The New Zealand College of Musculoskeletal Medicine extends its warmest congratulations to Professor Jiri Dvorak, who will be awarded the prestigious 2025 ISSLS Wiltse Lifetime Achievement Award. This award recognizes his outstanding contributions to the field of spine research and clinical practice.

Professor Dvorak has a significant connection with musculoskeletal medicine in New Zealand. He has previously presented a manual medicine course to our membership in Auckland and Christchurch and was involved in the “Spine In Action” conferences in Christchurch, alongside esteemed colleagues Professor Dieter Grob and Professor Augustus Panjabi (Manohar Panjabi).

Many members will recall that the initial NZAMM training programme, consisting of four one-week courses with follow-up weekends, was based on the Swiss model with which Professor Dvorak was closely involved. His framework for diagnosing and treating musculoskeletal pain continues to be a valuable tool for many practitioners today.

Born in Prague, former Czechoslovakia, in 1948, Professor Dvorak became a refugee in Switzerland due to the Soviet invasion. Despite these challenging beginnings, he has forged an exceptional career.

Professor Dvorak’s illustrious career includes:

• Completing his medical degree at the University of Zurich in 1974 and later specializing in Neurology.
• A transformative fellowship at Yale University with Professor Manohar Panjabi, leading to a 20-year research collaboration.
• Becoming Professor of Neurology and Spinal Disorders at the University of Zurich in 1995.
• Serving as Chair of the Department of Neurology, Spine Unit at the renowned Schulthess Clinic from 1987 to 2008, and subsequently as a Senior Consultant. The Schulthess Clinic has been ranked as the #1 Orthopedic institution in Europe and #4 worldwide in 2024.
• Co-founding the Spine Unit at the Schulthess Clinic, an early model for multidisciplinary spine care.
• Extensive research work, with over 486 peer-reviewed publications, cited approximately 78,000 times, and an h-index of 140.
• Serving as Chief Medical Officer for FIFA from 1994 to 2016, where he developed influential epidemiological studies on injuries and prevention programs, including the “11+” warm-up. He was responsible for 6 consecutive FIFA World Cups, 5 FIFA Women’s World Cups, and 4 Olympic Games.
• Co-founding the Concussion in Sport Group Association in 2002.
• Co-founding Spine Week, a major international event often regarded as the “Olympics of spine.”
• Playing an instrumental role in developing the Spine Society of Europe, serving as its President in 2000.
• Long-standing contributions to ISSLS, including co-editing three textbooks and helping to legalize ISSLS as an association in Switzerland.

More recently, Professor Dvorak has continued his connection with New Zealand, having undertaken research and teaching here during his time with FIFA. He also owned a farm in the far north, near Taipa, and is known to enjoy waterskiing.

Professor Jiri Dvorak’s journey from a refugee to a global leader in sports medicine and spine care is truly inspiring. His dedication to research, education, and patient care has left an indelible mark on our field.

The NZCMM acknowledges his immense achievements and the profound impact he has had on musculoskeletal medicine worldwide and here in New Zealand. We will be extending our formal congratulations to Professor Dvorak on this well-deserved honor.

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