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The American Association of Neuromuscular & Electrodiagnostic Medicine (AANEM) recently announced that Shirley Ryan AbilityLab physician-scientist Colin Franz, MD, PhD, has received one of its 2023 Scientific Impact Awards.
Dr. Franz was selected for this honor for his “significant contribution as senior author” of research — entitled “The Distribution of Acquired Peripheral Nerve Injuries Associated With Severe COVID-19 Implicate a Mechanism of Entrapment Neuropathy: A Multicenter Case Series and Clinical Feasibility Study of a Wearable, Wireless Pressure Sensor” and published in the October 2022 issue of the Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation.
This study not only identified the cause of nerve injuries in patients treated in the intensive care unit for severe COVID-19, it also identified the possibility of using wireless sensors to detect and prevent similar injuries among patients.
As the AANEM noted, this study was one of eight peer-reviewed articles — including four original research studies — Dr. Franz has contributed on the neuromuscular complications associated with COVID-19. It directly built upon a July 2020 study (later published in September 2020 in the British Journal of Anaesthesia) that was the first to report on frequent peripheral nerve injuries acquired by survivors of severe COVID-19 who were on ventilators and placed in prone position.
“It’s an honor to receive this award from the AANEM since it’s the organization that best represents my peers and my medical subspecialty. As someone who is certified in neuromuscular medicine, electrodiagnostic medicine as well as physiatry, I identify with the AANEM more than any other professional society,” said Dr. Franz. “There is no greater honor than to be recognized by your peers, including so many colleagues who you look up to and inspire you.”
