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A DVANCINGN EURORESEARCH
M ICHELE S. G REGORY
Two NREF Milestones
25 Years, Record Number of Awards Are Reasons to Cheer
The Neurosurgery Research and Education
Foundation is celebrating two
milestones in 2006. The first is the
NREF’s silver anniversary. In 1981
Robert Ojemann, MD, Robert King, MD,
Sidney Goldring, MD, and William Buchheit,
MD, with the help of a number of
other AANS members, formed the NREF
to: provide private, nongovernmental funding
for neurosciences research; to ensure
continued viability and expansion of the
field based on fundamental research in the
basic sciences and clinical enterprises; to
augment support for research by the neurosurgical
community; and to stimulate lifelong
learning by neurosurgeons. During the
past 25 years, the NREF has awarded nearly
$4.5 million dollars in one- and two-year
grants to 113 residents and junior neurosurgical
faculty members.
Alone, the NREF’s 25th anniversary is a
cause for celebration; however, an equally
important milestone also was achieved this
year. For the first time the NREF awarded a
double-digit number of grants, 12 total.
Eight applicants received research fellowships
and four received young clinician
investigator awards.
Robert Grossman, MD, chair of the
NREF’s Scientific Advisory Committee,
thinks that some of the most innovative and
interesting investigations occurring in neurosurgical
labs today are funded by the
NREF. “The scientific quality of the grant
applications has increased each year and
meets our highest expectations,” he stated.
Thanks to generous support of the
Corporate Associates program by AANS
members, hospitals, neurosurgery departments,
the general public, and our corporate
partners, the NREF has committed
$500,000 in research support for 2006, an
increase of $100,000 from last year.
“The NREF continues to secure support
from neurosurgeons, neurosurgical practices
and programs, hospitals and the general
public,” noted Martin H. Weiss, MD,
FACS, chair of the NREF Executive Council.
“However, we are consistently exploring
other partnerships in an effort to fund as
much great science as we can.”
Partnerships with industry, foundations
and voluntary health associations
have enabled the NREF to maximize its
funding without compromising its
integrity. In 2004, the AANS Development
Committee, under the leadership
of Jon H. Robertson, MD, developed the
Guidelines for Corporate Relations document.
The guidelines define appropriate
relationships between the AANS and
NREF and their corporate partners such
as DePuy Spine, Kyphon Inc., Medtronic
Neurological, and W. Lorenz Surgical.
According to Dr. Weiss, such partnerships
enable the NREF to allocate more
funding for research grants each year
while building ethical relationships with
industry.
In 2006 the AANS and NREF will
cosponsor an annual research grant from
funds raised through the AANS Pinnacle
Partners in Neurosurgery corporate giving
program.“The Pinnacle Partners program
provides an opportunity for
industry to financially support neurosurgical
research and education through the
NREF in a responsible and ethical manner,”
said Dr. Robertson. “A company’s
participation in the Pinnacle Partners
program generates recognition that
reflects its commitment to the future of
neurosurgery and the public good.”
The 2006 NREF awardees come from 11
different neurosurgery programs. The
research grants encompass neurosurgical
areas of pediatric brain tumors, spine trauma,
deep brain stimulation, aneurysms,
epilepsy, pain biomaterials and stem
cell research.
The 2006 Research Fellows include: Ming
(David) Cheng, MD (University of North
Carolina), Lewis Chun Hou, MD (Stanford
University), Eric M. Jackson, MD (University
of Pennsylvania),Adrian W. Laxton, MD
(University of Toronto), Daniel A. Lim, MD,
PhD (UCSF), Neil R. Malhotra, MD (University
of Pennsylvania), Wael Musleh, MD,
PhD (University of Chicago), and Lyman
Whitlach, MD, PhD (Duke University).
The 2006 Young Clinician Investigators
include: John A. Boockvar, MD (Cornell
Medical College), Alfredo Quinones-Hinojosa,
MD (Johns Hopkins University),
Michael D. Taylor, MD, PhD (Hospital for
Sick Children, Toronto), and G. Edward
Vates, MD (University of Rochester).
Cutting-Edge Research
Two examples of the cutting-edge research
the NREF is funding this year are the projects
of Dr. Lim and Dr. Boockvar. Dr. Lim’s
research has established an in vitro SVZ
stem cell culture system which will allow
him to determine the role that the Mll gene
plays in stem cell self-renewal, differentiation,
cellular migration, and cell survival.
Dr. Boockvar’s research seeks to identify
the mechanism by which EGFR signaling
enhances human progenitor cell invasiveness
for the purpose of improving the
treatment of glioblastoma multiforme.
It is hoped that the exciting potential of
projects like these will stimulate continued
growth in financial support from neurosurgeons,
as well as partnerships with industry
and other funding sources. The extent to
which the entire neurosurgical community
recognizes the importance of research and
development to the future of the specialty
and the patients it serves will determine the
outlook for the NREF research grant program
over the next 25 years.
For information about the NREF or to
make a donation, visit www.aans.org/
research or contact the AANS Development
department at (847) 378-0500. 3
Michele S. Gregory is AANS director of development.
38 Vol. 15, No. 2 • 2006 • AANS Bulletin