Animal models have significantly increased our understanding of nervous system disorders. Yet, in spite of these advances, there still remains a large gap in treatment options that are high in efficacy but low in side effects for many diseases. And for some diseases there are no treatment options. Given the tremendous disease burden associated with nervous system diseases and disorders, the Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders hosted a public workshop on March 28-29, 2012 to discuss potential opportunities for maximizing the translation of effective therapies from animal models to clinical practice.