Former NINDS Director Walter Koroshetz Brings Federal Neuroscience Leadership to the Dana Foundation

For more than a decade, Walter Koroshetz, MD, oversaw the federal government's largest neuroscience research portfolio as director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), which annually invests billions of dollars in research spanning stroke, epilepsy, neurodegenerative disease, brain injury, and fundamental neuroscience. Now he is bringing that experience to a different kind of institution.

The Dana Foundation announced that Koroshetz will join the organization as a senior advisor, effective March 1, 2026. His role will center on guiding the Foundation's science funding collaborations and supporting its programs for early-career scholars and practitioners - work that fits closely with a career defined by translating scientific priorities into institutional support.

A Career at the Intersection of Science and Policy

Koroshetz's tenure at NINDS encompassed some of the most significant developments in modern neuroscience. He provided federal leadership for the BRAIN Initiative, a multi-agency research program launched in 2013 to develop new tools for mapping and understanding neural circuits. He also participated in the International Brain Initiative and the Global Neuroethics Summit - experiences that gave him extensive perspective on both the scientific frontiers of neuroscience and the ethical and societal questions those frontiers raise.

"During my time at NINDS, it was an honor to support scientists, engineers, university collaborators, and early career investigators making extraordinary progress in neuroscience discovery and neurotechnology development," said Koroshetz. "The increasing pace of innovation is bringing new ethical and societal questions to the forefront, underscoring how essential Dana's mission is at this pivotal moment."

Caroline Montojo, PhD, president and CEO of the Dana Foundation, described Koroshetz's fit with the organization's mission in terms that reflect a long professional relationship. "Having previously worked alongside Walter on the US BRAIN Initiative, International Brain Initiative, and the Global Neuroethics Summit, I've seen firsthand his deep commitment to neuroscience that serves society," she said. "He champions ethical reflection and societal responsibility and works to actively cultivate those in the next generation."

What the Dana Foundation Does

The Dana Foundation is a private philanthropic organization focused on neuroscience. Its programs support scientific research through grant-making, promote public understanding of brain science through education initiatives, and specifically invest in early-career scientists who are developing independent research programs. The Foundation's stated mission is to advance neuroscience that benefits society and reflects the aspirations of all people - language that explicitly links scientific progress to societal impact and equity.

This orientation toward societal benefit, rather than pure scientific output, is where Koroshetz's background makes him particularly well-suited to the advisory role. Federal neuroscience funding decisions at NINDS necessarily weigh scientific merit alongside considerations of disease burden, health equity, and translational potential. Experience navigating those tradeoffs at scale is directly applicable to the kinds of strategic questions a philanthropic science organization faces about where to direct resources for maximum societal benefit.

Neurotechnology Ethics and the New Advisory Role

Steven E. Hyman, MD, chair of the Dana Foundation Board of Directors, framed Koroshetz's appointment in terms of intellectual breadth as much as technical expertise. "Walter combines a deep knowledge of neuroscience with the perspective that the field does not operate in a vacuum," Hyman said. "He shares our commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration, bringing neuroscience into conversation with other fields."

This perspective has become increasingly important as neurotechnology - brain-computer interfaces, neural stimulation devices, neuroimaging-based cognitive assessment - has accelerated rapidly. Technologies that interact directly with the brain raise questions about privacy, consent, cognitive enhancement, and the boundaries of medical intervention that are not answered by neuroscience alone. Koroshetz's experience with the Global Neuroethics Summit reflects engagement with precisely these questions.

The advisory role at the Dana Foundation represents a different mode of influence than directing a federal institute: smaller scale, more targeted, and operating through the mechanisms of private philanthropy rather than government grant-making. But the connecting thread is the same - using institutional resources to support scientists and ideas that advance understanding of the brain in ways that benefit people.

Koroshetz's relationship with the Dana Foundation predates this appointment. He contributed to the Foundation's earlier work and in 2020 offered guidance as the organization refined its mission toward an intersectional approach to neuroscience that addresses real-world needs. The formal advisory role formalizes a relationship that has already shaped the Foundation's direction.