EMBARGOED FOR RELEASE ON MAY 3, 2004

ORLANDO (May 3, 2004) -Jacques Brotchi, MD, was named an AANS Honorary Member at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of the Neurological Surgeons, May 1-6, 2004, in Orlando, Florida. Selection into Honorary Membership is open only to those individuals whose Honorary Membership would add distinction to the ranks of the Association. Candidates must have international recognition, and have made outstanding educational, research, or clinical contributions to the neurological sciences.

Jacques Brotchi, MD, PhD, graduated with a medical degree from the State University of Liege in 1967. Dr. Brotchi completed his training in neurosurgery in the same university. In 1982, he moved from Liege to Brussels, where he created the Department of Neurosurgery at Erasme University Hospital, and has served as Head of the Department since 1982. A full-professor and chairman at the Free University of Brussels (ULB) since 1984, Dr. Brotchi is also Director of the Laboratory of Experimental Neurosurgery at the ULB.

He has published more than 230 papers in international journals, with special emphasis on meningiomas, intraspinal cord tumors and surgical approaches of pineal lesions. In addition, he has stimulated many works in his department, with a special interest on the use of PET-Scan combined with Neurosurgery (PET-guided stereotactic biopsies, PET- guided neuronavigation, and more recently PET-guided Gamma Knife treatment), as well as iMRI.

Deeply involved in the educational program of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS) since 1991, Dr. Brotchi is president-elect of the WFNS and coordinator of WFNS Committee Activities. He is also a corresponding member of the American Academy of Neurological Surgery. In 1998, his department was distinguished by the World Health Organization (WHO) and nominated "First Worldwide WHO Collaborating Center for Research and Training in Neurosurgery."

In 2000, he received one of the most prestigious Belgian medical prizes: "Scientific prize Joseph Maisin-Clinical Biomedical Sciences," within the scientific quinquennial prizes of the National Research Foundation, period 1996-2000. A member of the Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium and of the French Academy of Surgery, Dr. Brotchi has been awarded Commandeur de l'Ordre de Leopold of Belgium, Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur of France and Chevalier of Danneborg Order of Denmark.In 1988, King Baudouin of Belgium anoblished him for his contribution to neurosurgery and Belgium.

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 patients. 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.