Case Summary:

Our client’s research sits at the intersection of neurology, virology, and mental health, a space that has taken on urgent significance in recent years. As the world continues to reckon with the long-term effects of COVID-19 and other viral infections, her insights have proven both timely and transformative.

Through rigorous investigation and advanced neuroimaging techniques, she has brought clarity to one of the most confounding symptoms of long COVID: cognitive dysfunction, widely known as “brain fog.” Her work has helped the medical field recognize and begin to treat these symptoms not as anecdotal, but as measurable, physiological disruptions. She has also illuminated how SARS-CoV-2 affects the brain’s GABA signaling pathways, offering a deeper understanding of how viral infections may lead to neuropsychiatric complications. Further expanding her contributions, she has traced how HIV disrupts iron storage in the brain’s cells, a cascade that contributes to cognitive decline and neurodegeneration.

Her research isn’t just forward-thinking, it’s actionable, with real-world implications for the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment of neurological symptoms in viral disease survivors. To date, our client has:

● Published 14 peer-reviewed journal articles

● Been cited 652 times, placing her in the top 4% of cognitive science researchers worldwide

● Completed 17 formal peer reviews for top academic journals in her field

These metrics speak to the influence and respect her work commands across the international scientific community.

NAILG recognized early on that her profile exemplified the standard of extraordinary ability required for the EB-1A classification. We crafted a detailed, persuasive petition strategy that framed her original scientific contributions in the context of their broader public health relevance to the United States, especially as it continues to manage and prepare for the neurological aftershocks of infectious diseases like COVID-19 and HIV. With targeted evidence, expert letters, and comprehensive documentation, we presented a petition that made clear: our client isn’t just advancing science, he’s addressing some of the most pressing health challenges of our time.

Her petition received strong support, including a recommender who wrote:

“To conclude, [client] is a rising star in neurology research due to her expertise in infectious diseases, neuroimaging analysis techniques, and neurodegeneration disease mechanisms. This has made her particularly well-suited to addressing the most pressing challenges in safeguarding the public health of the United States, including improving the mental and neurological care of COVID-19 patients. It is therefore clear that [client] is a leader in the field of neurology.”

We are proud to have helped our client reach this important milestone and excited to see how her work will continue to shape the future of neurology and public health in the United States.