Pittsburgh, December 8, 2011 -- PGY-6 resident Matthew Tormenti, MD, and PGY-4 resident Kimberly A. Foster, MD, were named co-winners of this year's best presentation award at the seventh annual University of Pittsburgh Department of Neurological Surgery Stuart Rowe Society Lectureship Day held on December 7.

The joint award -- a first for the event -- was decided by this year's honored guest, Henry Brem, MD, Harvey Cushing Professor of Neurosurgery, Ophthalmology, Oncology and Biomedical Engineering and Director of Neurosurgery at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, MD.

Tormenti's talk, "The Development of Magnetoencephalography as a Diagnostic Tool for Concussion," and Foster's lecture, "Weight Profile in Children Following Endoscopic Endonasal Approach to Craniopharyngioma," were among 10 research lectures presented during the day honoring Stuart Niles Rowe, the department’s first chairman and an early advocate of broad neurosurgical training.

Matthew Tormenti, MD (center) receives award for best presentation award at seventh annual Stuart Rowe Society Lectureship Day from department chairman Robert M. Friedlander, MD (left) and honored guest Henry Brem, MD, (right) during special reception at the Duquesne Club. Kimberly Foster, MD, was named co-winner of the award, but was not able to attend the evening event.

In addition to the resident lectures, the day featured a lecture by Dr. Brem entitled "Advancing Brain Tumor Surgery." Dr. Brem also presented a second lecture, "Improving Access to Neurosurgical Care," at a special reception and dinner held in his honor at the Duquesne Club.

This special day was established in 2005 as a tribute to Stuart Rowe, widely considered the founding figure of neurosurgery training in Pittsburgh. Rowe believed that neurosurgery training should not only teach exceptional technique, but also the critical clinical decision-making skills necessary to succeed. He preached the underlying need for thorough literature review and independent research as a means for broadening clinical knowledge.

This year's lectureship day took on special meaning as 2011 mark the 75th anniversary of Stuart Rowe's arrival in Pittsburgh. 2011 also marked the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the Walter L. Copeland Fund. The fund was started with a $1 million endowment in 1961 with instructions from its benefactor that the entire annual proceeds support neurosurgery research at the University of Pittsburgh.

Kimberly A. Foster, MD, (right) accepts her award from Dr. Friedlander.