Support of Sections Raises NREF to New Heights
The Development Committee of the Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation (NREF) met during the 2016 American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) Annual Scientific Meeting to discuss the many ways Sections, individual neurosurgeons, private and academic group practices, corporate sponsors, state and regional societies and public donors can support the foundation. Comprised of members of each Section, the NREF and AANS Boards of Directors and the Young Neurosurgeons Committee (YNC), the role of the Development Committee is to identify, cultivate and steward financial support with individuals, groups and corporations.
During this year’s research/fellowship award cycle — for the first time — Sections provided reviewers the opportunity to score the applications for research grants and fellowships funded by NREF. Eight $40,000 grants were awarded using funding provided by the AANS, B*CURED private foundation, the Bagan Family Foundation and Medtronic, as well as the Cerebrovascular, Tumor, Pediatric and Pain Sections.
The creation of the “Honor Your Mentor (HYM) Funds” has provided opportunities for donors to support the individual purpose of each fund, as developed by the fund originator. As Section support of the funds increases through pledges and donations by individuals, corporations and others, this peer-to-peer program has grown dramatically since its inception in 2014. In the first year, there were six HYM funds with total pledges of $177,195 from 37 donors. Today, there are 24 HYM funds with total pledges of $2,280,082 from 363 donors.
We recognize the leadership role taken by the AANS/CNS Section on Disorders of the Spine for their pledge of $100,000 for the upcoming fiscal year for five NREF HYM funds: Stewart Dunsker Fund, Regis Haid Jr. Fund, Charles Kuntz IV Fund, Sanford Larson Fund and Volker K. H. Sonntag Fund.
Consider supporting the NREF by spreading the word through your Section about the research, fellowship and education programs that need financial support. NREF’s mission is your mission and is an investment in our specialty. Visit our website for a complete list of HYM funds and other ways to contribute: www.nref.org/donate
NREF Partners with B*CURED for Brain Cancer Research
The NREF Board of Directors is pleased to announce a partnership with B*CURED, a non-profit organization based in Greenwich, Conn. B*CURED was founded in 2008 by Melissa Salamé and Debbie Needle after each lost a parent to brain cancer.
The organization’s goal is to help find a cure for brain cancer through research grants. To date, B*CURED has awarded 14 grants to investigators searching for a cure for brain cancer at nationally ranked universities and hospitals and has raised over $1,500,000. All money raised goes directly to brain cancer research.
“The missions of B*CURED and the NREF are aligned with respect to funding brain cancer research, and the NREF is uniquely positioned to enhance B*CURED’s research funding efforts by expanding its access to high quality research proposals,” said NREF chair Jon H. Robertson, MD, FAANS.
In May 2016, the organizations jointly presented the $50,000 B*CURED-NREF Research Grant, funded by B*CURED, to Dr. Jamie Purzner, who will be researching medulloblastoma (MB). Dr. Purzner is a resident in the University of Toronto Neurosurgery training program and is pursuing a PhD in Developmental Biology at Stanford University.
For more information about B*CURED, visit www.bcured.org.
2016 Corporate Leadership Council Meeting
The 2016 meeting of the Corporate Leadership Council (CLC) was held earlier this year in Dallas. Led by Michael W. Groff, MD, FAANS, this year’s meeting focused on the success of current NeuroPoint Alliance (NPA) registries and how corporate partners can work with NREF and NPA on future projects. Participating companies included Brainlab, Nuvasive, Penumbra, Varian, DePuySynthes, Integra, Medtronic, K2M and Intrinsic Therapeutics. An update on legislative issues and Physician/Industry relations was also presented by the AANS/CNS Washington office.
The mission of the CLC is to provide a forum for discussion and collaboration between the NREF, NPA, AANS and its corporate supporters on issues related to neurosurgical education, research, advocacy and patient care.
The CLC convenes annually with attendees, including representatives from current corporate partners, joined by members of the NREF’s Board of Directors and Development Committee, respectively. This meeting provides a vital forum for the sharing of ideas and discussion of topics of mutual interest, including new developments in the field of neurosurgery, improvements in diagnostics and treatments, changes in health-care delivery and consumer expectations, advocacy, health-care reform, compliance, transparency and evidence-based medicine.
A Remarkable Gift from Brainlab
The NREF Board of Directors is pleased to announce a substantial gift from Brainlab to the Andrew Parsa, MD, FAANS, HYM fund.
Dr. Parsa, a renowned neurosurgeon, scholar and scientist, passed away suddenly on April 13, 2015. Dr. Parsa served as the Michael J. Marchese Professor and Chair of Neurological Surgery at the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University.
The HYM fund was created by the NREF to recognize the late Dr. Parsa’s contributions as a physician, researcher and mentor. Brainlab has committed to donating up to $500,000 over a period of 10 years in support of a brain tumor research fellowship or research grant. Dr. Parsa’s legacy will live on in the visions that these researchers turn into realities as they impact neurosurgery for generations to come.
“Dr. Parsa was a cherished colleague, and we are proud to support the HYM fund created in his name,” said Sean Clark, president of Brainlab, Inc. “Our core principles and values are reflected in the fund’s mission to provide resources to researchers that will ultimately offer neurosurgeons innovative, state-of-the-art techniques in treating and managing brain tumors.”
