EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE ON MAY 3, 2004

ORLANDO (May 3, 2004) - Charles Hodge, MD, was elected Vice President of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) at the AANS Annual Meeting in Orlando, Florida, May 1- May 6, 2004. An active member of the AANS since 1978, he has served as an Executive Council Member of the Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation (NREF) of the AANS (1989-present); Member of the NREF Scientific Advisory Committee (1989-present); Member of the AANS Program Committee (1981-1986); Chair of the AANS Annual Meeting Committee (1996); and Chair of the Annual Meeting Poster Session (1981).

Dr. Hodge is Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at Upstate Medical University. After earning his bachelor's degree from Princeton University in 1963 and a medical degree from Columbia University in 1967, Dr. Hodge went on to complete his surgical internship at Presbyterian Hospital in New York. Dr. Hodge was Board certified in 1977.

Active in many professional organizations, Dr. Hodge served on the board of the American Board of Neurological Surgeons (1996-2002), and has served as a member of the American Medical Association, Congress of Neurological Surgeons, Onondaga County Medical Association, New York State Medical Society, New York State Neurosurgical Society, The Society of Neurological Surgeons, The American Academy of Neurological Surgeons, The Society of University Neurosurgeons, The American Pain Society, The International Association for the Study of Pain and The Society for Neuroscience.

A prolific author and investigator, Dr. Hodge has written numerous chapters for books and articles for scientific journals. In addition, he served as Co-Editor of the Journal of Neurosurgery (2000-2001), and a member of the Journal's Editorial Board (1993-2001), and has served on the Editorial Boards of such publications as Neurosurgery, Techniques in Neurosurgery and served as Assistant Editor of Clinical Neurosurgery (1978-1980).

Founded in 1931 as the Harvey Cushing Society, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is a scientific and educational association with more than 6,500 members worldwide. The AANS is dedicated to advancing the specialty of neurological surgery in order to provide the highest quality of neurosurgical care to the public. All active members of the AANS are certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery, the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons (Neurosurgery) of Canada or the Mexican Council of Neurological Surgery, AC. Neurological surgery is the medical specialty concerned with the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of disorders that affect the entire nervous system including the spinal column, spinal cord, brain and peripheral nerves.

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Media Representatives: If you would like to cover the meeting or interview a neurosurgeon - either on-site or via telephone - please contact the AANS Communications Department at (847) 378-0517 or call the Annual Meeting Press Room beginning Monday, May 3, at: 407/685-5408.