That the future of neurosurgery is directly related to the availability and quality of neurological research has been a tenet of the American Association of Neurological Surgery (AANS) since its inception. AANS supports ongoing neurological research through three opportunities — Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation (NREF), the Van Wagenen Fellowship and Neuro-KnowledgeTM — to ensure that important, lifesaving neurological research continues.
When they perceived that severe cutbacks in federal funding threatened the continuation of medical research studies, foresighted AANS members created a foundation in 1981 known today as NREF. In the ensuing years, 75 grants amounting to more than $3 million have been awarded to sustain basic science and neurosurgery programs in North America. This infusion of dollars has translated to support for promising residents who are preparing for careers in applied scientific research and has inspired young faculty members to conduct pilot studies and develop preliminary data to support applications for more permanent funding.
The Research Fellowships are one-year grants of $40,000, or two-year grants of $70,000 to help teach residents how to do research and set up their laboratories. The Young Clinician Investigator awards supply “seed money” of $40,000 for one year to support a project in its initial stages.
Through 2002, 42 Research Fellowship, and 34 Young Clinician Investigator grants have been awarded. At the AANS Annual Meeting in April, NREF Chair Julian T. Hoff, MD, will present the 2003 NREF awards to five Research Fellows and three Young Clinician Investigators. In anticipation, Dr. Hoff commented, “When neurosurgeons serving on the award panels meet to review the applications, we cannot help but feel inspired by the enthusiasm of the next generation for our specialty and for the patients they mean to serve. AANS’ support of research in our field through NREF helps ensure that neurosurgery will continue to evolve as dramatically in these young neurosurgeons’ careers as it has in ours, creating a legacy of which we all truly can be proud.”
One foundation awardee now is professor and chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Utah Hospital and serves on several AANS committees, including the Annual Meeting Committee and the Journal of Neurosurgery Editorial Board. In 1993 William T. Couldwell, MD, PhD, then at the University of Southern California, was honored as a Young Clinician Investigator for “Signal Transduction in Malignant Gliomas.”
“At that point in my career, the Young Clinician Investigator Award represented among other things an opportunity to make a contribution to the profession I hoped to serve, and to provide funding for work which would provide preliminary data to later apply for an NIH grant” said Dr. Couldwell. “Ten years later I appreciate both the importance of stimulating interest in neurological research through funding programs like NREF, and the necessity of supporting such funding through individual contributions that collectively have a powerful impact on the future of neurosurgery.”
Over the years supporters of NREF have created a capital endowment of $5.6 million to ensure the continuation of neurological research. Individual supporters may specify a donation as a memorial to a loved one or a tribute to an esteemed colleague when they contribute to NREF. Industry partners may become Corporate Associates and enjoy the increased visibility that helps develop business. Other opportunities to support NREF include the fundraiser on Sunday, April 27, at 8:30 p.m., and the Silent Auction, April 28-30, both held during the AANS Annual Meeting in San Diego.
In addition to NREF, the AANS administers the William P. Van Wagenen Fellowship, established by the estate of Dr. Van Wagenen, who was one of the founders and the first president of the Harvey Cushing Society, now AANS. The 2003 Van Wagenen Fellowship was awarded to Odette A. Harris, MD, a resident in the Department of Neurosurgery, Stanford University Medical Center. The annually awarded Van Wagenen Fellowship is intended to provide freedom in scientific development without the restrictive limitations imposed by many research grants and fellowships, provides a $45,000 stipend for living and travel expenses during post-resident neurosurgical study in a foreign country for a period of six to 12 months. Dr. Harris will examine the current protocols and practices of traumatic brain injury management in Jamaica and analyze outcomes compared to those in an urban indigent setting in the United States.
The AANS also provides research opportunities for AANS members through its Neuro-Knowledge partnership with Outcome Sciences. For more information, see the related article in this issue.
Manda J. Seaver is staff editor of the Bulletin
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