HA CONNECT 2026: Our Community, Connected.
HA CONNECT, the Hydrocephalus Association’s National Conference on Hydrocephalus, brings together individuals and families impacted by hydrocephalus, healthcare professionals, researchers, and advocates from across the country and around the world for education, support, and connection.
From July 23 to 25, 2026, HA welcomed attendees to Indianapolis, Indiana, for the 19th National Conference on Hydrocephalus, our largest in-person conference to date. The gathering reflected the incredible reach of the hydrocephalus community and the continued growth of HA CONNECT.
HA CONNECT 2026 by the Numbers
The reach and impact of this year’s conference can be seen throughout the HA CONNECT 2026 community:
- More than 600 attendees
- 49 states represented
- Four countries represented
- 48% of registrants attending for the first time
- More than 70 educational sessions
- More than 20 sessions offered for the first time
- More than 70 speakers
- More than 40 children participating in Kids Camp
- 54 families, representing 85 individuals, receiving financial assistance
- 33 researchers presenting their work
- More than 200 people registered for the Scientist Meet and Greet
- More than 75 people registered for the Hydrocephalus Research Center lab tours
- 18 Sponsors
- 22 Exhibitors
These numbers represent more than the continued growth of HA CONNECT. They represent individuals and families finding trusted information, building relationships, participating in research, and discovering a community that understands their experiences.
Welcoming New Faces to HA CONNECT
Nearly half of this year’s conference registrants were first-time attendees. For HA, this represents something especially meaningful: more individuals and families impacted by hydrocephalus are finding us and gaining access to the information, resources, support, and community they need.
For many first-time attendees, the conference opens the door to a much larger network of support that continues long after they return home. Reaching new members of our community and ensuring they have the knowledge, tools, and connections they need to navigate hydrocephalus is at the heart of HA’s mission.
Making HA CONNECT Accessible
Ensuring that cost is not a barrier to participating in HA CONNECT is an important part of bringing our community together. This year, financial assistance helped dozens of families access the education, resources, and connections available at the conference.
This assistance was made possible through the generosity of our donors and the HA community. One recipient shared what the opportunity meant:
Three Days of Learning and Connection
Throughout the conference, attendees participated in educational sessions covering medical care, research, mental health, employment, advocacy, daily life with hydrocephalus, and much more.
Conference-wide presentations brought the community together to hear important updates, learn from experts and individuals with lived experience, and reflect on the progress being made across the hydrocephalus community. Highlights included the Conference Welcome, the State of the Association Address, keynote presentations, and our intergenerational panel and closing ceremonies which brought together perspectives from across the hydrocephalus community.
Between sessions, attendees connected with one another, met healthcare professionals and researchers, explored the exhibit hall, and built relationships with people who understand the realities of living with hydrocephalus. Social activities and informal conversations created additional opportunities for friendships and connections, often among the most meaningful parts of HA CONNECT.
Something for Every Stage of the Journey
Dedicated programming for children, teens, adults, parents, siblings, and individuals living with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) created spaces to learn, share experiences, and build relationships.
Kids Camp gave our youngest attendees a space of their own to learn, play, build friendships, and connect with other kids who understand their experiences, while their parents and caregivers participated in conference sessions. One parent shared:
Peer-focused programming also created meaningful connections among siblings, teens, adults, parents, and others with shared experiences. A group of siblings who met at HA CONNECT exchanged phone numbers and made plans to get together during the years between conferences—an example of how the relationships formed at HA CONNECT continue long after everyone returns home.
Together, these programs helped ensure that every member of the family could find a place for themselves at HA CONNECT.
Advancing Hydrocephalus Research
Research was a key part of HA CONNECT 2026, with opportunities for attendees to learn about the latest scientific progress, meet researchers, and participate in research firsthand.
The FLOW Hydrocephalus Research Symposium, held in conjunction with HA CONNECT, brought researchers together to share new findings, explore emerging areas of study, and incorporate the perspectives of people living with hydrocephalus and their families into conversations about the future of research.
