November 5, 2025
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
On behalf of the CNS Foundation, thank you for your support in 2025. Since 2019, the Foundation has provided more than $3 million of funding through grants, recognition, and educational opportunities for neurosurgeons around the world, and in 2025 alone, we gave out over $400,000 in awards.
As the Chair of the CNS Foundation, I am excited to continue working with the Board of Directors to refine our work in four established initiatives supporting our mission of advancing clinical care, research, innovation and accessibility in the field of neurosurgery worldwide.
- CNS Guidelines - supports CNS infrastructure in developing, disseminating, and maintaining high-quality, evidence-based guidelines. Increased involvement of our representatives from the AANS/CNS Joint Sections will help us prioritize future topics and fund the updates needed to ensure our guidelines reflect current best practices in neurosurgery.
- International Philanthropy - accelerates positive global impact through observership programs, inviting neurosurgeons from low- and middle-income countries to learn practices that improve patient care at home and engaging them in CNS projects that lead to longitudinal continued education around the world.
- Community, Culture and Engagement - supports programs that address healthcare disparities by developing inclusive practices, leading to structural changes in the neurosurgery workforce. Provides awards to neurosurgical innovators and advocates seeking to study and improve access to the field for both patients and practitioners.
- Clinical Scientist Career Development - offers early-career neurosurgeons recognition, networking, and research support, including the prestigious NIH/Getch K12 program and the Sophysa Young Investigator award.
Join us in 2026 as we expand the impact and reach of our work, all of which is made possible by the generosity of our donors.
With sincere regards,
Lola B. Chambless, MD
Chair, CNS Foundation
CNS Secretary