FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SAN FRANCISCO (April 24, 2006) - Lyal Leibrock, MD, was recognized posthumously with the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) 2006 Distinguished Service Award, at 12:17 p.m. on Tuesday, April 25, at the AANS Annual Meeting in San Francisco, April 24-27. Dr. Leibrock passed away on November 13, 2005, after a protracted battle with metastatic colon carcinoma.

"Dr. Leibrock has left a legacy and an example few can duplicate, and all who have crossed paths with him will remember," said James R. Bean, MD, AANS treasurer and a close colleague. This award was bestowed for Dr. Leibrock’s many years of outstanding leadership and dedication to the field of neurosurgery.

Dr. Leibrock received his medical degree in 1969 from the University of Southern California School of Medicine. He was on the University of Nebraska Medical Center faculty for 27 years. A former program director, Dr. Leibrock served as UNMC section chief for 17 years, before stepping down in late 2004.

Dr. Leibrock was a visiting professor at many universities in the United States as well as Shiraz University in Shiraz, Iran, and the China/Japan Friendship Hospital in Beijing, China. He was a member of numerous professional organizations, including the AANS, American College of Surgeons, The Society for Neurological Surgeons, and Congress of Neurological Surgeons.

He served the AANS and neurosurgery in many capacities. He was instrumental in guiding the restructuring of the Congress of State Neurosurgical Societies (CSNS) in the mid-1990s. His visionary leadership at the CSNS was evidenced in several officer positions, culminating as chair from 1999-2001.

Dr. Leibrock initiated the Washington, D.C. leadership development conference series in 2001, subsequently renamed the Leibrock Leadership Development Conference. Following his CSNS tenure, he reorganized neurosurgery’s political action committee (ANSPAC) fundraising network. Dr. Leibrock most recently served as vice president of the newly formed AANSPAC and as an AANS Bulletin Peer Reviewer. He also completed a term on the AANS Nominating Committee.

Founded in 1931 as the Harvey Cushing Society, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is a scientific and educational association with more than 6,800 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.