Dr Ferran Pellisé, Head of the Spine Unit in the Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology Department at Vall d’Hebron University Hospital and Head of the Spine Research Unit at the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), has achieved three significant milestones in the fields of spine surgery and clinical research.

He has recently assumed the presidency of the Scoliosis Research Society (SRS), received the Russell A. Hibbs Award for Clinical Science for research into the long-term outcomes of people with scoliosis, and been recognised in the 2026 Stanford/Elsevier international ranking for the impact of his scientific career.

His appointment as the SRS’s 57th president makes Dr Pellisé the first Spaniard to hold this position, the second European and the fourth non-North American. Founded in the United States in 1966, the SRS is one of the leading international scientific societies in the diagnosis and treatment of scoliosis and other spinal deformities in children, adolescents and adults.

The organisation promotes research, specialised training and collaboration among professionals and centres worldwide. Over nearly six decades, it has contributed to the development of surgical techniques, the establishment of treatment standards and the generation of scientific evidence to improve clinical outcomes and patient care.

A new Russell A. Hibbs Award for research into scoliosis

Dr Pellisé and his team have also received the Russell A. Hibbs Award for Clinical Science, one of the highest international honours in spine surgery. Awarded annually by the SRS, this prize recognises the best clinical and experimental research presented at its world congress and acknowledges scientific excellence, innovation and contributions that help improve the treatment of spinal deformities.

The award-winning study examines the outcomes of people with scoliosis thirty years after surgery or non-surgical treatment. The research was conducted within the framework of the international HISTory-ESSG consortium and includes a sample of 700 patients from three continents: Europe, Asia and America. The study provides further insight into the very long-term outcomes of different therapeutic approaches to scoliosis.

With this award, Dr Pellisé’s team has received four Russell A. Hibbs Awards since 2015, consolidating its contribution to international clinical research in spine surgery.

Among the top 1% of clinicians worldwide in terms of impact in orthopaedics

These two achievements are complemented by recognition in the 2026 Stanford/Elsevier ranking, which places Dr Pellisé among the top 1% of clinicians worldwide in terms of impact in the field of orthopaedics in 2025. He is also among the top 2% of clinicians with the highest-impact professional careers in this speciality.

The Stanford/Elsevier ranking identifies researchers with a significant scientific impact based on bibliometric indicators. The results recognise both the influence of scientific output over a given period and the cumulative impact achieved throughout a professional career.

“Assuming the presidency of the Scoliosis Research Society is an honour and a great responsibility, both personally and for the entire spine surgery team at Vall d’Hebron. At the same time, receiving the Russell A. Hibbs Award again and having my scientific career recognised is an incentive to continue promoting international collaborative research. Studies such as this one, which allow us to understand patients’ outcomes thirty years after treatment, are essential to gaining a better understanding of long-term outcomes and continuing to improve care for people with scoliosis”, Dr Pellisé explains.