2024: Selected to lists of Top Doctors (Castle Connolly), New York SuperDoctors, and Top Spine Surgeons (Newsweek)
2022 AANS Humanitarian of the Year
01/2018 – Stewart B. Dunsker Award
“Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Seeded High-Density Collagen Gel For Annular Repair: In Vivo Sheep Study” American Association of Neurological Surgeons Annual Meeting (AANS)
01/2018 – Charles Kuntz Scholar Award
“Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Seeded High-Density Collagen Gel For Annular Repair: 6 Week Results From In Vivo Sheep Models” Joint Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves (DSPN)
10/2017 - Neurosurgery Top Spine & Peripheral Nerve Paper of the Year Award
“Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Associated With Degenerative Lumbar Spondylolisthesis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Secondary Fusion Rates Following Open vs. Minimally Invasive Decompression” Congress of Neurological Surgeons Annual Meeting (CNS)
07/2017 – Humes Visiting Professorship
2017 – Castle Connolly America’s Top Doctors
2017 – New York Magazine: Best Doctors
05/2017 – SuperDoctors
03/2017 – Charles Kuntz Scholar Award
“Biomechanical Evaluation of Lumbar Decompression Adjacent to Instrumented Segments” Joint Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves (DSPN)
12/2016 - AOSPine Regional Educator of the Year Award
08/2016 – Young Investigator Award
“Radiological Correlation of Facet Degeneration and Indirect Decompression After Extreme Lateral Interbody Fusion”, Society of Lateral Access Surgery (SOLAS)
04/2016 – Best Oral Presentation
“Annular Repair Using High-Density Collagen Gel With Riboflavin Crosslinkage: Preliminary Data From An In Vivo Ovine Model”, World Forum for Spine Research (WFSR)
03/2016 – Young Investigator Award
“Radiological Correlation of Facet Degeneration and Indirect Decompression After Extreme Lateral Interbody Fusion”, 9th Annual SOLAS Research Meeting
03/2016 – Charles Kuntz Scholar Award
“Annular Repair Using High-Density Collagen Gel Seeded With Fibrochondrocytes In A Rat Model” Joint Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves (DSPN)
12/2015 – 3rd Place Basic Science Research Paper Award
“Total Disc Replacement Using Tissue-Engineered Intervertebral Discs: In Vivo Outcome In A Canine Model”, Cervical Spine Research Society Meeting (CSRS)
03/2015 – New Investigator Recognition Award (NIRA)
“Annular Repair Using High Density Collagen Gel: In Vivo Study”, Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS)
2015 – Castle Connolly America’s Top Doctors
2015 – New York Magazine: Best Doctors
05/2014 – SuperDoctors
02/2014 – Ronald Apfelbaum Research Award
“Annular Repair using High-Density Collagen Gel Seeded with Annular Fibroblasts: An In Vivo Study”, AANS/CNS Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves
01/2014 – Castle Connolly America’s Top Doctors
2014 – New York Magazine: top Doctors
08/2013 – Best Basic Science Abstract Award
“Annular Repair Using High Density Collagen Gel: In Vivo Outcome In A Rodent” 4th Annual Minimally Invasive Neurosurgical Society Meeting (MINS)
06/2013 – Best Papers Award
“Vertebral Artery and the Cervical Pedicle: Morphometrical Analysis of a Critical Neighborhood”, 6th Annual Meeting of the Society for Progress & Innovation for the Near East
05/2013 – SuperDoctors
2013 – New York Magazine: Top Doctors
2013 – Best Doctors in America
03/2013 – Mayfield Basic Science Award
“Tissue-engineered Intervertebral Discs: Long Term Outcome in the Rodent Spine” , AANS/CNS Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves
2012 – New York Magazine: Top Doctors
2012 – Best Doctors in America
04/2011 – Scientific Paper Award
“Tissue Engineered Total Disc Replacement. Final Outcomes of a Murine Caudal Disc Study” , AOSpine North America Fellows Forum, Banff, Canada
07/2010 - Hans-Joerg Wyss Award
“Biological Disc Replacement”, World Forum for Spine Research, Montréal, Canada
07/2010 – Poster Award
AOSpine International, World Forum For Spine Research, Montréal, Canada
06/2010 – 1st Place Poster Presentation
Annual Meeting of the American College of Spine Surgeons, Newport Beach, CA
04/2010 – Scientific Paper Award
“Biological Disc Replacement”, AOSpine North America Fellows Forum, Banff, Canada
02/2010 – Becker’s Orthopedic & Spine Review
“50 of the Best Spine Specialists in America”
02/2010 – Poster Award
“In vivo Model for Implantation of tissue Engineered Intervertebral Discs in the Rat Tail”, AANS/CNS Joint Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves
06/2009 – AOSpine Young Investigator Award
“Bio-tissue-engineering of intervertebral discs”
11/2008 – Honorary Medical Officer – Fire Department of New York
06/2006 – New York Magazine: Best Doctors 2006
2006 – 2013 – Leonard and Fleur Harlan Clinical Scholar in Neurological Surgery. Weill Cornell Medical College
2005 – Research Award
Cervical Spine Research Society, DTI Imaging of the Cervical Spine
10/1999 – Travel Grant Award
Japanese Neurological Society, 58th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Neurological Society
04/1999 – Resident Research Award
"Early experience with coiling of cerebral aneurysms", Allegheny General Hospital
11/1995 – Poster Award
“Leukocyte activation after transient brain compression: an intravital Microscopy study”, Neurotrauma Society, San Diego
11/1994 – Poster Award
"Posttraumatic CSF enhances ELAM-1 mediated neutrophil adhesion to endothelial cells". Society of Neurotrauma, Miami
10/1993 - Favio Columella Award in Neurotraumatology
"Reduction of posttraumatic intracranial hypertension by hypertonic/hyperoncotic Saline/Dextran and Mannitol", World Congress of Neurosurgery, Acapulco, Mexico
1992 – Travel Award
“Therapy of posttraumatic intracranial hypertension: mannitol vs. hypertonic/hyperoncotic saline/dextran”, 5th SALT Meeting, Galveston, Texas
1991 – Poster Award
“Hypertonic-hyperoncotic solutions for fluid resuscitation in cerebral Injury and hemorrhagic shock: effects on regional cerebral blood-flow”, 8th International Symposium on Intracranial Pressure “ICP and Craniospinal Dynamics”, Rotterdam
1990 – Poster Award
“Influence of inhalation and intravenous anesthesia on posttraumatic Brain edema”, Annual Meeting of the German Society of Neurosurgery, Dusseldorf
