The North American Spine Society awarded 2017 Research Grants and Traveling Fellowships during its 32nd annual meeting in Orlando, Fla., from Oct. 25 to Oct. 28.
This year, NASS awarded a total of $149,999 in grant money. The grants offer funding for investigators' projects in the spine field. The Research Travelling Fellowships last at least five months during which the investigator works at facility outside of his or her practice. The Clinical Traveling Fellowships take place over at least one month in which the investigator works at three to five medical centers studying spine techniques.
The NASS Research Project Management Committee and Research Council chose the investigators based on scientific merit, project significance, approach and feasibility.
The following three investigators won the Research Grants:
- Harvinder Sandhu, MD — Clinical, $46,550, "A Prospective, Double-Blind, Randomized Control Trial of Postoperative Acetaminophen versus Ketorolac in Lumbar Spinal Fusion"
- Erik S. Anderson, MD, PhD —Young Investigator—Translational, $43,875 year one only of a two-year grant, "Identifying Molecular Determinants of Local Control After Radiation Therapy to Spinal Metastases from Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLS)"
- lker Hacihaliloglu, BSC, MSc, PhD —Young Investigator—Basic, $46,905 year one only of a two-year grant, "Real-Time Non-Radiation Based Navigation Using 3D Ultrasound for Pedicle Screw Placement"
Here are the two Traveling Fellowship award recipients:
- Mohammed Hassan Ibrahim Mahboub, MD: Portland-based Oregon Health & Science University; Los Angeles-based University of Southern California; Dallas-based UT Southwestern Medical Center, $7,169
- Abduljabbar Alhammoud, MD: Philadelphia-based Rothman Institute; New York City-based Hospital of Special Surgery; Chicago-based Rush University, $5,500