Medal Awardee 2015
Upon the occasion of the 15th Interim Meeting of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies in Rome, Italy from September 08-12, 2015 the Madjid Samii Medal of Honor was awarded to Professor Alexander N. Konovalov from Moscow, Russia.
Alexander N. Konovalov was born in Moscow, Russia on December 12, 1933. In 1951 he finished high school and continued his education at the First State Moscow Medical Institute, named after Prof. I.M. Sechenov. He graduated his education in 1957 with distinction. He started on the field of Neurology at the Burdenko Neurosurgery Institute before his mentors paved the way for his Neurosurgical career. Throughout his career he focused on his role as surgeon and refined many neurosurgical techniques. He is still working as President of the Association of Neurosurgeons of Russia and Scientific Adviser at the Burdenko Neurosurgery Institute, which he headed about 40 years.
His administrative functions in scientific societies are among others:
- Director of the Burdenko Institute of Neurosurgery since 1975
- President of the All-Union Neurosurgical Society from 1981-1991
- Full member of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences since 1982
- Head of Chair of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the Academy of Post-Graduate Education since 1994
- Full member of the Russian Academy of Sciences since 2000
- President of the Association of Neurosurgeons of Russia since 2002
- Vice-President of the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies from 1975-1983 & from 1987-1991
- Vice-President of the World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies from 1981-1985 & in 1993
- USSR State Prize Winner in 1985
- Russian Federation State Prize Winner in 1995
- Medal of Honor by the European Association of Neurosurgical Societies in 1999
- Order for Service to Russia in 2003
- International Prize “Profession is Life” (in nomination – an outstanding director of a medical institution) in 2004
- Decorated with Olivecrona medal (Stockholm, Sweden) in 2004
- State Prize of the Russian Federation in 2007
- Prize of the Government of the Russian Federation in 2007
- Decorated with II Degree Order of the Russian Federation “For outstanding service to homeland” in 2008
- Honorary President of the WFNS in 2009
- Award by President of the Russian Federation “Hero of Labor” in 2013
The WFNS Executive Committee and Madjid Samii agreed unanimously that Alexander N. Konovalov has deserved to be the third laureate of the Madjid Samii Medal of Honor.