Ralph L. Sacco Research Day Highlights Next Generation of Neurology Investigators
The annual event at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine showcases resident‑led neurology research, mentorship and nationally competitive scientific work.
The University of Miami Miller School of Medicine’s Department of Neurology celebrated mentorship, momentum and resident scholarship at the annual Ralph L. Sacco Research Day, a signature event highlighting the next generation of academic neurologists.
Built around the theme “Inspiring Tomorrow’s Neurology Researchers,” the program gives Miller School residents a platform to present leading-edge work across stroke, epilepsy, headache medicine, neurocritical care and other major areas of neurology.
A Legacy of Mentorship and Research Excellence
The event also honors the enduring legacy of Ralph L. Sacco, M.D., former professor and chair of the Miller School’s Department of Neurology, whose leadership helped shape the department and the field. His endowment continues to sustain the program’s growth and reinforce the department’s reputation for research excellence.
“It’s a celebration of neurology trainee-led research, innovation, mentorship and scientific discovery, designed to inspire the next generation of neurology clinician-scientists,” said Gillian Gordon Perue, M.D., associate professor of clinical neurology at the Miller School, director of the stroke programs at Jackson North and South Medical Centers and founder of Research Day. “At its core, research is an exchange of ideas. Research Day creates a dynamic forum for that exchange by bringing together trainees and experienced investigators. With expert faculty serving as judges, residents and fellows receive real-time, constructive feedback on their hypotheses, methods and result, along with guidance on how to strengthen their work. Research Day is a critical step in the research cycle.”
Resident‑Led Research Across the Spectrum of Neurology
With one of the country’s largest neurology resident programs, the Miller School uses Research Day to showcase resident and fellow scholarship and create space for trainees to engage closely with faculty mentors and receive critical feedback on their work. That spirit of mentorship was evident throughout the day.
“As I was sitting in the audience listening to the stroke presentations, I was thinking this is as high a level as what we see at national and international stroke meetings,” said Negar Asdaghi, M.D., associate professor in the Stroke Division at the Miller School and director of Research and Outcomes Core for the Florida Stroke Registry, who provided extensive feedback and perspective to the presenters. “These are young investigators just beginning their careers in academic medicine and it was incredibly impressive.”
Several of the projects presented already have been accepted for national and international meetings, underscoring the caliber of their work. But for faculty mentors, the importance of the day goes beyond the presentations themselves.
“It’s an absolutely incredible opportunity for them to present their work locally first,” Dr. Asdaghi said. “Their work needs to be recognized, and it also motivates others by showing that this is possible, even during an exceptionally busy time in training.”
From Local Presentation to Global Impact
This year’s program opened with a Grand Rounds lecture by Diogo Haussen, M.D., associate professor of neurology at Emory University School of Medicine and Grady Memorial Hospital. The University of Miami alumni’s presentation was titled “Carotid Webs: From Curiosity to (Some) Clarity, A Personal and Collaborative Journey.”
The 2026 Ralph L. Sacco Research Day featured six oral presentations that reflected the breadth of current neurology research at the Miller School. Among them, resident presenter Aaron Rodriguez-Calienes, M.D., shared findings on a stroke treatment study examining whether patients with severe strokes had better survival and functional recovery when treated with endovascular thrombectomy.
“I feel very honored to have the opportunity to present this work here with such an amazing group of researchers and mentors,” he said.
For resident Lilian Godeiro Coelho, M.D., the day was as much about growth as recognition. Her oral presentation on a meta-analysis of topiramate in adult status epilepticus found that half of patients experienced seizure cessation attributed to the drug. Dr. Godeiro Coelho identified disease severity and etiology as key modifiers to response.
“Presenting at Research Day was very important for my career, and it was great training for future presentations I hope to give as I continue in academic medicine,” she said.
Another oral presentation, by Carlos Rodríguez Alarcón, M.D., examined sex differences in anterior ischemic stroke among Hispanic patients. The study found that women were older and had higher rates of diabetes and hemianopsia. Men more often received acute interventions, suggesting the need for further study into gender-related differences in stroke management.
The event also featured 14 poster presentations on topics ranging from cluster headache management and EEG education to delays in hospital arrival among patients with acute ischemic stroke in middle-income settings.
One poster explored providers’ perceptions of using AI-based prognostic tools in withdrawal-of-life support and goals-of-care decisions in neurocritical care. The work revealed cautious optimism tempered by concerns about over-reliance, bias and communication with families. Another detailed a case of VZV CNS vasculitis causing sequential bilateral pontine strokes, illustrating how infectious and inflammatory vasculitis can elude standard stroke algorithms.
Honoring Outstanding Scholarship and Mentorship
Awards were presented for outstanding achievements in poster and oral presentations, stroke and interventional research, as well as the new Chairs’ Fellows Research Award. The event also highlighted the importance of faculty mentorship by presenting two awards to faculty members who have demonstrated exceptional guidance.
This focus on mentorship is a distinctive aspect of the department and plays a vital role in advancing research. Together, the presentations and awards reflected the spirit of Research Day through rigorous science, meaningful mentorship and a shared commitment to the future of neurology.
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Tags: Department of Neurology, Dr. Gillian Gordon Perue, Dr. Negar Asdaghi, Dr. Ralph Sacco, neurology, residents, stroke, Stroke Division, thrombectomy