“The extraordinary generosity of Brainlab will greatly enhance the NREF’s ability to fund brain tumor research well into the future, helping thousands of patients facing this debilitating condition and giving hope to families and caregivers,” said NREF chair Jon H. Robertson, MD, FAANS.
NREF Shines Spotlight on Donors and Mentors at AANS Annual Meeting
The NREF shined a bright spotlight on donors, mentors and partners during activities at the 2016 AANS Annual Scientific Meeting.
NREF chair, Jon H. Robertson, MD, FAANS, welcomed three new members to the Cushing Circle of Giving: Arvind Ahuja, MD, FAANS, (donation of $25,000 to support a CV research grant); Aaron Cohen-Gadol, MD, FAANS, (royalties from sale of Kirwan disposable forceps to support 10 MSSRF awards for summer 2016); and LANS, the Louisiana Neurosurgical Society. Robert F. Heary, MD, FAANS, was welcomed to the Silver Level of the Cushing Circle for his lifetime contributions of $50,000.
Other notable donors recognized for their contributions included: the Bagan Family Foundation’s support of a $40,000 Research Grant and a group of Chinese Neurosurgeons that collectively donated $8,000 to the Albert Rhoton HYM Fund.
Since 2014, 24 HYM funds have been created, including the two newest funds honoring the legacies of two giants of neurosurgery: John A. Jane Sr., MD, PhD, FAANS(L), and Albert L. Rhoton Jr., MD, FAANS(L). John A. Jane Jr., MD, FAANS, and Eric L. Rhoton, MD, FAANS, attended the reception and offered their reflections on the contributions of their fathers to the field of neurosurgery.
The NREF also welcomed Charles L. Branch Jr., MD, FAANS, who announced the establishment of an HYM fund recognizing the legacy of his father, Charles L. Branch Sr., MD.
Kathleen Bandt, MD, Selected as 2017 Van Wagenen Fellow
The William P. Van Wagenen Fellowship Selection Committee has announced S. Kathleen Bandt, MD, as the recipient of the 2017 William P. Van Wagenen Fellowship. Dr. Bandt, a Fellow in Epilepsy & Functional Neurosurgery at Yale University, will commence her Van Wagenen fellowship in July 2016.
Dr. Bandt will travel to France, where she will be hosted by Aix-Marseille University. Under the mentorships of Jean Regis, MD, and Maxime Guy, MD, Dr. Bandt will pursue her research topic of “Functional and Structural Connectivity in Focal Epilepsy as Defined by Advanced MR Techniques.” Dr. Bandt’s goal is to better understand the physiologic perturbations in network connectivity in human disease by advancing our understanding of human cortical neurophysiology through the study of both direct electrocorticography and noninvasive advanced imaging techniques. With this work, she believes we will not only further the understanding of a variety of disease processes and the role of network connectivity in disease manifestation but also identify novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of these diseases and diversify the ability to provide care for patients beyond that which is already provided.
Dr. Bandt said, “I accept this year’s Van Wagenen Fellowship with humble gratitude. I am thrilled to have the opportunity to complete my research on epilepsy network connectivity in Marseille, France, and look forward to walking through the doors this opportunity opens for me during my career ahead.”
Awarded annually since 1968, the Van Wagenen Fellowship is offered for post-residency study in a foreign country for a period of 12 months. The William P. Van Wagenen Fellowship was established by the estate of Dr. Van Wagenen, who was one of the founders and the first president of the Harvey Cushing Society, now the AANS. The Van Wagenen Fellowship was designed to provide freedom in scientific development without the restrictive limitations usually imposed by many research grants and fellowships.
The Van Wagenen Fellowship will be offered to residents in their PGY6 to allow more planning time for the awardee and the institutions effected. This change will take place for the 2019 grant year. Therefore, in the next grant cycle, which will begin this summer, applications will be accepted from residents in PGY7 for the 2018 year (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018) and from residents in PGY6 for the 2019 grant year (July 1, 2018-June 30, 2019).
To support similar research and educational programs, consider a donation to the NREF. Donations can be made on our website, www.nref.org/donate.
NREF Announces the Recipients of 2016-2017 Research Grant-Young Clinician Investigator Awards
The NREF is pleased to announce this year’s recipients of the Foundation’s Research Grant-Young Clinician Investigator Awards.
“The NREF is grateful to the donors, sponsors and partner organizations who make it possible for us to continue funding groundbreaking neurosurgical research and providing extraordinary educational opportunities for neurosurgeons at all stages of their careers,” stated Ennio A. Chiocca, MD, PhD, FAANS, NREF Education Advisory Committee chair.
As the premier funder of neurosurgical studies, the NREF provides funding for studies in basic, translational and patient-oriented clinical research for investigators in North America through two neurosurgical research grant programs annually.
Open to residents only, the NREF Research Grant provides training for neurosurgeons who are preparing for academic careers as clinician investigators. Applicants must be physicians who have been accepted into or who are currently in, approved residency training programs in neurological surgery in North America.
