SAN DIEGO (May 2, 2009) — William T. Couldwell, MD, PhD, will be named secretary of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) for the first year of a three-year term, at the AANS Annual Meeting in San Diego, May 4-6, 2009. An active member of the AANS since 1995, he has served on the AANS Board of Directors since 2006 as a director-at-large. He is chair of both the Development Committee and the editorial board of the association's peer-reviewed socioeconomic publication, AANS Neurosurgeon. He is also a member of the following committees: Executive, Finance, NeurosurgeryPAC Board of Directors, the Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation (NREF) Executive Council, and Strategic Planning.

He is currently professor and Joseph J. Yager Chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Utah School of Medicine in Salt Lake City. Prior to this, he was professor and chairman of the Department of Neurological Surgery at New York Medical College in Valhalla, N.Y.

Dr. Couldwell received his medical degree in 1984 from McGill University, Montreal, Quebec. He completed his doctorate degree in neuroimmunology/molecular biology at McGill in 1991. He received his board certification from the American Board of Neurological Surgery in 1994 and became a fellow of the American College of Surgeons in 1996.

Dr. Couldwell is currently chairman of the Oral Examinations Committee, American Board of Neurological Surgery, and vice president of the Society of Neurological Surgeons.

In addition to AANS Neurosurgeon, Dr. Couldwell serves on the editorial boards of several peer-reviewed journals: Journal of Neurosurgery, 2000-2008 (chairman 2007-2008); Journal of Neuro-Oncology; Zentralblatt Feur Neurochirurgie (co-editor); Acta Neurochirurgica; Neurosurgical Review; Year Book of Neurology and Neurosurgery (associate editor).

A prolific author, Dr. Couldwell has published more than 270 peer-reviewed publications, nearly 75 book chapters, and 65 abstracts. He has been an invited presenter or visiting professor at more than 60 meetings/institutions worldwide.

Founded in 1931 as the Harvey Cushing Society, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is a scientific and educational association with more than 7,400 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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