Service Award Recipients
Congratulations to the President’s Award recipient and the winners of the 2024 American Academy of Neurology Service Awards. Browse recipients below. The AAN thanks the American Brain Foundation for their support through philanthropy of the AAN's awards program.
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AAN President's Award
This award is given by the American Academy of Neurology President for outstanding service to the American Academy of Neurology and the profession of neurology.
Ann H. Tilton, MD, FAAN
WHY THE RECIPIENT WAS CHOSEN: I am so grateful to have the opportunity to recognize Ann H. Tilton, MD, FAAN, for the many contributions she has made throughout her career—not only to the AAN but also to the field of child neurology.
Along with her extensive work at the Louisiana State Health Science Center in New Orleans, Dr. Tilton has been an essential part of countless AAN committees, work groups, programs, and more. Most notably, she served as Secretary/Treasurer of the AAN Institute from 2015 to 2017 and as Vice President of the AAN Board of Directors from 2017 to 2021. For the past three years, she has chaired our Meeting Management Committee and has played a key role in reimagining our Annual Meeting as we emerged from the COVID-19 pandemic. She has served as a mentor to multiple participants in our AAN leadership programs and earned the Leading in Excellence Through Mentorship award in 2022. In addition to her leadership within the AAN, she has served as President of the Child Neurology Society, President of the Child Neurology Foundation and Chair of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.
Dr. Tilton may be best known for her entertaining and engaging HeadTalks on topics including the Salem witch trials, zoo consults, and the neurology of Voodoo! She is always full of fresh ideas and innovative solutions, and it has been an honor to serve alongside her. She is certainly most deserving of the 2024 President’s Award.
—AAN President Carlayne Jackson, MD, FAAN
THANK YOU STATEMENT: I am so thrilled and honored to receive the 2024 AAN President’s Award. When I attended my first Annual Meeting many years ago, I knew right away that this Academy was something special—but I didn’t know it would become such a home for me. That feeling came later, as I joined more committees and formed more friendships. I also found my way to the AAN’s Palatucci Advocacy Leadership Forum, where I found a stronger voice—and it was so formative to me that I soon helped others find theirs through Women Leading in Neurology and other leadership programs.
Thinking back on everything I’ve done at the AAN, I’m even more certain that this is the place to be, whether you’re just starting your career or at the peak of it. There are those spectacular Annual Meetings that first drew me in, the leadership programs that helped me grow, the committees that connect and influence our field, and the countless friendships for which I am grateful. Thank you to the Academy and its members for being the diverse, dynamic, and ever-growing group you are!
Read more about the 2024 AAN President's Award.
2023 Recipient: Elaine C. Jones, MD, FAAN
Association of Indian Neurologists in America (AINA) Lifetime Achievement Award
Sponsored by the Association of Indian Neurologists in America Fund of the American Brain Foundation.
Vineeta Singh, MD, FAAN
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
2023 Recipient: Sanjay P. Singh, MD, FAAN, FANA
Board Chair Award
Sponsored by the American Brain Foundation.
Jim Essey
New York, NY
2023 Recipient: Jane Ransom
Changemaker Award
Sponsored by the American Academy of Neurology.
Mill Etienne, MD, MPH, FAAN, FANA, FAES
New York Medical College
Valhalla, NY
2023 Recipient: Roy H. Hamilton, MD, MS, FAAN
General Neurology Award
Sponsored by the American Academy of Neurology.
Avathvadi V. Srinivasan, MD, FAAN
The Tamilnadu DR MGR Medical University
Chennai
India
2023 Recipient: Michael Weintraub, MD, FACP, FAAN, FAHA
Kenneth M. Viste, Jr., MD, Patient Advocate of the Year Award
Sponsored by the American Academy of Neurology and endowed by gifts from Dr. Viste’s colleagues, friends, and patients.
Mohammad Wasay, MBBS, FAAN
The Aga Khan University
Karachi
Pakistan
2023 Recipient: Geetanjali S. Rathore, MD, FAAN
Mridha Spirit of Neurology Award
Sponsored by the American Brain Foundation and funded through the philanthropy of Dr. and Mrs. Mridha.
Alfred Balasa, MD
Baylor College of Medicine
Austin, TX
Michael Rubenstein, MD, FAAN
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
2023 Recipients: Gretchen Birbeck, MD, MPH, DTMH, FAAN; Bhim Sen Singhal, MD, FAAN; Olha Tychkivska, MD
Neurology Practice Award
Sponsored by the American Academy of Neurology.
Progressive Neurology
Bergen County, NJ
2023 Recipient: NeurAbilities Healthcare
Public Leadership in Neurology Award
Sponsored by the American Brain Foundation.
Cameron Heyward
Pittsburgh, PA
2023 Recipient: Arianna Huffington
QI Innovation Award
Sponsored by the American Academy of Neurology.
John R. Mytinger, MD
Nationwide Children's Hospital
Columbus, OH
Aneesh B. Singhal, MD, FAAN
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, MA
2023 Recipients: Fazila Aseem, MD, MPH; Pravin Khemani, MD, FAAN
Scientific Breakthrough Award
Sponsored by the American Brain Foundation.
Bruce I. Ovbiagele, MD, MSc, FAAN
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, CA
2023 Recipient: Josep Dalmau, MD, PhD, FAAN
Ted Burns Humanism in Neurology Award
Sponsored by the American Brain Foundation.
Avindra Nath, MD, MBBS, FAAN
NINDS
Bethesda, MD
2023 Recipient: Deanna Saylor, MD, MHS
Volunteer Service Award
Sponsored by the American Academy of Neurology.
Mohamed Ibrahim Abdul Aleem, MD, FAAN
ABC Hospital
Trichy
India
2023 Recipient: Praveen Kumar Yadav, MBBS, MD, DM, MRCP, FRCP, FEBN, MNAMS