FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 4, 2026
Washington, DC — The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) appointed ten new members to the Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care, and Services, including Ricardo A. Hanel, MD, PhD, a nationally recognized neurosurgeon who serves as Director of the Baptist Neurological Institute, Co-Director of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Surgery, and Endowed Chair of Stroke and Cerebrovascular Surgery at Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville, Florida. Alexander A. Khalessi, MD, MBA, FAANS, Chair of the Washington Committee for the American
Association of Neurological Surgeons and the Congress of Neurological Surgeons, issued the
following statement:
“Dr. Ricardo Hanel is a longstanding leader in cranial and endovascular neurosurgery who brings deep expertise to the treatment of neurologic disease. He is a trusted friend and respected internationally as a thought leader in medical device innovation. Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias represent an important frontier in neurologic disease. We couldn’t be prouder to have a neurosurgeon at the table for this critical national effort.”
“We thank HHS Secretary Kennedy for his commitment to the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease and for appointing one of the very best from our ranks to the Advisory Council. These appointments underscore the vital role of multidisciplinary clinical teams, researchers, and patients in shaping national policy on aging, dementia, and brain health.”
Established under the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) in 2011, the Advisory Council on Alzheimer’s Research, Care, and Services provides strategic recommendations to the HHS and its federal partners on advancing dementia-related research, strengthening care models, and improving long-term support for individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease. The Council brings together federal agency leaders, clinicians, researchers, caregivers, patient advocates, and people living with dementia to guide the implementation of the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease, which is updated annually.
In May 2024, the NAPA Reauthorization Act – led by Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Mark Warner (D-VA) and Representatives Paul Tonko (D NY) and Christopher Smith (R-NJ) – was signed into law, extending the Council and related federal efforts through 2035. The law modernized the Council’s scope by expanding membership to include individuals with lived experience, researchers with expertise in clinical trials, and federal representatives from the Department of Justice, FEMA, and the Social Security Administration. It also sharpened the program’s focus on prevention and modifiable risk factors, including cardiovascular health, nutrition, and aging-related conditions that contribute to cognitive decline. To learn more about NAPA and the Advisory Council, click here.
Contact:
Charlotte Pineda
(202) 446-2024
cpineda@neurosurgery.org
