In 1954, James Garber Galbraith, M.D., established the Division of Neurosurgery within the UAB Heersink School of Medicine’s Department of Surgery, where he laid the foundation for the now-Department of Neurosurgery’s culture of growth and compassionate care.

Each year, the UAB Department of Neurosurgery gathers to honor Galbraith’s dedication to his science, his patients and his work.

The 40th Annual J. Garber Galbraith, M.D., Scientific Session and Lecture was held on Nov. 3, in the Bradley Lecture Center, located in Children's of Alabama. The Galbraith Scientific Session, open to UAB faculty and residents, community neurosurgeons and former residents of the Department of Neurosurgery, allows current neurosurgery residents to present and highlight their research. The Galbraith Lecture is given by a distinguished guest neurosurgeon who has made significant contributions to the field of neurosurgery.

Russell Lonser, M.D., traveled from Columbus, OH, to serve as the 40th Galbraith Lecturer.

Lonser was named Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery at The Ohio State University in 2012, and currently holds the Dardinger Family Chair in Neurosurgical Oncology.

The annual event started with Neurosurgery Grand Rounds on Thursday, Nov. 2, at UAB’s Lyons-Harrison Faculty Office Tower, where faculty and residents gathered for Lonser’s first lecture: “Neurologic manifestations of von Hippel-Lindau disease.”

The Scientific Session concluded with Lonser’s Galbraith Lecture: “Direct convective delivery for nervous system gene therapy,” which was followed by a dinner, reception and presentation of research prizes at the Birmingham Museum of Art on Friday night.

Winners

Garber Galbraith, M.D, Research Prize:

• Dago Estevez-Ordonez, M.D. – PGY6, Full Genomic Sequence and Evaluation of Genomic Alterations Accumulated Overtime in Murine IL-12 Producing Oncolytic Herpes Virus

Griffith R. Harsh III, M.D., Research Prize:

• Adeel Ilyas, M.D. – PYG7, Forecasting Seizure Clusters from Chronic Ambulatory Electrocorticography

Richard B. Morawetz, M.D., Research Prize:

• Andrew Hale, M.D., PhD – PYG2, Integrative genomics implicates decreased FDG6 expression underlying risk of intracranial aneurysm rupture

Richard B. Morawetz, M.D., Research Prize:

• Travis Atchley, M.D. – PGY6, Role of α1-antagonists in Post-Operative Urinary Retention Following Lumbar Spinal Surgery: A Propensity-Score Matched Analysis
• Andrew Hale, M.D., Ph.D. – PYG3, Endoluminal Sampling in Situ Enables Genetic Characterization of Vein of Galen MalformationAndrew Hale, M.D., Ph.D. – PYG3, Endoluminal Sampling in Situ Enables Genetic Characterization of Vein of Galen Malformation

Stephen Mahaley Jr., M.D., Research Prize (Translational Research Prize):

• Dago Estevez-Ordonez, M.D. – PGY6, Full Genomic Sequence and Evaluation of Genomic Alterations Accumulated Overtime in Murine IL-12 Producing Oncolytic Herpes Virus