1st Annual Migraine Science Collaborative Early-Career Clinical Research Contest: Recording Now Available

The 1^st Annual Migraine Science Collaborative Early-Career Clinical Research Contest took place on September 16, 2026. A recording of the event is available below, and directly on the MSC YouTube channel here.

The contest featured ten early-career investigators who each gave short presentations of their research on migraine and migraine-related topics. Three judges, including Nasim Maleki, PhD, Harvard Medical School/MGH; Hadas Nahman-Averbuch, PhD, Washington University; and Gretchen Tietjen, MD, University of Toledo, evaluated the scientific content and delivery of each talk. The talks included:

Group 1

Winner: Keiko Ihara, MD, Mayo Clinic

Vascular risk prediction in migraine: A multimodality risk score based on artificial intelligence-electrocardiogram output, echocardiography, and detailed migraine characteristics.

Runners-up:

Linda Al-Hassany, MD, Erasmus MC

Blood pressure measurements in postpartum women with migraine and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy: Results from a prospective cohort study

Caroline Brooks, PhD, University of Kentucky

Unlocking the power of social connection: Investigating the role of social networks in the experience and management of migraine

Fahimeh Martami, PhD, American University

Dietary modulation of glutamate as a potential therapy for headache and migraine

Group 2

Winner: Joel Brown, RN, Washington University

The role of puberty in experimental pain sensitivity in adolescent girls with and without migraine

Runners-up:

Toby Dresdner, PhD, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology

Characterizing adverse events in a mindfulness treatment for migraine and anxiety

Agatha Greenway, University of Iowa

Effectiveness of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) units for headache treatment in a United States population

Joelle Mbakogu, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Characterizing inflammation in pediatric patients with migraine and high exposure to adverse childhood experiences

Flavia Müller, University of Zurich

Impaired BOLD cerebrovascular reactivity patterns in migraine patients: Toward a functional biomarker of cerebrovascular dysfunction

Alyxandra Ramsay, Mount Sinai Hospital

Migraine prevalence in transgender and gender diverse individuals: A single center retrospective study​