John A. Jane Sr. Named 2009 Matson Lecturer

Alan R. Cohen, MD

John A. Jane Sr., MD, PhD, FRCS(C), FACS, immediate past chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Virginia at Charlottesville, will deliver the Matson lecture at the AANS Annual Meeting in San Diego, Calif., on the afternoon of Tuesday, May 5. His topic is "Donald Matson: Then and Now." A reception in his honor will follow at 6:30 p.m.

Dr. Jane graduated cum laude in 1951 from the University of Chicago with a Bachelor of Arts degree and received his medical degree from the University of Chicago in 1956. He completed his neurosurgical training in 1964 at the University of Illinois Research and Educational Hospital and the Illinois Neuropsychiatric Institute. In 1965 Dr. Jane was senior instructor in neurosurgery at Case Western Reserve University. In 1967 Dr. Jane was awarded a doctoral degree from the University of Chicago, Division of Biological Sciences, Section of Biopsychology. From 1969 to 2006, Dr. Jane was the professor and chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, Virginia. Currently he is professor and director of the Neurosurgical Training Program.

His clinical interests include cranial and spinal surgery, and pediatric neurosurgery, with a special interest in craniofacial surgery.

He is the past director of the American Board of Neurological Surgery, completing his term in 1996. Dr. Jane was elected vice president of the Society of Neurological Surgeons in 1988 and also was elected president of the society in 1993. He became a member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Neurosurgery in 1984 and became chair of the Editorial Board in 1990. He is also the editor and founder of the Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine and Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics.

Among his many awards are the Grass Prize and Medal of the Society of Neurological Surgeons for Meritorious Research (1985), Alumni Award for Distinguished Service, University of Chicago (1988), Decade of the Brain Medalist, CNS/AANS (1999), the Decade of the Brain Award, AANS (2000), the Distinguished Service Award by the AANS (2002), the NSA Medalist, Neurosurgical Society of America (2002), the Distinguished Service Award, Society of Neurological Surgeons (2003), the Cushing Medalist, AANS (2004), the WFNS Medal of Honor at the XIII World Congress of Neurosurgery Meeting (2005), the Congress of Neurological Surgeons Founder’s Laurel Award (2005), and the AANS/CNS Section on Disorders of the Spine and Peripheral Nerves Meritorious Service Recognition (2006).

He is married to Noella Fortier of Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The Janes have four grown children (three daughters and one son), six grandsons and two granddaughters.

Alan R. Cohen, MD, is secretary of the AANS/CNS Section on Pediatric Neurological Surgery.