NANS Past Award Recipients

Lifetime Achievement Award

The NANS Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes those who have made significant and lasting contributions to the field of neuromodulation over the course of their career.

2026 – Kim Burchiel, MD, FACS
2025 – Nagy Mekhail, MD, PhD
2024 – Sam Eldabe MB ChB, FRCA, FFPMRCA
2023 – Ali Rezai, MD
2022 – J. Thomas Mortimer, PhD
2021 – Lisa Stearns, MD
2020 – Hunter Peckham, PhD
2019 – Peter Staats, MD, MBA, DABA, ABIPP, FIPP
2018 – Robert Foreman, PhD
2015 – Tony Yaksh, PhD

2014 – Alim-Louis Benabid, MD, PhD
2013 – Giancarlo Barolat, MD
2012 – Bengt Linderoth, MD, PhD, and Joshua Prager, MD, MS
2011 – Elliot Krames, MD
2010 – Michael Stanton-Hicks, MD, MBBS
2009 – Richard North, MD
2007 – Norman Shealy, MD, PhD
2006 – John Oakley, MD
2002 – Prithvi Raj, MD, and Gabor Racz, MD

Distinguished Service Award

The NANS Distinguished Service Award recognizes dedicated service to the North American Neuromodulation Society. Recipients of this award have advanced the mission of NANS in a significant and lasting way.

2026 – Julie Pilitsis, MD, PhD
2025 – Salim Hayek, MD, PhD
2024 – Peter Konrad, MD, PhD
2023 – Lawrence Poree, MD, PhD
2022 – B. Todd Sitzman, MD
2021 – Ashwini Sharan, MD
2020 – Jaimie M. Henderson, MD

2019 – Richard North, MD
2018 – Joshua Prager, MD, MS
2017 – David Kloth, MD
2014 – David Caraway, MD, PhD
2013 – Robert Foreman, PhD
2011 – K. Dean Willis, MD
2005 – Sam J. Hassenbusch, MD

Innovator Award

The NANS Innovator Award recognizes individuals whose contributions have made significant and sustained impact in the field of neuromodulation, spanning the implementation, mechanisms, and developments of technology, including driving new science and therapy creation.

2023 – Warren Grill, PhD
2024 – Dominique Durand, MS, PhD (Engineering) | Helen S. Mayberg, MD (Clinical)
2025 – Andres Lozano, MD, PhD, FRCSC, FRSC, FCAHS (Clinical)
2026 – Shadi Dayeh, PhD

Distinguished Service in Science & Technology Award

The NANS Innovator Award recognizes individuals whose contributions have made significant and sustained impact in the field of neuromodulation, spanning the implementation, mechanisms, and developments of technology, including driving new science and therapy creation.

2026 – Cameron McIntyre, PhD

Presidential Merit Award

2025 – Steven M. Falowski, MD | Jason Pope, MD | Dawood Sayed, MD
2024 – David Provenzano, MD | Joshua Rosenow, MD, FAANS, FACS
2023 – Tim Deer, MD

Kumar New Investigator Award

The Kumar New Investigator Award encourages scientific work in neuromodulation. The awardee presents their winning manuscript during one of the Plenary Sessions at the Annual Meeting.

