How to Advocate for Basic Science in a Disease-Focused World

Andrew Sperling is the director of federal legislative advocacy for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). In this position, he leads NAMI’s legislative advocacy initiatives in Congress and before federal agencies. Sperling works on issues affecting the mental health community with a focus on improving the lives of people with severe mental illnesses. He is also the co-chair of the Consortium for Citizens With Disabilities House Task Force. Prior, he was the deputy director of government relations for the National Community Mental Healthcare Council and was a legislative assistant for U.S. Rep. Dick Swett (D-NH). He earned his BA from Tulane University, MA from The George Washington University, and JD from the Franklin Pierce Law Center.

Naomi Charalambakis is a doctoral candidate at the University of Louisville School of Medicine in the department of anatomical sciences and neurobiology. Charalambakis’ main research focuses on the role of the thalamus in refining and controlling incoming visual input and its connections to higher cortical regions. She previously worked as a science policy intern for Research!America, which fueled her passion for policy and advocacy. Charalambakis also served as one of SfN’s Early Career Policy Ambassadors. She helped create the Science Policy and Outreach Group at the University of Louisville and serves as the director. Charalambakis has participated in numerous SfN Hill Days and is in frequent communication with her senators and representatives.

Mary Woolley is the president and CEO of Research!America, the nation’s largest not-for-profit alliance working to make research to improve health a higher national priority. She is an elected member of the National Academy of Medicine and served two terms on its Governing Council. She is a fellow of AAAS. Woolley served two terms on the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) Board on Life Sciences and currently serves on the NAS Board on Higher Education and the Workforce. She is a founding member of the Board of Associates of the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, a member of the board of the Institute for Systems Biology, and a member of the visiting committee of the University of Chicago Medical Center. Woolley has a 30-year publication history on science advocacy and research related topics, and is a sought-after speaker, often interviewed by science, news, and policy journalists.

Bill Martin leads the neuroscience therapeutic area of Janssen Research & Development, LLC in discovering and developing important new therapies for people living with brain disorders. Prior to joining BlackThorn, Martin worked at Theravance Biopharma, where his responsibilities ranged from drug discovery and development, to research portfolio planning and business development. He is the chair of SfN’s Government and Public Affairs Committee. Martin graduated from Swarthmore College and earned his PhD from Brown University. He conducted postdoctoral research at the Keck Center for Integrative Neuroscience at the University of California, San Francisco.