National Academy of Medicine Elects Kennedy Krieger's CEO and President; Chief Science Officer to Its Membership

BALTIMORE, October 19, 2026 - Bradley L. Schlaggar, MD, PhD, CEO and president of Kennedy Krieger, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine, along with Amy Bastian, PhD, PT, chief science officer and founder of the Institute's Center for Movement Studies.

Drs. Schlaggar and Bastian are the first Kennedy Krieger clinicians or researchers to join the National Academy of Medicine, which is an independent nonprofit committed to advancing science, informing policy, and working to improve health outcomes. Membership in the National Academy of Medicine is one of the highest honors in health and medicine, recognizing individuals who have demonstrated outstanding scientific achievement and commitment to public service.

"As chair of the board, it was a personal pleasure to learn of the election of our president/CEO and chief science officer to the prestigious National Academy of Medicine in the same year. Drs. Schlaggar and Bastian are both career-long champions of the fundamental premise that discovery in neuroscience best informs advances in the clinical care of children with disorders of the developing nervous system," said Ronald R. Peterson, chair of Kennedy Krieger's Board of Directors.

In announcing Dr. Schlaggar's election, the Academy recognized him as a "thought leader in translational developmental neuroscience" and cited his foundational work in understanding typical and atypical brain development in children.

Dr. Schlaggar joined the Institute in 2018 and leads a team of 3,500 full-time and part-time staff and faculty. He is a professor of neurology and pediatrics at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and at Kennedy Krieger, holds the Zanvyl Krieger Faculty Endowed Chair. Dr. Schlaggar attended both medical and graduate school at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and later became the head of pediatric and developmental neurology there. He also is a co-founder of the Flux Society for Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, an international society focused on understanding human brain development.

In announcing Dr. Bastian's election, the Academy noted her, "fundamental work on cerebellar control of movement, sensorimotor learning, and novel rehabilitation approaches for people with neurological damage." As chief science officer, Dr. Bastian champions research and innovation. Her own research centers on the ways that people with or without neurological damage control movement. Dr. Bastian joined the Institute in 2001 and is a professor of neuroscience and neurology at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She earned her doctoral degree in movement science at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

In 2023, Dr. Bastian was elected to the National Academy of Sciences, a private, nonprofit community of esteemed scientists committed to furthering science and scientific research within the U.S. She is the first and only National Academy of Science member from Kennedy Krieger.

"In their respective roles, Dr. Schlaggar and Dr. Bastian each have advanced science, clinical care, policy development, advocacy and community service," Mr. Peterson said. "The election of these stellar individuals is well-deserved and reflects so highly on them as leaders, and as well on Kennedy Krieger Institute."

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About Kennedy Krieger Institute
Kennedy Krieger Institute, an internationally known, non-profit organization located in the greater Baltimore/Washington, D.C. region, transforms the lives of nearly 30,000 individuals a year through inpatient and outpatient medical, behavioral health and wellness therapies, home and community services, school-based programs, training and education for professionals, and advocacy. Kennedy Krieger provides a wide range of services for children, adolescents and adults with diseases, disorders or injuries that impact the nervous system, ranging from mild to severe. The Institute is home to a team of investigators who contribute to the understanding of how disorders develop, while at the same time pioneering new interventions and methods of early diagnosis, prevention and treatment. Visit KennedyKrieger.org for more information about Kennedy Krieger.