Congratulations to our colleague, Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush spine surgeon Dr. Howard An, for being awarded the very prestigious 2023 Leon Wiltse Lifetime Achievement Award by the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine.

ISSLS is the world's oldest, multidisciplinary international spine society. Dr. An is the second MOR recipient of this award, joining former MOR spine surgeon Dr. Gunnar Andersson.

This recognition is a testament to the impact Dr. An has had on the field worldwide and how he has served and continues to serve as a role model to many.

As one of the leading authorities on spinal surgery, Dr. An has published more than 400 peer-reviewed original articles, 150 chapters, and 20 books on spinal surgery and instrumentation. He has been a visiting professor at over 100 institutions worldwide and the recipient of over 100 grant awards. Dr. An has held the inaugural Morton International Endowed Chair position at Rush University Medical Center since 1997 and is the Director of the Spine Surgery Fellowship Program at Rush through which he has helped train over 90 spine surgery fellows. He was the recipient of numerous prestigious awards for research, such as the ISSLS Prize and the Kappa Delta Award from the AAOS Past President of the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine. He held the position of Director of the Division of Spine Surgery for 14 years.

He will be honored in Melbourne this May at 2023 Spineweek.