The West Virginia University (WVU) School of Medicine
recently honored ASA President James E. Cottrell,
M.D., with its Distinguished Alumnus Award for 2002.
A West Virginia native, Dr. Cottrell graduated from
WVU in 1968, beginning a medical career that saw him
become a world leader in scientific and academic medicine
and an active spokesperson for patient safety.
Dr. Cottrell’s publications on the deleterious
effects of succinylcholine and nitrous oxide in neurosurgical
patients have altered the way both drugs are used
by neuroanesthesiologists the world over. In 1989,
he founded the Journal of Neurosurgical Anesthesiology,
which is ranked as the top subspecialty journal in
anesthesiology and one of the most respected in the
specialty.
As a researcher, Dr. Cottrell is without peer and
has published more than 100 articles in scientific
journals, co-authored 21 book chapters, edited seven
major textbooks, served as visiting professor at more
than 100 medical institutions and has been a guest
lecturer in countless countries. He currently is professor
and chair of the department of anesthesiology at the
State University of New York Health Sciences Center
(SUNY), Brooklyn, New York.
Friend and colleague Joseph P. Giffin, M.D., professor
and executive vice-chair for clinical affairs at SUNY-Brooklyn,
said, “Whether anesthetizing patients, investigating
anesthetic techniques in a research laboratory or
cooking and packing meals at God’s Love We Deliver
(a New York charity), Jim Cottrell has dedicated his
life to relieving pain.”
The WVU School of Medicine honors a WVU alumni each
year who has achieved a “single outstanding
accomplishment or a lifetime of merit with international
or national recognition.”
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