Resident's Prize
One way that the Association promotes research and leadership in hydrocephalus is through our annual Resident’s Prize. This prize is awarded each year to the most promising hydrocephalus-related research paper presented by a neurosurgical resident at the Pediatric Section meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons (AANS/CNS).
The Association is pleased to announce Dr. Kurtis I. Auguste as the winner of our 2006 Resident’s Prize. Dr. Auguste received the award for his paper “Greatly Impaired Migration of Aquaporin-4 Deficient Astroglial Cells After Implantation into Mouse Brain,” which he presented at the recent Pediatric Section of the AANS/CNS meeting in Denver in December 2006. On receiving the award, Dr. Auguste said “My interest in aquaporins is rooted in a desire to help patients of all ages with hydrocephalus. This work has flourished beyond anything I could have imagined and stands to help many patients… It is a tremendous honor to receive this award.” Dr. Auguste was invited to present a synopsis of this paper at the full meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons in Baltimore in April 2007.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., to Caribbean parents in 1974, Dr. Auguste is a graduate of Harvard University and University of California, San Francisco. He has been a neurosurgery resident at UCSF since 2001 and started research with aquaporins in the spring of 2005. Dr. Auguste completed his residency in June 2007 and will begin a fellowship in pediatric neurosurgery at the University of Toronto Hospital for Sick Children in July.
The award recipient is selected by the executive committee of the Pediatric Section of the AANS/CNS after reviewing all submissions. The committee recognized Dr. Auguste’s aquaporin 4 research as an area that holds great promise for improving our understanding of injury and recovery mechanisms within the brain. Although this study was not specific to hydrocephalus, findings from other aquaporin 4 papers from this research team at UCSF demonstrate the potential for a tremendous impact on hydrocephalus, especially in promoting novel treatments.
The Association’s annual Resident’s Prize is funded by Association founders and current Board members Russell and Emily Fudge. Developed in honor and memory of Henry Werdegar, M.D., this prize was initiated and funded for many years by Association founder and longtime board member, Cynthia Solomon. It is designed to encourage young doctors to focus their research efforts on advancing treatment and care of individuals with hydrocephalus.
Congratulations to Dr. Auguste!