Dear Colleagues and Friends,

It is my honor to serve as President of the ASPN this year, following in the footsteps of great surgeons and scientists who have made significant contributions to nerve surgery. The annual meeting in the Bahamas was a huge success with unprecedented attendance and an amazing venue for both the scientific program and our families. Drs. Nash Naam and Greg Borschel put together a great program addressing the most pressing and controversial issues in our field and I am confident that everyone learned something to take away and apply at home in their practices.

This year is an exciting year for the ASPN as we move forward and continue to grow both in number and as a society representing an increasingly broad range of medical professionals of different training and backgrounds with a common interest in restoring function and sensation after surgery or trauma. To reflect the scope of our expanding membership, important proposals are under consideration to change the name and logo of our society. While many feel that it is time for change, it is important to listen to the conservative voices as well so that we remain true to the original identity and goals of our founding members. Therefore I urge all of you to respond to upcoming correspondences addressing these issues. We want everyone’s input! We hope this will encourage a productive exchange of ideas leading to positive discussion at next year’s annual meeting as these proposals come to a vote.

I would also like to recognize and thank PRRI, our new management company, for a smooth transition last year and facilitating additional changes to accommodate the society’s growth. We are confident that our society is in good hands to help us reach our goals. Next year’s annual meeting will be held at the Westin Kierland in Scottsdale, Arizona. It will be another great venue for the scientific program while family members can enjoy the amazing spa and the great outdoors. My program chair Ida Fox will be putting together an exciting program and the location will be easily accessible to everyone. I look forward to seeing everyone there!

Thomas H. Tung, MD
Associate Professor
Director of Microsurgical Reconstruction
Co-Director, Center for Nerve Injury and Paralysis
Division of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
Washington University School of Medicine
St. Louis, MO

PRESIDENT
Thomas H. H. Tung, MD
Saint Louis, MO

PRESIDENT-ELECT
Martijn Malessy, MD, PhD
Leiden, Netherlands

VICE PRESIDENT
Tessa Gordon, PhD
Toronto, ON, Canada

SECRETARY
David L Brown, MD, FACS
Ann Arbor, MI

TREASURER
Gregory H. Borschel, MD
Toronto, ON, Canada

HISTORIAN
Christine Novak, PT, PhD
Toronto, ON, Canada

PAST PRESIDENTS
Allan J. Belzberg, MD
Baltimore, MD

Nash H. Naam, MD
Effingham, IL

COUNCIL MEMBERS-AT-LARGE
Jonathan M. Winograd, MD
Boston, MA

Ida K. Fox, MD
St. Louis, MO

Michael W. Neumeister, MD
Springfield, IL