Lifetime Achievement Award
About the Cervical Spine Research Society Lifetime Achievement Award
The Board of Directors of the Cervical Spine Research Society (CSRS) established the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2019 to recognize those who have achieved academic excellence and made significant contributions to study of diseases of the cervical spine, as well as to recognize the accomplishments of the distinguished persons who have created a lasting legacy in this field.
Award Criteria
- The candidate must be living.
- The candidate must be a senior member of CSRS and/or over the age of 65.
- The candidate’s outstanding and lasting contributions are pioneering and/or creative, with legacy value.
- The candidate must be a highly-esteemed individual with a significant national and international reputation as a thought leader, educator, and mentor in the field, and possess exceptional professional and personal qualities.
CSRS 2024 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient
Bradford L. Currier, MD
Dr. Bradford Currier is the recipient of the Cervical Spine Research Society Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Currier graduated from Georgetown University School of Medicine, performed his residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester and fellowship at the University of Miami. He spent his 32-year career practicing at the Mayo Clinic, where he was a Professor of Orthopaedics and Neurosurgery, and now holds the position of Professor Emeritus. He served as Vice-Chair of the Department of Orthopedics and was the Chair for Research and Practice. He founded the Spine fellowship at the Mayo Clinic and trained and mentored 42 fellows during his career.
Dr. Currier has won multiple awards for his research and publications in the field of spinal surgery. He has served as President of the Lumbar Spine Research Society and is a Past-President of the Cervical Spine Research Society. As President of the CSRS he founded the 21st Century Endowment Fund. This endowment, with its generous funding from industry and the CSRS members has allowed the CSRS to fund impactful research to improve patient care in the cervical spine. As a result of Dr. Currier's vision and leadership, the CSRS has awarded research grants of over $5.3 million dollars.
Dr. Currier is the proudest of his family, his wife Nancy of 47 years, his 3 children, and 2 grandchildren. He is a humble, wise, quiet leader. His contributions to the field of Spinal Surgery and the CSRS will be realized for many years to come. The CSRS Board and Awards Committee are honored to give the 2024 CSRS Lifetime Achievement Award to Dr. Bradford Currier.
CSRS 2023 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient
Augustus A. White III, MD, PhD
Th
e Cervical Spine Research Society proudly awards Augustus White, MD, PhD, as the 2023 recipient of the CSRS Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. White is awarded this honor, not only for personal accomplishments, but also for accomplishments that advanced the field of cervical spine surgery.
His remarkable leadership is unparalleled, and we thank him for his dedication and service to CSRS, including his term as CSRS President in 1988.
From a young age, Dr. White opened doors for people of color in the medical field as well as the field of research and education. Dr. White’s career includes many firsts for the black community, including being the first black medical student at Stanford, the first black surgical resident at Yale, and the first black medical professor at Yale. Although Dr. White continues to be a decorated author and philanthropist. His legacy is ongoing, as seen through the Augustus A. White III Institute, which is dedicated to raising national awareness for healthcare equity.
Dr. White has made amazing contributions and strides in the field of cervical spine research and surgery for our entire community. His example has been an inspiration to not only CSRS members, but also the field of medicine and beyond. We recognize his long and prosperous career in cervical spine surgery as a researcher, humanitarian, educator, innovator, leader, and philanthropist.
Past Recipients
2022 - Paul A. Anderson
2021 - Ronald Apfelbaum
2020 - Frank Eismont