American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine (AACPDM) AACPDM Awards

The Mentorship Award recognizes an individual who is an active member of the AACPDM and who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in mentoring trainees and colleagues in the field of childhood-onset disabilities.  Particular focus is placed on the contribution and impact of mentoring to improve services/care, promote professional education, and/or promote research for children with disabilities.

Initial nominations should include the following:

  • Nominee's name, professional degree(s), institution(s), current position, academic rank, and contact information;
  • Nominator's name, professional degree(s), institution(s), current position, academic rank, and contact information;
  • Confirmation that the nominator has notified the nominee that they are being nominated;
  • Letter from the nominator (see guidelines for nomination letters); and
  • Nominee's CV.

The top three nominees will move to a second round, where two additional letters will be required. Nominators whose nominee is selected for the second round will receive additional details.

Submit completed application forms, letters, and CVs here.

Deadline: May 19, 2023.

Congratulations to Stacey C. Dusing, PT, Ph.D., FAPTA, on receiving the 2022 Mentorship Award!

PAST WINNERS:
2021: Bernadette Gilick, PT, MSPT, PhD 
2020: Mauricio R. Delgado, MD
2019: Garey Noritz, MD
2018: Ros Boyd, PhD, MSc(PT)
2017: Michael Sussman, MD
2016: Michael Msall, MD
2015: Kerr Graham, MD
2014: David Price Roye Jr., MD
2013: Freeman Miller, MD
2012: Peter Blasco, MD


Nomination Deadline: May 19, 2023.

Nominees should be persons representing excellence while pursuing their interests, dreams, and a high quality of life who also live with personal physical challenges. Nominees will be evaluated in terms of the following:

  • Motivation and achievement in pursuing and accomplishing personal and vocational/professional goals;
  • Demonstration of a creative approach to their pursuit of education and participation in their vocation/profession;
  • Example of a positive approach to life; and 
  • Service as a role model to persons in their sphere of influence, demonstrating sensitivity to others and respect for self.

Individuals should be nominated by someone close to them-physician, therapist, parent, mentor, teacher, friend, or colleague. Nominators should notify the individual that they are being nominated. There is no age restriction for this award.

Congratulations to Jerron Herman on receiving the 2022 Corbett Ryan Pathways Pioneer Award!

PAST WINNERS:
2021: Rachel A. Wobschall, Ed.D
2020: Chris Hendricks
2019: Jason Benetti
2018: David W. Pruitt, MD
2017: Kathleen Friel, PhD
2016: Justin Herbst
2015: Andrew McAleavey
2014: Paul Tudisco
2013: Rich Donovan
2012: Tobias Tsai, MD


The Sage Award is given to the best multimedia submission presenting clinical, research, or educational material in a digital format. The Award is named after Fred P. Sage, MD, past president (1981) and Chairman of the A/V Committee of the AACPDM. Dr. Sage envisioned the great potential of audio-visual use in the Academy. He advocated for ways to popularize this method of teaching, and this interest eventually led to the Sage Audio-Visual Award for the best program submitted each year.

Completed application forms should be emailed to info@aacpdm.org.

Deadline: May 19, 2023.

Congratulations to Tracy Pickar on receiving the 2022 Fred P. Sage Award!

PAST WINNERS:
2021: Dana Anaby, PhD

2020: Kathleen Huth, MD, MMSC
2019: Jan Willem Gorter, MD, PhD, FRCP(C)
2018: Rachel Byrne, PT
2017: Stacey D. Miller, MRSc, BScPT
2016: Vedant Kulkarni, MD
2015: Veronica Schiariti, MD MHSc PhD
2014: Wendelin Burdo-Hartman, MD, and Garey Nortiz, MD
2013: Sebastian Schroeder, MD
2012: Melinda Lewis, OT


The Gayle G. Arnold Award is the most prestigious award of the Academy.  This award is named in honor of Dr. Arnold, a self-taught developmental pediatrician and President of the Academy (1989-90). The award is presented annually to the authors of the best scientific paper.  The award includes a plaque, a certificate, recognition during the Annual Meeting, as well as airfare, two nights of lodging, and complimentary registration.

Congratulations to Karl Jancart, MSEd, for receiving the 2022 Gayle G. Arnold Award for Excellence! 

PAST WINNERS:
2021: Jessica Sun, MD

2020: Emma Bohn
2019: Regina Harbourne, Ph.D., PT
2018: Brian Hoare, OT, Ph.D.
2017: Alicia Spittle, Ph.D.
2016: Pamela Thomason, PT, MPT
2015: Alicia Spittle, Ph.D.
2014: Sarah James, OT
2013: Richard Lieber, Ph.D. and Sudarshan Dayanidhi, PT, Ph.D.
2012: Kathleen Friel, Ph.D.


