Awards
Alan J. Gebhart Prize for Excellence in Peripheral Nerve Research
We award the prestigious Alan J. Gebhart Prize for Excellence in Peripheral Nerve Research each year during our awards ceremony at the PNS Annual Meeting. This award recognizes an Active PNS Member’s ongoing contributions to our mission of “improving the lives of people with peripheral neuropathies.” The unrestricted cash prize is awarded to an established researcher (or researchers) in the peripheral nerve field.
Application Period: To be announced soon.
Prize Criteria: The award recipient must be:
- An established researcher in the field of peripheral nerve.
- An active member of the PNS in good financial standing for a minimum of two years.
Prior applicants are encouraged to re-apply. Prior prize recipients will not be eligible.

2023 Alan J. Gebhart Prize Recipients
This year the award is shared between two members who have made outstanding conributions to the field. Congratulations to Claudia Sommer, MD and Pieter van Doorn, MD, PhD.
Past Alan J. Gebhart Prize Recipients
2023: Claudia Sommer, MD, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany & Pieter van Doorn, MD, PhD, Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam, The Netherlands
2022: Ahmet Hoke, MD, PhD, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
2021: Michael Shy, MD, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
2020: Guido Cavaletti, MD, Università di Milano-Bicocca, Milan, Italy
2019: Eva Feldman, MD, PhD, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
2019: Douglas Zochodne, MD, University of Alberta, Edmonta, Alberta, Canada
2018: Richard A.C. Hughes, MD FRCP FMedSci FEAN, University College London, London, UK
2017: Susumu Kusunoki, MD, PhD, Kindai University, Osaka-Sayama, Japan
2015: Steven Scherer, MD, PhD, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA & Hugh Willison, MD, PhD, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland, UK

2023 Alan J. Gebhart Prize Recipients
This year the award is shared between two members who have made outstanding conributions to the field. Congratulations to Claudia Sommer, MD and Pieter van Doorn, MD, PhD.
Named Lectures & Abstract Prizes
The PNS has 8 named lectures commenmorating the contributions of leaders in the field. Each lecture is presented as a Plenary Lectures at the PNS Annual Meeting. Being chosen as a plenary speaker is considered an honor. Additionally, the PNS provides $750 USD cash prizes to Junior Members presenting abstracts at the Annual Meeting in those research areas as a tribute to the luminaries in our field.
Anita Harding Lecture
Female Pioneer
Lecturers
2023: Marina Kennerson
2022: Charlotte Sumner
Abstract Prize Recipients
2023: Asta Arendt-Tranholm
2022: Luise Appeltshauser
Richard A.C. Hughes Symposium
Clinical Highlights/Clinical Topics
Abstract Prize Recipients
2023: Robin Thomma
2022: Luca Leonardi
2021: Lorena Martin–Aguilar
2019: Christa Walgaard
Arthur K. Asbury Lecture
GBS/CIDP/Inflammatory Neuropathy
Lecturers
2023: Claudia Sommer
2022: Pieter van Doorn
2021: Frank Bennett
2019: Giuseppe Lauria
2018: Kevin O’Connor
2017: Isabella Ilya
Abstract Prize Recipients
2023: Jeroen Bos
2022: Clare Campbell
2021: Xihui Yin
2019: Stephen Keddie
2018: Divyanshu Dubey
2017: Rhona McGonigal
2015: R. Huizinga
Jonathan Pembroke Lecture
Cell Biology
Lecturers
2023: Giampietro Schiavo
2022: Patrik Ernfors
2021: Michio Hirano
2019: Massimo Zeviani
2018: Craig Blackstone
2017: James J. Sejvar
Abstract Prize Recipients
2023: Jung Eun Shin
2022: Anthony Cutrupi
2021: Alexandra Boyling
2019: Gonzalo Perez Siles
2018: Sung- Tsang Hseih
2017: Haruki Koike
2015: Z. Li
Peter J. Dyck Lecture
Diabetes
Lecturers
2023: Rohini Kuner
2022: Nigel Calcutt
2021: Michael Caterina
2019: Jan Geert Biessels
2018: Peter McNaughton
2017: Gary Lewin
2015: David Bennett
2013: Roy Freeman
Abstract Prize Recipients
2023: Stephanie Eid
2022: Diana Tavares Ferreira
2021: Dale George
2019: Raiza Bonomo
2018: Krish Chandrasekaran
2017: Andreas Themistoleow
2015: L. Van Helleputte
J.W. Griffin Lecture
Regeneration
Lecturers
2023: Lorenz Studer
2022: Felipe A. Court
2021: Aaron Diantonio
2019: Valeria Cavalli
2018: David Parkinson
2017: Jeff Milbrandt
2015: Kelly Monk
2013: Patricia J. Armati
2011: Clifford Woolf
Abstract Prize Recipients
2023: Stefanie Geisler
2022: Grace Shin
2021: Suzan Boutary
2019: Anthony Cirrincione
2018: Thomas Brushart
2017: Jorge Galino
2015: M. Kaller
P.K. Thomas Lecture
Inherited Neuropathies
Lecturers
2023: Robert Burgess
2022: Kleopas Kleopa
2021: Rebecca Schüle
2019: David Adams
2018: Alessandra Bolino
2017: Michael Coleman
2015: Bart C. Jacobs
2013: Steven S. Scherer
2011: Vincent Timmerman
Abstract Prize Recipients
2023: Jonas Van Lent
2022: Jessica Medina
2021: Marina Stavrou
2019: Andrea Cortese
2018: Yueqin Zhou
2017: Dana Bis
2015: S. Carmona
Richard & Mary Bunge Lecture
Biology of Nerve
Lecturers
2023: John Svaren
2022: Carla Taveggia
2021: Laura Feltri
2019: Alison Lloyd
2018: Erika Holzbaur
2017: Elior (Ori) Peles
2015: Matthew Rasband
2013: Kristjan R. Jessen
2011: Marc Tessier-Lavigne
2009 James L. Salzer
2007: Ueli Suter
2005: Hugh J. Willison
2003: Godan Lundborg
2001: Steven S. Scherer
1999: Tony L. Yaksh
1997: Mary B. Bunge
Abstract Prize Recipients
2023:Natalia Dominik
2022: Brendan Zotter
2021: Zixuan Wang
2019: Federica Grandi
2018: Charlotte Sumner
2017: Marta Pellegata
2024 PNS Prize Committee
This Committee selects the recipients and awards cash prizes to Junior Members presenting abstracts at the Annual Meeting, as a tribute to the luminaries in the field.
Prize Committee Co-Chiars

Albena Jordanova, PhD,
VIB-UAntwerp Center for Molecular Neurology, Antwerp, Belgium

Mario Saporta, MD, PhD, MBA, FAAN
University of Miami, Miami, USA