Two presentations and a poster session highlighted several areas of hydrocephalus research, including:
- Engineering and devices
- Mechanisms
- Drug development and treatment
- Access to care
- Modeling
Researchers shared that they appreciated having programming designed specifically for the scientific community, and some attended HA CONNECT specifically to participate in FLOW. The symposium helped strengthen connections among researchers while creating opportunities for collaboration and greater engagement with the hydrocephalus community.
HA CONNECT also provided an opportunity to celebrate the 2026 Next Generation Award recipients, recognizing emerging researchers whose work is helping advance our understanding of hydrocephalus and shape the future of the field.
Attendees could also engage with research happening in real time. The Rhaeos study continued at HA CONNECT, giving members of our community the opportunity to participate in research focused on advancing how hydrocephalus is monitored and managed.
Bringing Research to Life at Indiana University
In partnership with Indiana University, HA hosted a Scientist Meet and Greet and tours of the Hydrocephalus Research Center.
Attendees had the opportunity to meet the scientists behind the research, explore their laboratories, and see firsthand the work underway to improve our understanding of hydrocephalus and develop better treatments.
For many families and individuals, seeing this work in person was a powerful and emotional experience. The opportunity to speak directly with researchers brought the science to life and demonstrated the dedication of those working toward better outcomes for people impacted by hydrocephalus.
This partnership strengthened the connection between scientists and the community and gave attendees something incredibly meaningful: hope for the future.
Inspiring Voices
Personal stories were among some of the most powerful moments of our conference.
Actor and television personality Danny Bonaduce shared his experience with NPH, including his path to diagnosis and the impact the condition has had on his life. His openness brought greater visibility to NPH and offered a powerful message to others navigating their own hydrocephalus journey.
Katie Lucas, President of Lucas Oil and Board Chair of the Ascension St. Vincent Foundation, joined us as a keynote speaker and shared her family’s deeply personal connection to neurological care. After her son underwent surgery for a large arachnoid cyst, her family strengthened its commitment to expanding access to specialized brain and spine care.
Their support helped make possible the Lucas Family Brain and Spine Hospital at Ascension St. Vincent, a state-of-the-art facility expanding access to advanced neurological care in Indiana.
Throughout the conference, individuals and families also shared their experiences during educational sessions, panel discussions, and conversations with one another. Together, these voices reflected one of the most meaningful aspects of HA CONNECT: the power of sharing our stories, learning from one another, and knowing we are not alone.
More Than a Conference
HA CONNECT is more than three days of educational sessions. It is a parent meeting someone who understands what their family has experienced, a child meeting another child with a shunt, an adult with hydrocephalus realizing they are not alone, and a sibling connecting with someone who understands their perspective. It is also an opportunity for families to meet the researchers and healthcare professionals working to improve hydrocephalus care and develop better treatments.
Above all, HA CONNECT brings hundreds of people together around the shared belief that no one should face hydrocephalus alone. The knowledge, relationships, and sense of community created during the conference continue long after attendees return home.
Thank You to Our Sponsors and Partners
HA CONNECT 2026 was made possible through the generous support of our presenting sponsors, Riley Children’s Health and Indiana University Indianapolis, as well as the many sponsors, exhibitors, donors, and community partners who helped bring the conference to life.
The enthusiasm of our partners was reflected in this message from the Riley Children’s Health team:
To every attendee, speaker, volunteer, researcher, healthcare professional, sponsor, partner, donor, and supporter who made HA CONNECT 2026 possible: thank you.
You helped make Indianapolis an unforgettable gathering of the hydrocephalus community and reminded us what is possible when we connect, learn, and move forward together.
Continue the Connection
Although our time together in Indianapolis has ended, the learning, relationships, and momentum created at HA CONNECT continue. Members of the hydrocephalus community can stay connected through HA’s social media, Community Networks, support programs, educational resources, webinars, and other opportunities to learn and engage throughout the year.
Relive some of the memorable moments from Indianapolis and see the hydrocephalus community come together in the complete HA CONNECT 2026 photo album.
You helped make Indianapolis an unforgettable gathering of the hydrocephalus community, and reminded us what is possible when we connect, learn, and move forward together.