For Immediate Release on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2009
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Ashok K. Hemal, M.D., a professor of urology at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, is one of five Indian scientists selected to receive a prestigious national honor from the National University Grants Commission, which coordinates, determines and maintains standards of university education in India.
Hemal will be awarded the Hari Om Asrham Trust’s “Outstanding Social Scientists/Scientists for Interaction between Science and Society Award” in recognition of his key role in developing the field of robot-assisted surgery.
The award is based on Hemal’s scientific contributions in the previous five to seven years. Nominees are judged on a variety of criteria, including their contributions to the welfare of society.
Hemal is a pioneer in robot-assisted and laparoscopic urologic surgery and helped develop many of the surgical protocols in use today. At Wake Forest Baptist, he uses the technology for surgeries of the prostate, kidney and bladder as well as for female pelvic organs. In addition to his local practice, Hemal regularly sees international patients who seek his expertise.
In addition to his clinical expertise, Hemal is also a distinguished researcher and has published more than 300 peer-reviewed scientific papers, 60 book chapters and six textbooks. He is on the editorial board of several urologic journals. He has been an invited visiting professor at more than 200 institutions and societies and has performed live surgery demonstrations at more than 75 centers worldwide.
Hemal has received numerous prestigious awards, including the International Guest Scholar award of the American College of Surgeons in 1997, the Urologist of the Decade award in 2001, the Dr. B.C. Roy National Award presented by the president of India in 2002, and one of the highest civilian awards, the Padma-Shri, bestowed by the president of India in 2007.
Hemal is director of the Robotic and Minimally Invasive Urologic Surgery Program at Wake Forest Baptist. He is a fellow in the International College of Surgeons and the American College of Surgeons.
Editors: Click Here for photo of Ashok Hemal, M.D.
###
Media Relations Contacts: Karen Richardson, krchrdsn@wfubmc.edu, Bonnie Davis, bdavis@wfubmc.edu or Shannon Koontz, shkoontz@wfubmc.edu, at 336-716-4587.
Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center (www.wfubmc.edu) is an academic health system comprised of North Carolina Baptist Hospital, Brenner Children’s Hospital, Wake Forest University Physicians, and Wake Forest University Health Sciences, which operates the university’s School of Medicine and Piedmont Triad Research Park. The system comprises 1,056 acute care, rehabilitation and long-term care beds and has been ranked as one of “America’s Best Hospitals” by U.S. News & World Report since 1993. Wake Forest Baptist is ranked 32nd in the nation by America’s Top Doctors for the number of its doctors considered best by their peers. The institution ranks in the top third in funding by the National Institutes of Health and fourth in the Southeast in revenues from its licensed intellectual property.