Barrow Neurological Institute brings the rehabilitation community together for two days on acquired brain injury and spinal cord injury, pairing current research with the hands-on care that physical, occupational, and speech therapists provide every day.
The 2026 Acquired Brain Injury and Spinal Cord Injury Symposium is Barrow Neurological Institute's two-day education event for the clinicians who care for people after acquired brain injury (ABI) and spinal cord injury (SCI). It takes place Saturday and Sunday, October 3 to 4, 2026, in person at Barrow's Goldman Auditorium in Phoenix and online through a hybrid livestream.
The program is built around allied-health practice. Sessions carry continuing education for physical therapists (PT), occupational therapists (OT), and speech-language pathologists (SLP), and the agenda moves from medical management to the rehabilitation interventions those teams use after injury.
For the SCI community, the value is the direct line from research to daily care. The 2026 agenda pairs autonomic and cardiovascular science with practical sessions on spinal stimulation, functional electrical stimulation (FES), orthotics, and living well after injury, including a patient panel on pregnancy and postpartum with spinal cord injury.
Sessions approved for PT, OT, and SLP continuing education. Credit requires full attendance and the post-course evaluation; partial credit is not offered.
Keynote science on cardiovascular control after spinal cord injury and on age-friendly SCI care, translated for the bedside.
Noland Arbaugh, a Neuralink PRIME study participant, shares a first-hand account of living with brain-computer interface (BCI) technology.
Attend at Barrow's Goldman Auditorium in Phoenix or join the hybrid livestream from anywhere. In-person registration includes breakfast, lunch, and snacks.
Sessions on transcutaneous spinal stimulation and integrated functional electrical stimulation for home use, from the teams putting them into practice.
A patient panel on pregnancy and postpartum with spinal cord injury, plus sessions on orthotics and on travel for people with disabilities.
From spinal cord injury to the Paralympic podium: cardiovascular control and elite sport participation. A leading authority on autonomic function after SCI opens the meeting.
The why, what, and how of age-friendly spinal cord injury care. A national voice in SCI medicine on protecting long-term health after injury.
A dedicated session on integrated FES for home use, plus talks on transcutaneous spinal stimulation, orthotics for ABI and SCI, and a pregnancy and postpartum patient panel.
Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix opened in 1962 and is a dedicated center for neurology and neurosurgery. Its teams treat the full range of brain and spine conditions, from diagnosis through outpatient neurorehabilitation, on one campus at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center.
The institute's Department of Physical Medicine and Neuro-Rehabilitation leads the symposium, bringing the clinicians who care for people after brain and spinal cord injury into the teaching program. Barrow has been named to Newsweek's World's Best Specialized Hospitals list for neurology, and its work carries the tagline Minding What Matters Most®.
Registration for the 2026 symposium is coming soon on Barrow's event page. Early-bird pricing applies through September 19, 2026, with late pricing after that date. For the registration link and questions, contact the Barrow continuing medical education (CME) office at CME@BarrowNeuro.org.
Barrow Neurological Institute, 2910 North Third Avenue, Phoenix, Arizona 85013
Goldman Auditorium sits on the Barrow Neurological Institute campus in central Phoenix, a short drive from downtown and from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
Barrow does not list a single symposium room block. Several hotels sit within a few miles of the campus across midtown and downtown Phoenix, reachable by car or rideshare.
Note: Confirm parking and any campus visitor requirements with Barrow before you arrive.
Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport is roughly fifteen minutes from the Barrow campus by car. The venue is reachable by car, rideshare, and Valley Metro transit, with parking on and near the campus for those driving in.
The American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale is the recognized system for classifying a spinal cord injury and guiding the rehabilitation decisions Barrow's program covers. Our knowledgebase article breaks down each grade and what it means for assessment and recovery.
Read the ASIA Scale GuideTwo days of brain injury and spinal cord injury education for the full rehabilitation team, in person in Phoenix or online. Registration opens soon.
Accessibility: Barrow Neurological Institute's Goldman Auditorium offers accessible entrances, seating, and restrooms, and the hybrid format lets delegates take part online. For accommodations or special-needs requests, contact the Barrow CME office at CME@BarrowNeuro.org at least seven days before the symposium.
