Life-time Achievement Award

The organisers of the World Congress in Vienna have decided to award a special “one off” Lifetime Achievement Award to a most deserving person, who has truly spent his life in the service of Neurology in his native Austria, the Danube region, in Europe and globally. It is quite astonishing to realise that he was the Secretary of the World Congress of Neurology here in Vienna as long ago as1965.

Franz Gerstenbrand qualified from Vienna in 1950. Following training, he became Associate Professor 1967, Head of Department; Rosenhügel, Vienna, and Innsbruck1975.

His work in his native Austria is impressive, he was Head of the Institute for Restorative Neurology and Neuro-modulation, Ludwig Boltzmann Society 1995-2006.

Head of the Scientific Institute for Neuro-rehabilitation and Space Neurology; Karl Landsteiner Scientific Society up until 2009.

He holds many Honorary doctorates; Charles University Prague, Danube University Krems , Aristotele University of Thessaloniki.

His regional achievements are most impressive. The most prominent is the bringing together of the Danube and Eastern European Neurologists at a time of political difficulties. He was a Founding Member today the Honorary President of the Danube Symposium for Neurological Sciences, later International Danube Neurology Association of Central and East Europe.

At the European level, a crowning achievement is that of being the Founding President of EFNS. He is also the Founding member of the European Society of Neuropharmacology and World Federation for Neurorehabilitation.

His involvement with the WFN started in 1965 and has continued ever since. He is Chairman of the WFN Research Groups on Neuroethics and of Space and Underwater Neurology. He is also a member of several other research groups.

He holds Honorary Memberships of several neurological societies: Russia, Poland, Czech Republic , Hungary and Myanmar. His work in Myanmar exemplifies his personality and diligence to help Neurologists in all parts of the World especially those living under difficult political regimes. He is the author of hundreds of papers and 12 books.

As far as I am aware he is the only Neurologist who is a Holder the Valeriy Gagarin Medal of the Russian Space Organization.

Ladies and Gentlemen, it is my honour and pleasure to introduce Franz Gerstenbrand for his Lifetime Achievement Award.

Citation by László Vécsei, Secretary General, International Danube Neurology Association of Central and East Europe, September 2013 on presenting a special life-time achievement award at the WCN2013, Vienna.