Janet Hieshetter helps patient organizations apply pressure to Congress to increase federal funding to NINDS, which had a disheartening payline of 12 percent last year. “That’s a lot of good research left on the table,” said Hieshetter, who chairs the American Brain Coalition.  The coalition aims to advance understanding of brain function and to reduce the burden of brain disorders through public advocacy. The group is pressing budget leaders in the House and Senate to appropriate an additional $2 billion for research next fiscal year. Hieshetter, who also is executive director of the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation, spoke at the advocacy luncheon at Brain Day about the power of partnering advocates with researchers as well as families living with neurological diseases to educate government leaders and inspire action.