Two Duke neurosurgeons were honored at the 2025 annual meeting of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons in Boston.
David Hasan, MD, was awarded with the AANS Humanitarian Award, which honors significant contributions to neurosurgery through humanitarian efforts and recognizes those dedicated to providing care to underserved populations and improving global health.
Allan Friedman, MD, gave the inaugural Takanori Fukushima Excellence in Microsurgery Lecture. Fukushima, a master of cranial micro neurosurgical techniques, was a consulting professor of neurosurgery at Duke from 1999 until his death in March 2024.
Hasan was among the first surgeons to enter Gaza after conflict began on October 7, 2023. Since then, he has devoted himself to delivering aid to Gaza. He has completed two medical missions and facilitated the delivery of tens of millions of dollars’ worth of food, medical equipment, and other necessary resources. He established the only coalition of NGOs dedicated to addressing Gaza’s humanitarian needs and leads the multi-governmental initiative to build the Gaza Children’s Village. The village will bring shelter, education, and healthcare to 20,000 orphans, unaccompanied minors, and children with complex medical needs.
Hasan, along with three others, co-founded LumiFlies, a platform meant to foster connection, action, and deep empathy between Israelis, Palestinians, Arabs, and Jews.