The biannual Royer Award for outstanding contributions to neurology will given to Eric Denys, MD, associate professor of clinical neurology, and to Donna Ferriero, MD, professor of neurology and pediatrics. The formal ceremony will take place later in the year.

This substantial cash award was established by Oakland physician J. Elliott Royer after his death in 1962. Dr. Royer's will specified the eligibility criteria, selection process and amount of the annual award, which alternates each year between neurology and psychiatry.

A Leader in Providing Expert Care to the Uninsured

Dr. Denys is a consultant at UCSF Medical Center at Mount Zion, at the San Francisco Free Clinic and at California Pacific Medical Center. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Neurology, a member of the American Association of Neuromuscular Medicine and the American Academy of Neurology, and a very active member of the San Francisco Neurological Society.

He has served as president of the Association of Clinical Faculty at UCSF, president of the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Neurological Society and secretary/treasurer of the Association of California Neurologists; he is currently serving as a member of the Council of Scientific Affairs of the California Medical Society.

As a co-founder of the San Francisco Free Clinic 12 years ago, Dr. Denys became a leader in providing expert care to the uninsured in the Bay Area, often encouraging other physicians to volunteer their time.

He is a beloved educator who has taught residents and medical students for over 30 years, and has been organizing Grand Rounds at California Pacific Medical Center for 12 years. He continues to make a remarkable difference in this community by bringing better health to those who are less fortunate, with cheerfulness, creativity and vitality.

One of the Most Influential Child Neurologists In the Field

Dr. Ferriero has achieved international prominence as a clinical and basic investigator, clinician, educator, administrator and author. She has built a world-renowned research program for discovering the causes of cerebral palsy, and her work contributed to the first published randomized clinical trial for neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury.

She is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Neurological Association and American Pediatric Society; she also serves on the editorial boards for several medical journals and is co-editor of the leading standard textbook of pediatric neurology published in the United States.

Over the last 25 years, Dr. Ferriero has advanced science directly through research, training and mentoring and by hard and often unrecognized administrative work on the local and national stages. She is one of the most accomplished and influential child neurologists in the field today. She also serves as the School’s vice dean for academic affairs.

Link: UCSF psychiatrists honored for advancing their field