My name is Juan Carlos Arango Lasprilla. I feel very fortunate to have been nominated to assist in the governance of INS as a member-at-large. Holding a leadership role in the Society, I would emphasize actions that further the development of the field worldwide. This goal for INS stems from my background and professional achievements, which make me an ideal candidate for a board position in a Society like INS, an organization with the capacity to unite dedicated professionals across the globe in common goals to advance neuropsychology.

I am an Ikerbasque Research Professor at BioCruces Health Research Institute in Bilbao, Spain. My research aims to develop, validate, and implement neuropsychological rehabilitation programs that assist individuals with brain injury and their families. As someone who was born in Colombia, South America, and had the opportunity to be educated in Europe and the US, I have first-hand appreciation of the importance of culture in the study of brain function. The multi-cultural educational environments I experienced inspired a passion for learning about other cultures and fostering international collaboration in research. I’ve taught at over 80 institutions on 5 continents and my research network spans 45 countries. Within this network, I’ve been PI of various large international norming studies and organized and chaired many international conferences. I have over 200 publications, including 7 books, and have received numerous early career recognitions. But I am most proud of my work advancing neuropsychology in Latin America. For instance, I am a founding member of the Colombian Neuropsychological Society and serve as a mentor to professionals and students alike in many Spanish-speaking countries.

INS can benefit from my ability to connect professionals from different backgrounds, languages, cultures, and ages. Since becoming a member of INS in 2005, I’ve observed increased interest in involving non-English speaking members. INS must broaden its impact by leveraging the existing diversity among its membership. I believe that my role in the Society as member-at-large would be to create opportunities (through education, mentoring, and research activities) to benefit the integration of all INS members, regardless of country, language, race, gender, etc. Just as the study of brain function have evolved from localized regions to inter-connectedness, INS must evolve in a similar fashion. Future directions of the Society should be focused on developing networks, at professional and personal levels, in order to meet the needs of an ever-more global world.

Sincerely,

Juan