NASS Announces 2016 Recognition Award Winners

The North American Spine Society (NASS) announced the winners of its 2016 Recognition Awards at its 31st Annual Meeting in Boston, Mass. The organization presents four annual awards to recognize unique and outstanding contributions to spine care and research.

Honorees are nominated by their peers for their contributions to NASS and spine care. Three of the awards are named in honor of founding NASS members who made significant contributions to the organization’s early success. Another recognizes an advocate who makes contributions to federal advocacy efforts on behalf of patients and society members.

2016 Leon Wiltse Award
Recognizing excellence in leadership and/or clinical research in spine care, this award was presented to Keith Bridwell, M.D., a prolific researcher on spinal deformity with more than 300 peer-reviewed publications, 40 invited publications and 77 book chapters. He was nominated for the award by Samuel K. Cho, M.D., and Lukas P. Zebala, M.D.

Bridwell’s research has advanced spinal deformity surgery for the past 30 years and has culminated in a National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01 grant evaluating operative and nonoperative treatment of adult spinal deformity. Bridwell has been a champion for adult and pediatric scoliosis patients and has advocated for his patients through numerous local and national leadership roles. Bridwell has dedicated his career to the advancement of spinal deformity surgery. 

2016 Henry Farfan Award
Recognizing contributions in spine-related basic science research, this award was presented to Makarand V. Risbud, Ph.D. He was nominated by James D. Kang, M.D., Irving Shapiro, Ph.D., Alexander R. Vaccaro, M.D., Ph.D., and Jill Urban, Ph.D.

Risbud’s research has been solely focused on understanding the underlying physiology and pathophysiology of intervetebral disc degeneration and alleviation of discogenic pain. Through his work, he has discovered that a number of proteins including HIF-1alpha and TonEBP respond to the environment that characterizes the nucleus pulposus. More recently, Risbud has been investigating mechanisms by which inflammatory cytokines promote disc degeneration. His work has been continuously funded by grants from NIH/National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. Risbud has published more than 120 peer-reviewed articles and, in 2014, co-edited the first book devoted to biology of the intervetebral disc. He is a founding member of the Philadelphia Spine Research Society and is chair and convener of the biennial International Philadelphia Spine Symposium, held since 2011.

2016 David Selby Award
Recognizing contributions to the art and science of spinal disorder management through service to NASS, this award was presented to James B. Reynolds, M.D. He was nominated by Eric J. Muehlbauer, M.J., C.A.E.

Reynolds has been an effective and important behind-the-scenes committee member for a number of years. He quietly has just done his job each year, never looking for any recognition, simply serving the society and doing it well. He has been involved in committees since 2003, starting with the Patient Safety Committee. He has been chair of the Practice Management Committee as well as the Audit Committee. NASS might not be in the strong financial position it is in today if not for committee members like Reynolds, who devote their time to providing invaluable guidance on critical financial matters. In addition, Reynolds has a perspective that represents the desires and concerns of the “rank and file” members. He typically gives sound advice and counsel.

2016 Spine Advocacy Award
Recognizing NASS members who contribute to federal advocacy efforts, this award was presented to Charles A. Mick, M.D. He was nominated by the NASS Advocacy Council.

Mick has worked through various committees at NASS to promote quality patient spine care. He has primarily lent his experience to NASS by serving on the American Medical Association’s CPT and Relative Value Update Committee and has worked on Capitol Hill and with federal agencies to expand NASS’ brand. Mick served on the Advocacy Council for six years (2005-2011) and was a founding member of the Spine Advocates program, where he served three years (2006-2009) before becoming NASS president in 2013.

The North American Spine Society is a multidisciplinary medical organization dedicated to fostering high-quality, evidence-based and ethical spine care through education, research, and advocacy. NASS is comprised of more than 8,000 members from various disciplines, including orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, physiatry, neurology, radiology, anesthesiology, research, and physical therapy.