2026 – Iahn Cajigas, MD, PhD: “Implantable brain–computer interface for neuroprosthetic-enabled volitional hand grasp restoration in spinal cord injury”
2025 – Nicole Provenza, PhD: “Disruption of neural periodicity predicts clinical response after deep brain stimulation for obsessive-compulsive disorder”
2024 – Prasad Sirvalkar, MD, PhD: “First-in-human prediction of chronic pain state using intracranial neural biomarkers”
2023 – Ilknur Telkes, PhD: “High Resolution Spinal Motor Mapping Using Thoracic Spinal Cord Stimulation in Patients with Chronic Pain”
2022 – Patrick Ganzer, PhD: “Dynamic Detection and Reversal of Myocardial Ischemia Using an Artificially Intelligent Bioelectronic Medicine”
2021 – Lee. E. Fisher, PhD: “Sensory Restoration by Epidural Stimulation of the Lateral Spinal Cord in Upper-Limb Amputees”
2020 – Alik S. Widge, MD, PhD: “Deep Brain Stimulation of the Internal Capsule Enhances Human Cognitive Control and Prefrontal Cortex Function”
2019 – Mallory L. Hacker, PhD: “Effects of Deep Brain Stimulation on Rest Tremor Progression in Early Stage Parkinson’s Disease”
2018 – Dario J. Englot, MD, PhD: “Altered Structural and Functional Connectivity of Brainstem Arousal Centers in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy”
2017 – Scott Lempka, PhD: “Computational Analysis of Kilohertz Frequency Spinal Cord Stimulation for Chronic Pain Management”
2015 – Casey H. Halpern, MD: “Amelioration of Binge Eating by Nucleus Accumbens Deep Brain Stimulation in Mice Involves D2 Receptor Modulation”
2014 – Sridevi V. Sarma, PhD: “On the Therapeutic Mechanisms of Deep Brain Stimulation for Parksinson’s Disease: Why High Frequency?”

Lisa Stearns Award

The North American Neuromodulation Society and the Women in Neuromodulation (WIN®) established the Lisa Stearns Award to encourage clinical and scientific work in cancer pain interventional therapies and neuromodulation.

2026 – Arti Ori, MD
2025 – Saba Javed, MD
2024 – Vinita Singh, MD, MSCR
2023 – Magdalena Anitescu, MD, PhD
2022 – Sandy Christiansen, MD
2021 – Amitabh Gulati, MD

APP Excellence Award

The APP Excellence Award recognizes an APP member’s achievements and leadership in the field of neuromodulation and pain management.

2026 – Blake Parente, MHS, PA-C
2025 – Chelsey Hoffman, PA-C, MS, RD

NANS Rising Star Awards

The NANS Rising Star Awards honor residents, fellows, and early-career professionals who demonstrate exceptional promise, leadership, and contributions to the field of neuromodulation.

2026 Recipients

Rising Star Resident – David Gallacher, MD | Tessa Harland, MD
Rising Star Fellow – Ahish Chitneni, DO | Roslaynn Conic, MD, PhD, MPH
Rising Star Early Career – Matthew Chung, MD | Saba Javed, MD

2025 Recipients

Rising Star Resident – Harman Chopra, MD | Crystal Joseph, MD
Rising Star Fellow – Mustafa Broachwala, DO | Eva Kubrova, MD
Rising Star Early Career – Manish Ranjan, MD | Ilknur Telkes, PhD, MS

2024 Recipients

Rising Star Resident – Ahish Chitneni, DO | Danika Paulo, MD
Rising Star Fellow – Alexandra Moreira, MD | Shashank Vodapally, DO
Rising Star Early Career – Ryan S. D’Souza, MD | Nicole (Nikki) Pelot, PhD

Diversity and Outreach Committee Pipeline Fellowship Grant

The DOC Pipeline Fellowship Grants support residents and fellows from underserved communities to attend the NANS Annual Meeting and provide yearlong career mentoring.

2026 Grant Recipients

Ashlyn Brown, MD, MBA, MS
Barbara Buccilli, MD
James Mossner, MD, MS
Rahil Soroushmojdehi, PhD, MS
Rebecca Takele, DO

2025 Grant Recipients

Varina Clark Onwunyi, MD
Rachel Esparza, MD
Oranicha Jumreornvong, MD
Anthony Kilgore Jr., MD
Wutt Hmone Kyi, BS

2024 Grant Recipients

Rodrigo Aguiar, MD
Efemena Diejomaoh, MD, MBBS
Luis Ruiz Perez, BS, MS
Fabienne Saint-Preux, MD
Tess Veuthey, MD, PhD

2023 Grant Recipients

Meagan Brucker-Hahn, PhD
Victor Ekuta, MD
Tessa Harland, MD
Trevor Johnson, MD
Edgar Peña, PhD