BLI News
LEON GOLDMAN MEMORIAL AWARD PRESENTED TO DR. J. STUART NELSON
Wausau, Wisconsin - April 14, 2007. J. Stuart Nelson, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Surgery and Biomedical Engineering, University of California-Irvine, and Associate Medical Director of the Beckman Laser Institute and Medical Clinic (BLIMC), received the prestigious Leon Goldman Memorial Award today at the 27th annual conference of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS). The award recognizes Dr. Nelson's many years of academic leadership and research excellence in the fields of laser surgery, photomedicine, and biomedical optics, along with his significant contributions to the clinical management of laser patients.
The esteemed Leon Goldman Memorial Award was established in 1998 to honor the many contributions of Leon Goldman, MD, long recognized as the "Father of Laser Medicine." The recipient must be a practicing physician who has demonstrated longitudinal excellence throughout their career in clinical laser research, high-quality laser patient care, and medical laser education. The individual must also share the characteristics of honesty, high ethical standards and a dedication to patients that were possessed by the award's namesake.
Dr. Nelson has published more than 280 scientific articles and 13 book chapters. In connection with his interdisciplinary research, Dr. Nelson holds 13 patents for biomedical devices from the Patent and Trademark Office, United States Department of Commerce. The "dynamic cooling device" methodology developed by Dr. Nelson and his colleagues at BLIMC has become the worldwide standard for treatment of birthmarks in infants and is now incorporated into more than 15,000 laser devices.
Since becoming a member in 1987, Dr. Nelson has served on a number of ASLMS committees and task forces. He served as President of the ASLMS in 2001-2002 and was the Program Chairman of the Joint International Laser Conference held in Edinburgh, Scotland in September 2003. In April 2005, Dr. Nelson assumed the position of Editor-in-Chief of the ASLMS journal Lasers in Surgery and Medicine. A guiding force behind the ASLMS research grant program where he has raised more than $1000,000 to support postdoctoral fellows and graduate students, Dr. Nelson has been a mentor to numerous young scientists, encouraging them to spearhead the development of new optical technologies for diagnostic devices and biomedical applications that will advance the quality of care for patients.
In addition to Dr. Nelson's research, teaching and faculty responsibilities at the BLIMC, he is engaged in university-based direct clinical practice with a focus on serving patients with pediatric port wine stain birthmarks and other hypervascular dermatoses.
The American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery (ASLMS) is the world's preeminent resource for laser research, safety, education, and clinical knowledge. Founded in 1980, ASLMS promotes excellence in patient care by advancing clinical application of lasers and related technologies. For more information and physician referrals, please visit the Society's website at www.aslms.org.