Where should stroke research go next?

A two pronged approach.
1. Prevention - The whole goal here is to save brain cells, not necessarily prevent strokes. Figure out how to stop the neuronal cascade of death due to glutamate poisoning, excitotoxicity, closed capillaries due to pericytes. This alone can probably reduce the death and disability on a massive scale. See my hyperacute posts for ideas.
2. Until #1 occurs we will need to figure out exactly how and why neuroplasticity occurs.
Until we know that there is really no reason for researchers to keep proving that neuroplasticity works, we already know that, stop reinventing the wheel.

Where are the thought leaders in this space that should have thought of this 20 years ago?