Newswise — (New Orleans, LA) – Andrew J. Haig, MD, will be presented the American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine’s (AANEM) 2016 Distinguished Researcher Award, at the AANEM 2016 Annual Meeting in New Orleans, LA, September 14-17, 2016.
The Distinguished Researcher Award honors an AANEM member who has made continuous significant contributions to clinical neurophysiology research. Over 3 decades, Dr. Haig has won significant grants and authored more than 130 peer-reviewed articles. His scientific work is recognized for groundbreaking accomplishments, including the first masked studies of diagnostic needle EMG. By exploring EMG using paraspinal mapping, Dr. Haig increased knowledge about normal paraspinal EMG findings and developed the mini-paraspinal examination to quantitatively grade lumbar spinal denervation. He has also successfully linked the EM G examination and clinical aspects of spinal stenosis.
Dr. Haig credits an 'incredible instructor', Dr. Jacqueline Wertsch, for his enthusiasm for discovery. While under her supervision during a 3-month rotation at Medical College of Wisconsin, "She kept questioning us about hard things. She'd have us brainstorm about what was wrong in he field and why. She was constantly asking us to think outside the box and not trust the dogma. I carry that with me to this day."
Another success key: involvement with AANEM. "The brains in the field all show up at the AANEM Annual Meeting. As a young kid just starting out, you can learn what the big names in the field think, and get the subtleties," said Dr. Haig.
A highlight of his career was receiving an NIH RO 1 (Research Project Grant) for paraspinal mapping -the first for his department at the University of Michigan. "It allowed my team to get a huge database and answer all kinds of questions. We showed that for some spinal disorders, MRI in older people are all but useless, but EMG's are highly specific. After 20 years of imaging conquering EDX, we were able to do the tests to show intrinsic value of EDX over MRI."
Another high point - this award. "I've gotten many awards in my life, but this is the one that kind of took my breath away," said Dr. Haig. "These are the people who know my research and appreciate what I'm doing. For the rest of my life, this will be the award that will mean the most to me."About AANEMFounded in 1953, the AANEM is a nonprofit membership association dedicated to the advancement of neuromuscular, musculoskeletal, and electrodiagnostic medicine. Nearly 5000 physician members—primarily neurologists and physiatrists—are now joined by allied health professionals and PhD researchers working to improve the quality of medical care provided to patients with muscle and nerve disorders. AANEM programs are guided by its five pillars: education, professional standards, advocacy, communications, and research. Its administrative office is located in Rochester, MN. More information about AANEM Achievement Awards and Dr. Haig’s credentials is available at http://www.aanem.org/Membership/Member-Portal/Achievement-Awards/Current-Award-Recipients
### END ###Media Contact: Laurie MonaAANEM Communications Manager507.288.0100[email protected]
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