Dr. Michael T. Lawton to Receive AANS/CNS Dacey Medal for Cerebrovascular Research
The American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons Cerebrovascular Section has selected Barrow Neurological Institute President and CEO Michael T. Lawton, MD, for the 2025 Ralph G. Dacey, Jr. Medal for Outstanding Cerebrovascular Research. Dr. Lawton will formally receive the award at the Society of NeuroInterventional Surgery meeting on July 15.
Dr. Dacey, a professor of neurological surgery at Washington University in St. Louis and the namesake of the award, nominated Dr. Lawton for this year’s medal. A committee of neurosurgeons and neuroscientists then selected Dr. Lawton from a pool of candidates.
The AANS/CNS Cerebrovascular Section has given the Ralph G. Dacey, Jr. Medal annually since 2019 to recognize practicing neurosurgeon-investigators who have made game-changing contributions to our understanding of cerebrovascular diseases—from the laboratory to the clinic. The award also aims to highlight the importance of cerebrovascular research and to inspire continuous scientific investigation.
“I have always believed that what makes the subspecialty of cerebrovascular surgery so great is that we have many people with different sets of skills pushing us forward by envisioning and then perfecting effective treatments for our patients,” Dr. Dacey said in his nomination later.
Over the years, the Dacey Medal has represented various disciplines within the cerebrovascular subspecialty. These have included traditional microneurosurgery, neuroendovascular surgery, fundamental basic research, translational research, device development and related innovation, and information and data science.
A Master of Microneurosurgery
In his nomination of Dr. Lawton, Dr. Dacey specifically noted Dr. Lawton’s contributions to microneurosurgery. “His overall productivity and the quality of his work as a surgeon and as a clinical investigator have been outstanding, in my judgment,” Dr. Dacey said. “I especially admire his great skills in envisioning technically excellent microsurgical strategies, analyzing their effectiveness in well-defined groups of patients, and illustrating and communicating about his work.”
In reading Dr. Lawton’s published works, Dr. Dacey has recognized Dr. Lawton’s innovative problem-solving skills—gained, in part, through a high-volume practice. Dr. Lawton has operated on more than 5,350 brain aneurysms, 1,300 arteriovenous malformations (AVMs), and 1,400 cavernous malformations, including more than 400 in the brainstem and other highly delicate areas of the brain.
Dr. Dacey found Dr. Lawton’s publications on the management of brainstem cavernous malformations to be helpful in his own neurosurgical practice. He also acknowledged Dr. Lawton’s influential work in refining the grading scale for selecting patients for AVM surgery, as well as his advanced clipping and bypass techniques for treating brain aneurysms.
An Innovative Educator
Also impressive to Dr. Dacey is Dr. Lawton’s ability to critically and realistically examine his patients’ outcomes and then articulate his decision-making rationale and the technical nuances of his cases.
“What makes this extra special is that the medal’s namesake, Ralph Dacey, took it upon himself to nominate me. I have long admired Ralph, and the notion that this legend in our field wanted me to have his award is priceless.”
-Michael T. Lawton, MD
Dr. Lawton is passionate about documenting his cases, reviewing them for pearls of wisdom, and making them available to anyone with internet access. He releases these narrated case videos twice weekly through a project known as “Seven Series,” which he likens to a “virtual residency.” Dr. Lawton has also shared his insights in the form of three (soon-to-be four) solo-authored textbooks, known as the “Seven trilogy.”
“The Dacey Medal is recognition for research contributions to vascular neurosurgery, and I am honored to be included among the luminaries and superstars who have received it,” Dr. Lawton said. “But what makes this extra special is that the medal’s namesake, Ralph Dacey, took it upon himself to nominate me. I have long admired Ralph, and the notion that this legend in our field wanted me to have his award is priceless.”