Dacey receives award from neurosurgeons’ association

Dacey
The American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS) presented Ralph G. Dacey Jr., MD, with the 2013 Distinguished Service Award as part of its 81st Annual Scientific Meeting in New Orleans.

The Distinguished Service Award is one of the highest honors bestowed on a member, recognizing exemplary service to the AANS and the neurosurgical specialty.

Dacey is the Henry G. and Edith R. Schwartz Professor and chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis and neurosurgeon-in-chief at Barnes-Jewish Hospital. As the author of more than 200 articles in the areas of neurosurgery and cerebrovascular physiology, he counts the physiology of intracerebral microcirculation as a research focus. Dacey also is a recipient of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Investigator Development Award.

“The Distinguished Service Award means a lot to me. To be recognized in this way by the leaders of our specialty is very rewarding,” Dacey said. “As a neurosurgeon, the ability to improve the lives of our patients and have an impact on the education of our residents is a great privilege.”

A longtime neurosurgical advocate, Dacey was both the president and honored guest of the Congress of Neurosurgeons after a longstanding appointment to the executive committee of the organization. He is the current president of the Society of Neurological Surgeons and a past president and treasurer of the American Academy of Neurological Surgery.

In 2010, he was elected to the prestigious Institute of Medicine. Additional achievements include his service to the NIH’s National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke advisory council and to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education as a member and chair of the Residency Review Committee for Neurosurgery. He also served as chair of the American Board of Neurological Surgery.

After completing undergraduate studies at Harvard University, Dacey obtained his medical degree from the University of Virginia.

Founded in 1931 as the Harvey Cushing Society, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons is a scientific and educational association with nearly 8,300 members worldwide.


Washington University School of Medicine’s 2,100 employed and volunteer faculty physicians also are the medical staff of Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals. The School of Medicine is one of the leading medical research, teaching and patient care institutions in the nation, currently ranked sixth in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. Through its affiliations with Barnes-Jewish and St. Louis Children’s hospitals, the School of Medicine is linked to BJC HealthCare.