
The American Headache Society’s Emerging Leaders Program is designed to identify and develop future leaders within the Society. We are encouraging young medical professionals to enter and thrive not only in the field of headache medicine, but within the American Headache Society.
Participants will learn about opportunities within the Society to serve on committees, participate in special projects and American Migraine Foundation activities. They will engage with mentors who are leaders in the society and field of headache medicine, interact with others to lay the groundwork for long-lasting and fulfilling relationships, and participate in networking opportunities and collaborations.
HEALTH AND SAFETY POLICY
The AHS actively monitors the health and safety guidance from the Centers for Disease Control as well as state and local health departments. We want attendees to enjoy a safe environment at all AHS meetings. While the AHS continues to recommend people are up to date on COVID-19 vaccination, attendees of AHS meetings are not required to be vaccinated or verify vaccination status. In addition, masks are optional for AHS meetings and prior antigen testing is not required. We will continue to follow best practices recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and abide by any legal mandates and recommendations from government officials in the location of any AHS meeting. These protocols and information are subject to change.
Please note, even with safeguards and the AHS’s overarching commitment to attendee wellness, there remains a risk of contracting COVID-19.
Program Committee
![]() A. Laine Green, MD, MSc, FRCPC, FAHS, Chair |
Jessica Ailani, MD, FAHS MedStar Georgetown University Hospital Washington, District of Columbia |
Elizabeth W. Loder, MD, MPH, FAHS John R. Graham Headache Center Boston, Massachusetts |
Kathleen B. Digre, MD, FAHS University of Utah Salt Lake City, Utah |
Lawrence C. Newman, MD, FAHS Atria Institute New York, New York |
Rashmi B. Halker Singh, MD, FAHS Mayo Clinic Scottsdale, Arizona |
Anna Pace, MD The Mount Sinai Hospital New York, New York |
Chelsea Hesterman, MD David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA Los Angeles, California |
Matthew S. Robbins, MD, FAHS Weill Cornell Medicine New York, New York |
Shivang Joshi, MD, MPH, RPh, FAHS Community Neuroscience Services Westborough, Massachusetts |
Beth Robertson, MD, FAHS Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minnesota |

Emerging Leaders Program | Wednesday, November 15, 2023 | Board Room
8:00 am – 9:00 am | Welcome, Introductions and Organizational Overview A. Laine Green, MD, MSc, FRCPC, FAHS and R. Allan Purdy, MD, FAHS |
9:00 am – 10:00 am | Media Training Bert B. Vargas, MD, FAHS |
10:00 am – 12:00 pm | Speaker Training Session Scott C. Litin, MD, FAHS |
12:00 pm – 12:15 pm | Morning Wrap-up A. Laine Green, MD, MSc, FRCPC, FAHS |
12:15 pm – 1:15 pm | Lunch Break |
1:15 pm – 2:15 pm | Context of Leadership Steven M. Baskin, PhD |
2:15 pm – 3:15 pm | Psychology of Leadership Mary Ann Berzins, MBA, FCIPD, SPHR-SCP |
3:15 pm – 3:30 pm | Break |
3:30 pm – 4:00 pm | Introduction to DEI Work Cynthia E. Armand, MD and Clarimar Borrero-Mejias, MD |
4:00 pm – 4:30 pm | Topics in Advocacy Amaal J. Starling, MD, MS, FAHS |
4:30 pm – 5:00 pm | Social Media and Promotion Lauren Doyle Strauss, DO, FAHS and Nada Hindiyeh, MD, FAHS |
5:00 pm – 5:15 pm | Past Attendee Presentation Abigail Chua, DO |
5:15 pm – 6:15 pm | Project and Mentor Review/Next Steps/Questions A. Laine Green, MD, MSc, FRCPC, FAHS |
6:15 pm | Program Concludes |

The 2023 Emerging Leaders Program will take place on Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at the JW Marriott Camelback Inn, in conjunction with the 2023 Scottsdale Headache Symposium®.
Participants will receive complimentary registration and expenses paid for the 2023 Scottsdale Headache Symposium and 66th Annual Scientific Meeting, and will be assigned a project for which the results will be presented to the AHS Board of Directors in June 2024 at the Annual Scientific Meeting in San Diego, CA.
Candidate Criteria
- Must be an AHS member in good standing for at least 1 year
- Must be within 7 years of having completed a training program or terminal research degree
- Must commit to attending the 2023 Scottsdale Headache Symposium and 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting in person (expenses paid), as well as a virtual mid-year training forum
- Must commit to completing an agreed-upon project to present to the AHS Board of Directors at the 66th Annual Scientific Meeting in San Diego, CA
Application and Supporting Materials
Applicants must complete the online application form and provide the following supporting materials:
- CV
- Letter of Interest demonstrating your interest in organizational leadership, affiliations, positions held (volunteer or paid), academic appointments and other relevant information (with a strong emphasis on commitment to AHS and relevant leadership experience)
- Letter of support from an active AHS member
Application Timeline:
- Wednesday, July 19: Applications open
- Sunday, August 27: Applications due
- On or about Monday, September 18: Final decisions to be distributed

2022
Vimala Bharadwaj, PhD | Annika Ehrlich, MS, NP |
Abigail Chua, DO | Lindsay Frerichs, MD |
Michelle Clementi, PhD | Daniel Lax, MD |
2021
Ashhar Ali, DO | Jennifer Hranilovich, MD |
Chia-Chun Chiang, MD | Abby Metzler, MD |
Naveen George, DO | Emily Lane Schlitz Fortenberry, MD |
Kaitlin Greene, MD |
2020
Olivia Begasse de Dhaem, MD | Rashmi Rao, MD |
Jaclyn Duvall, MD | Jennifer Robblee, MD, MS |
Lauren Natbony, MD | Kevin Weber, MD |
2019
Franchesca Fiorito, MD | Serena L. Orr, MD |
Jessica Kiarashi, MD | Anna Pace, MD |
Deena Kuruvilla, MD | Adam S. Sprouse Blum, MD |
Barbara L. Nye, MD |
2018
Cynthia Armand, MD | Thomas Berk, MD |
Meghan Candee, MD, MS | Carrie Dougherty, MD, FAHS |
Jessica Gautreaux, MD | Niushen Zhang, MD |
2017
Mark Burish, MD, PhD | Zubair Ahmed, MD |
Sarah K. Gibbons, DO | Juliana VanderPluym, MD |
Katherine Hamilton, MD | Nada Hindiyeh, MD |
Angeliki Vgontzas, MD |
2016
A. Laine Green, MD | Rashmi Halker, MD |
Christina Szperka, MD | Umer Najib, MD |
Larry Charleston, MD | Chelsea Hesterman, MD |

The American Headache Society gratefully acknowledges the support of the 2023 Emerging Leaders Program from our industry supporters:
![]() Lundbeck, a global pharmaceutical company based in Denmark and founded in 1915, is tirelessly dedicated to restoring brain health, so every person can be their best. Lundbeck has a long heritage of innovation in neuroscience and is focused on delivering transformative treatments that address unmet needs in brain health. |