The Vestibular Disorders Association (VeDA) is proud to announce Thomas Brandt, MD, FRCP, FANA, FEAN, as the recipient of the 2026 Lifetime Achievement Medical Champion Award, and Eric Anson, PT, PhD, as the recipient of the 2026 Young Investigator Medical Champion Award.
Established by VeDA’s Medical and Scientific Advisors, these annual awards recognize healthcare professionals whose groundbreaking research, clinical innovation, education, and leadership have significantly advanced the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of vestibular disorders. By recognizing these leaders, VeDA seeks to increase awareness of vestibular disorders throughout the medical community while highlighting the importance of timely diagnosis and evidence-based care for the millions of people living with dizziness, vertigo, and balance disorders.
“Vestibular disorders remain among the most underrecognized and frequently misdiagnosed neurological conditions,” said Cynthia Ryan, Executive Director of the Vestibular Disorders Association. “Dr. Brandt and Dr. Anson have each made extraordinary contributions to improving the lives of patients—whether by expanding our scientific understanding of the vestibular system or by translating research into better clinical care. Their work exemplifies the mission of VeDA’s Medical Champion Program.”
2026 Lifetime Achievement Award
Thomas Brandt, MD, FACP
Professor Thomas Brandt is internationally recognized as one of the founders of modern neuro-otology. Over a career spanning more than five decades, he has transformed the understanding of vertigo, dizziness, spatial orientation, and balance disorders through pioneering research and clinical leadership. He served as Chairman of Neurology at Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) Munich and later as Chief Executive Director of the German Center for Vertigo and Balance Disorders (DSGZ), one of the world’s leading centers dedicated to vestibular medicine.
Dr. Brandt’s research has fundamentally shaped the field of vestibular neuroscience. His work has advanced knowledge of central vestibular disorders, multisensory integration, visual-vestibular interactions, posture and gait control, spatial navigation, and higher vestibular function. His discoveries helped establish how the brain integrates vestibular, visual, and somatosensory information to maintain balance and spatial orientation, influencing both research and clinical practice worldwide.
He has authored hundreds of scientific publications and several landmark textbooks, including Vertigo: Its Multisensory Syndromes and Vertigo and Dizziness: Common Complaints, which have educated generations of neurologists, otolaryngologists, rehabilitation specialists, and researchers. His work continues to influence international diagnostic criteria, physician education, and the treatment of patients with vestibular disorders.
2026 Young Investigator Award
Eric Anson, PT, PhD
Dr. Eric Anson is an Associate Professor of Otolaryngology and Neuroscience at the University of Rochester Medical Center and a physical therapist whose research bridges neuroscience and rehabilitation to improve the care of individuals with vestibular disorders. With more than two decades of clinical experience in vestibular rehabilitation, he has become an emerging leader in understanding how the brain integrates sensory information to support balance, navigation, and the perception of self-motion.
Following doctoral training in kinesiology at the University of Maryland and a postdoctoral fellowship in vestibular physiology at Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Anson established a research program focused on age- and disease-related changes in vestibular function, multisensory integration, vestibular perception, concussion, and balance rehabilitation. His NIH-funded research aims to develop clinically accessible methods for assessing vestibular function and to improve rehabilitation strategies that reduce dizziness, enhance mobility, and improve quality of life for patients.
In addition to his research, Dr. Anson is widely recognized for mentoring future clinicians and investigators, advancing evidence-based vestibular rehabilitation, and helping translate cutting-edge neuroscience into practical treatments that improve patient outcomes. His work continues to strengthen the connection between laboratory discovery and clinical practice, ensuring that research directly benefits patients living with vestibular disorders.
About the VeDA Medical Champion Program
The Vestibular Disorders Association established the Medical Champion Program to recognize healthcare professionals whose work has significantly increased awareness of vestibular disorders and contributed to earlier diagnosis, improved treatment, and better patient outcomes. Award recipients represent excellence in research, clinical care, education, and innovation across the spectrum of vestibular medicine.
Vestibular disorders affect millions of people worldwide and are among the leading causes of dizziness, vertigo, imbalance, and falls. Yet many patients experience years of delayed diagnosis before receiving appropriate treatment. Through the Medical Champion Program, VeDA seeks to elevate leaders whose work is changing that reality while inspiring continued innovation throughout the vestibular healthcare community.
For more information about the Vestibular Disorders Association and its programs, visit vestibular.org.