The NREF Young Clinician Investigator Award supports junior faculty who are pursuing careers as clinical investigators. Applicants must be neurosurgeons, no more than two years from the end of their clinical training, who are full-time faculty in North American teaching institutions.
The 2016-2017 Research Grant and Young Clinician Investigator Award recipients are:
- Christopher Alvarez-Breckenridge, MD, PhD, Massachusetts General Hospital;
- Han-Chiao Isaac Chen, MD, University of Pennsylvania;
- Kimberly Hamilton, MD, University of Wisconsin-Madison;
- Mark Alexander Mahan, MD, University of Utah;
- Matthew Mian, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital;
- Jamie Purzner, MD, Stanford University School of Medicine;
- Visish Srinivasan, MD, Baylor College of Medicine/M.D. Anderson Cancer Center;
- Ananth Vellimana, MD, Washington University School of Medicine; and
- Marcus Zachariah, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital.
The NREF is responsible for review and approval of grant applications and awards grants based upon established fellowship program criteria and the needs of the requesting hospital and/or academic institution. The NREF Education Advisory Committee was established to review and approve fellowship grant applications in an independent, unbiased manner. The committee is comprised of neurosurgeons who do not receive financial or other support from the medical device industry. Individuals serving on the committee are volunteers and do not receive compensation from the NREF for their efforts.
The online grant application portal for 2017 Research Grant-Young Clinician Investigator Awards will open in Fall 2016.
Royalty Donations Fund NREF Medical Student Research Fellowships
The NREF Board of Directors is pleased to announce a generous contribution from Aaron Cohen-Gadol, MD, FAANS, of royalties from the sale of the COHEN™ Bipolar Forceps from Kirwan Surgical Products to the Medical Student Summer Research Fund. The royalties will provide funding for 10 “Aaron Cohen-Gadol Medical Student Summer Research Fellowships.”
“This tremendous gift allows the NREF to continue offering leading-edge training for neurosurgeons at all stages of their careers and fund basic science and clinical research which helps launch research careers and advances patient care,” said NREF chair Jon H. Robertson, MD, FAANS.
The Medical Student Summer Research Fellowship (MSSRF) program offers fellowships in the amount of $2,500 to medical students in the U.S. or Canada who have completed one or two years of medical school and wish to spend a summer working in a neurosurgical laboratory, mentored by a neurosurgical investigator sponsor who is a member of the AANS. In 2016, a total of 20 fellowships will be awarded.
Annually, these fellowships go to the brightest and most dedicated students, whose research projects are aimed at the better understanding, treatment and prevention of neurological disorders and improved patient care. “These students are the key to the future of neurosurgery, and I look forward to many years of working with the NREF to support their mission to support research and education efforts that enhance and confirm the critical role neurosurgeons play in improving lives,” said Dr. Cohen-Gadol.
The NREF is pleased to announce that the following individuals have been awarded a 2016 Aaron Cohen-Gadol MSSRF:
- Patrick M. Flanigan, University of California, San Francisco;
- Samuel Tomlinson, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia;
- Rachel Kalani Greene, Washington University School of Medicine;
- Natalie Elizabeth Griffin, Washington University School of Medicine;
- Alessandra Hirsch, Columbia University Medical Center;
- Anadjeet Singh Khahera, New York University;
- Daniel Oyon, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine;
- Weining Yang, Toronto Western Hospital;
- Christopher Marnell, Weill Cornell Medical College-New York Presbyterian Hospital; and
- Luke Alan Mugge, The Ohio State University.
“Dr. Cohen-Gadol’s commitment not only sets a terrific example for others to follow but allows us to further harness the power of donor support and build on the upward momentum of the foundation,” said NREF co-chair Regis W. Haid Jr., MD, FAANS.
Overall, the NREF awarded 20 MSSRFs this year. The NREF is pleased to announce that the following individuals have also been awarded a 2016 MSSRF:
- Claire Collison, Albany Medical Center;
- Joseph Scott Hudson, University of Iowa;
- Prateek Agarwal, University of Pennsylvania;
- Krish Suresh, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine;
- William Roberson Johnston, Washington University St. Louis;
- Vaidehi Mahadev, Cleveland Clinic Foundation;
- Ankush Chandra, University of California, San Francisco;
- David J. Cote, Brigham and Women’s Hospital;
- Michael Mathison, Washington University School of Medicine; and
- Erin Elizabeth Good, GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
The online grant application portal for 2017 MSSRFs will open in Fall 2016.
Make A Difference
As a donor, your support provides education to neurosurgeons at all stages of their careers as well as research into new and existing neurosurgical treatments.
Contributions to NREF have a major impact on neurosurgical patients, educators, researchers and clinicians. Gifts to the NREF fund research for neurosurgical treatments and advance education for the next generation or neurosurgeons. For example, a single Cushing Circle gift of $25,000 provides up to seven residents with the opportunity to attend an all-expenses paid NREF course – an unparalleled educational and professional networking experience.
Your continued support will make a significant difference in helping the NREF in its ongoing efforts to support research and education initiatives that enhance and confirm the critical role neurosurgeons play in improving lives.
To make a donation, please visit www.nref.org/donate.
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