CHICAGO (April 8, 2002) -- Edward Laws, MD, was presented with the 2002 Cushing Medal, the highest honor granted by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) at the AANS Annual Meeting, April 6-11, 2002, in Chicago, Illinois. He is being honored for his many years of outstanding leadership and dedication to the field of neurological surgery. Dr. Laws is an exemplary physician, educator and researcher.

He received his bachelor’s degree from Princeton University with honors in economics and sociology in the special program in American civilization, and then attended the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, receiving his medical degree in 1963.

He completed his surgical internship and neurosurgical residency at Johns Hopkins under A. Earl Walker. After his residency in 1971, Laws joined the faculty at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, with a primary appointment in pediatric neurosurgery. In 1972, he joined the staff of the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, where he then became Professor of Neurosurgery and developed major interests in pituitary surgery epilepsy surgery, and a continuing interest in metabolism and pathophysiology of primary brain tumors.

In 1987 he became Professor and Chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and in 1992 joined the faculty of the University of Virginia as Professor of Neurosurgery and Professor of Medicine, where he established a Neuro-Endocrine Center. During his surgical career he has operated upon more than 5,000 brain tumors, of which 3,800 have been pituitary lesions.

Dr. Laws has served as President of AANS, President of CNS, Editor of Neurosurgery, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Foundation for International Education in Neurosurgery, President of the World Federation of Neurological Societies, Director of the American Board of Neurological Surgery, and President of the Pituitary Society.

Currently, he is a member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Regents of the American College of Surgeons and is Chair of the Residency Review Committee for Neurosurgery. He remains actively involved in brain tumor and neuroendocrine research.

The Harvey Cushing Medal, the highest honor the American Association of Neurological Surgeons can bestow on a member, was established at the recommendation of President Lester Mount, MD, in 1976. Given annually since 1977, the Award recognizes an AANS member for distinguished service to the field of neurological surgery. The Board of Directors selects the recipient upon the recommendation of the Awards Committee.

Founded in 1931 as the Harvey Cushing Society, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) is a scientific and educational association with nearly 5,500 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. 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.