Cushing Medalist: Retrospective on a Career in Spine Surgery

The Harvey Cushing Medal, the highest honor the AANS can bestow on a member, was established in 1976. Given annually, this award recognizes AANS members for distinguished service and accomplishments in the field of neurosurgery. The Board of Directors selects the recipient upon the recommendation of the Awards and Honors Committee in recognition of his or her extraordinary efforts to advance the field of neurosurgery.

Christopher I. Shaffrey, MD, FAANS, was named the chief of the Duke Spine Division for the departments of Orthopedic Surgery and Neurological Surgery and is a tenured professor of Orthopedic and Neurological Surgery. Dr. Shaffrey is board-certified in the fields of neurological surgery and orthopedic surgery and has more than 650 peer-reviewed publications and more than 1,000 national and international presentations. He has served or is serving as the deputy editor of Spine and Spine Deformity and has served as the chair of the Editorial Board for JNS: Spine as well as being an editor for several textbooks on spinal surgery. He is the past president of both the AANS and the Scoliosis Research Society. He is currently the vice-president of the Cervical Spine Research Society.