Jackson's term as AAN president ends, Rost succeeds
April 18, 2025
Carlayne E. Jackson, MD, FAAN, has reached the end of her term as AAN president, passing the gavel to President Natalia S. Rost, MD, MPH, FAAN, FAHA. Jackson leaves a legacy of leadership, collaboration, and advocacy that will have a lasting positive impact on the Academy.
“It has been an honor to serve as president of the AAN,” Jackson said. “We are more than an organization—we are a community of the best and brightest experts, always united toward promoting brain health for all. I am so grateful to be part of our Academy’s legacy.”
Jackson is a professor of neurology and otolaryngology at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, where she chairs the Department of Neurology and holds the Edna Smith Dielmann Distinguished University Chair, and is the medical director for the South Texas ALS Center of Excellence. She is a prominent voice in ALS, muscular dystrophy, and myasthenia gravis, and has published more than 280 abstracts, journal articles, and book chapters.
A member of the AAN for more than 25 years, Jackson was a leader in the organization long before she became president. She served as secretary on the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors, chaired the Meeting Management and Board Planning Committees, and was a member of multiple other committees and the Continuum® Editorial Board. She co-chaired the ALS Measurement Development Panel, co-authored the ALS Practice Parameters, and has participated in many other Academy efforts.
As president, Jackson was essential in groundbreaking efforts like the Brain Health Initiative, the AAN’s first five-year strategic plan, and constant advocacy work.
Perhaps the most crucial part of Jackson’s legacy in the AAN is her service as a mentor. A graduate of the Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum, she has served as a mentor in the Emerging Leaders Program, the Diversity Leadership Program, Women Leading in Neurology, and the Transforming Leaders Program—not to mention countless mentorships outside of these formal programs. Her work shaping the future of neurology was recognized in 2017 with the AAN Leading in Excellence Mentorship Award, and dozens of fellow members can name her as a respected mentor.
“I would not be where I am without mentorship, and the AAN has fostered an environment where mentorship thrives,” Jackson said. “If there is one thing I could ask of members, it is to be a mentor. Be that voice in someone’s life that helps their career—and their research, or their patient care, or their advocacy—rise to new heights.”
With the end of Jackson’s successful term, the AAN looks forward to Rost’s leadership as president. Rost is professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School, the C. Miller Fisher Endowed Chair in Stroke Research, and former chief of the stroke division at Massachusetts General Hospital. A cum laude graduate of Boston University School of Medicine, she also holds a Master of Public Health degree from Harvard School of Public Health, and is trained in neurology and vascular neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital residency and fellowship programs.
“I applaud Dr. Jackson for her leadership, and I am thrilled to take the helm at the 好色先生 as we forge ahead to implement our bold, new strategic plan with a mission of improving brain health for all,” said Rost. “I look forward to advancing the AAN’s strategic priorities with our vibrant community of more than 40,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals. Neurologists are the experts in brain health and are uniquely positioned to help people optimize their brain health throughout their lives.”