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In recognition of exemplary service, James E. Cottrell, M.D. today received the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Distinguished Service Award during the organization’s Annual Meeting.
“We are pleased to present Dr. Cottrell with the Distinguished Service Award, ASA’s highest honor, bestowed on an individual for lifetime achievements and service in the specialty of anesthesiology and the Society,” said ASA President Alexander A. Hannenberg, M.D. “Dr. Cottrell is highly respected by his colleagues and medical students as an extraordinary anesthesiologist, educator and researcher. His accomplishments are truly remarkable and far-reaching.”
A member of ASA since 1969, Dr. Cottrell has served the Society in a variety of appointments, including as President of ASA in 2003, Vice-President for Scientific Affairs, and Chair and Vice-Chair of the Section on Annual Meeting. He delivered ASA’s 46th Annual Rovenstine Lecture in 2007. Dr. Cottrell also served as President of the Society of Academic Anesthesia Chairs and as President of the Society for Neuroscience in Anesthesiology and Critical Care.
Dr. Cottrell is a pioneer in the subspecialty of neuroanesthesia. His discoveries have led to significant changes in the clinical practice of anesthesiology. He has published more than 125 articles in scientific journals, co-authored 24 book chapters, edited 11 major textbooks and has been editor-in-chief of the Journal of Neurosurgical Anesthesiology, the only scientific journal of neuroanesthsesia, since its launch in 1989. Dr. Cottrell’s two textbooks, Cottrell and Young’s Neuroanesthesia and the Handbook of Neuroanesthesia (with Philippa Newfield), are both in their fifth editions.
Known also for his humanitarian activities, Dr. Cottrell strongly supports God’s Love We Deliver, a New York City charitable organization, whose mission is to deliver home-cooked meals to terminally ill AIDS patients. During the early years of the AIDS crisis, Dr. Cottrell volunteered weekly in the kitchen to help prepare nourishing meals. He also is a founding member and former Chair of the AIDS Action Foundation and served as a board member and Vice Chair of Doctors of the World.
Dr. Cottrell’s achievements and honors are extensive. He is a Fellow of the Royal College of Anesthetists, an Honorary Member of the German Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, an Honorary Member of the Belgium Society for Anaesthesia and Reanimation, a Consultant in Anaesthetics at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Australia and an Honorary Member of the European Society of Anaesthesiology.
Dr. Cottrell graduated from medical school at West Virginia University and completed an internship at Allegheny General Hospital, followed by a residency and fellowship at Mercy Hospital. He then served in the U.S. Navy as a Lieutenant Commander in Iceland and at Philadelphia Naval Hospital.
Dr. Cottrell is currently a Distinguished Service Professor, Chair of Anesthesiology, Senior Vice-President and Dean for Clinical Practice at SUNY Downstate Medical Center. He received honors as a Distinguished Alumnus from West Virginia University and as an Honorary Alumnus from SUNY Downstate Medical Center. Dr. Cottrell resides in New York City and is an avid collector of contemporary art.
The Distinguished Service Award
Nominations for the Distinguished Service Award may be submitted by any ASA member or component society and are reviewed by the Committee on Distinguished Service Award. The nominated candidate must receive a two-thirds vote of more than 366 delegates seated in the ASA House of Delegates who represent more than 43,000 ASA members.
