During the 33rd International Meeting on Advanced Spine Techniques (IMAST), the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS) announced the winners of the Thomas E. Whitecloud Awards given to the best basic science/translational and best clinical papers, the Innovation Award and the E-Points Poster Award.
The 2026 Thomas E. Whitecloud Award For Best Clinical Research Paper Is Presented To: From Adolescence to Late Adulthood: Quality of Life and Surgical Outcomes in Idiopathic Scoliosis Across the Lifespan. Susana Núñez Pereira, MD, PhD; Javier Pizones, MD, PhD; Sleiman Haddad, MD, PhD, FRCS; Alejandro Gomez-Rice, MD, PhD; Francisco Javier Sanchez. Perez-Grueso, MD; Lluis Vila Castillo, MD; Yann Phillippe Charles, MD; Anika Pupak, PhD, BS; Ibrahim Obeid, MD; Ahmet Alanay, MD; Frank S. Kleinstueck, MD; Ferran Pellise, MD, PhD; European Spine Study Group ESSG
The 2026 Thomas E. Whitecloud Award For Best Basic/Translational Science Research Paper Is Presented To: Deep Phenotyping Revolutionizes Genetic Diagnosis of Scoliosis through Nine Strategic Categories. Nan Wu, MD, PhD; Guozhuang Li, MD; Terry Jianguo Zhang, MD
The 2026 Innovation Award Is Presented To: The SRS-Lenke-Aubin 3D Classification: A Structured and Clinically Relevant Extension of the Lenke System to Capture Transverse Plane Deformities in AIS. Carl-Eric Aubin, PhD, P.Eng; Lawrence G. Lenke, MD; Virginie Lafage, PhD; Michelle C. Welborn, MD; Justin S. Smith, MD, PhD; A Noelle Larson, MD; Michael G. Vitale, MD, MPH; Takashi Kaito, MD, PhD; Peter O. Newton, MD; Jeffrey P. Mullin; Christiane Caouette, PhD; Delphine Aubin, MS; Brice Ilharreborde, MD, PhD
The 2026 E-Point Award Is Presented To: Improving Early Scoliosis Detection with a Low-Dose Mobile Imaging and Automated Measurement Platform: A Cross-Sectional Screening Study. Guilin Chen, MD; Terry Jianguo Zhang, MD; Nan Wu, MD
Click here to review past winners.
IMAST is a scientific forum for leading spine surgeons, innovative researchers, and the most advanced spine technologies from around the world to come together to demonstrate recent advances in spine surgery.
For more information on this international meeting, visit the website.
Source: Scoliosis Research Society
Image: IMAST co-chair Calgar Yilgor, MD; Ferran Pellise, MD, PhD, winner of the 2026 Thomas E. Whitecloud Award For Best Clinical Research Paper; and IMAST co-chair Amit Jain, MD MBA. Submitted by Scoliosis Research Society
