Dr. Natalia Rost:

Yeah. In addition to staying in touch all year long, many of our sections also host collaborative sessions during the annual meeting through section showcases. These are discussion-based sessions where sections present untimely topics. And if you're interested, I recommend joining a section now so you can stay on top of the advances for 2027. And for additional context, we also have 80-plus section leaders. These members offer their time and expertise to help their communities thrive, and so we're extremely grateful to them for their leadership.

Dr. Jason Crowell:

So if we have listeners today who are members of the AAN, but they've never gotten involved in these sections, where would you direct them? I imagine they can find information on the AAN website.

Dr. Natalia Rost:

Yes. So very simple. Any AAN member can join sections and access their communities on Synapse. Go to aan.com/sections and access them anywhere by downloading our Synapse mobile app. And my advice is very simple. Find your people, stay current, and bring your questions. Your section community is there year-round.

Dr. Jason Crowell:

Terrific. Natalia, thanks so much for sharing this with us.

Dr. Natalia Rost:

Thanks for having me.