This award is presented to a special presidential guest lecturer selected by the First Vice President. During their lifetime, the recipient of this award has made creative contributions of outstanding significance to the field of medicine and for the benefit of patients with cerebral palsy and other childhood-onset disabilities.

Congratulations to Johanna Darrah, PT, Ph.D., on receiving the 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award!

PAST WINNERS:
2021: Richard L. Lieber, PhD 
2020: Michael Sussman, MD
2019: Barry S. Russman, MD
2018: Deb Gaebler-Spira, MD
2017: Marshalyn Yeargin-Allsopp, MD
2016: James Gage, MD
2015: William Oppenheim, MD
2014: Peter Rosenbaum, MD FRCPC
2013: John McLaughlin, MD
2012: Gregory Liptak, MD


This award is presented to an individual who demonstrates outstanding participation in or promotion of sports and recreation and serves as a role model for people with disabilities. The award is named after Mr. Duncan Wyeth for his passion for life and for encouraging people with disabilities of all ages to pursue interests and dreams based on their abilities and not to be limited by their disabilities. Duncan is an active advocate in his local community, nationally and internationally. His enthusiasm for life, sports, and recreation is contagious and inspirational.

Congratulations to Sarah Albus on receiving the 2022 Duncan Wyeth Award!

PAST WINNERS:
2021: Bradley Heaven
2020: Clayton Frech
2019: Kyle Pease
2018: Deborah MacFadden
2017: Luca Patuelli
2016: Ronnie Dickson
2015: Wendy Fryke
2014: Ryan Chalmers
2013: Jeremy Lade
2012: Pamela Wilson, MD


Cathleen Lyle Murray had severe cerebral palsy, and her family established this award in her memory. The specific purpose of this award is to recognize outstanding individuals in non-medical professions based on their impact on society through their humanitarian efforts to enhance the lives of persons with disabilities.

PAST WINNERS:
2019: Judith E. Heumann
2018: Pete Zeidner
2017: Jason Benetti
2016: Tom Chau, PhD PEng
2015: Zach Anner
2014: Michael Bortolotto
2013: Rick Guidotti
2012: Michael Kutcher


Sponsored by The Southern Family Cerebral Palsy Center at Rady Children’s Hospital, this award is given to the highest-ranked free paper involving adult participants with CP or other childhood-onset disabilities. The winner receives a certificate and $1,000.

Past Winners:
2022: Michael Trevarrow PhD
2021: Harold Moore, BS
2020: Elizabeth Boyer, PhD


The highest-scoring Scientific Poster abstracts are reviewed in their final poster form by the Awards Committee during the Annual Meeting. The Scientific Poster that scores the highest in the Awards Committee review is announced at a Saturday plenary session during the Annual Meeting. The winner receives a certificate and $500.

PAST WINNERS:
2022: Brigette M. Romero Carpio, MS
2021: Steffen Berweck, MD
2020: Dominique Laron, MD
2019: Stephanie K. Lee, MS
2018: Kamaldeep Gill, OTR/L
2017: Alex M. Pagnozzi
2016: Heather Roberts, OTR/L, PhD
2015: Nancy Lennon, MS PT
2014: Susan Sienko, PhD
2013: Joseph Domino, BS
2012: Carol Boliek, PhD


The top-rated Demonstration Posters are reviewed and voted on by the attendees at the Annual Meeting. The Demonstration Poster receiving the most votes is announced at a Saturday plenary session during the Annual Meeting. The winner receives a certificate and a complimentary Instructional Course at the following Annual Meeting.

PAST WINNERS
2022: Jessica Lewis, PT, DPT
2021: Egmar Longo, PT, PhD
2020: Heather Shearer, DC, MSc
2019: Dennis Chen, OTR/L, BCP
2018: Jennifer Carlisle, MD
2017: Marilyn Wright, PT
2016: Anne Kawamura, MD
2015: Jonathan M. Greenwood, DPT MS PCS c/NDT


This award is given to an Academy member within four years of completion of training.  The winner is selected based on the Awards Committee rating of the presented work and is announced shortly after the Annual Meeting.  Mac Keith Press, the publisher of the Academy's journal, Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, supports the award.

PAST WINNERS:
2022: Patrick Curran, MD
2021: Jacinta Quartermaine, Bachelor of SpPath
2020: Kelsey Davidson, MD
2019: Ellen Armstrong, MPthy
2018: Joanne George, MD
2017: Rachel Thompson, MD
2016: Vedant Kulkarni, MD
2015: Mark Peterson, PhD MS
2014: Lee Barber, PhD MPT
2013: Elegast Monbaliu, PhD, PT
2012: Kathleen M. Friel, PhD

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