2026 John Horsley Memorial Prize Competition Announced
The annual competition is open to graduates of the UVA School of Medicine and to current housestaff and recognizes original investigation in the fundamental medical sciences related to clinical medicine or surgery
The University of Virginia School of Medicine’s Department of Surgery has announced that competition is open for the 2026 John Horsley Memorial Prize.
The prize was established in February 1925, by the late Dr. J. Shelton Horsley of Richmond, Virginia, a distinguished alumnus of the University of Virginia, in memory of his father, Mr. John Horsley of Nelson County, Virginia.
The original intent of the donor was to stimulate the spirit of biological investigation among younger graduates in medicine, particularly in reference to the problems of surgery. Beginning in 1954 and thereafter, the scope of the competition was broadened to include any original investigation in the fundamental medical sciences related to clinical medicine or surgery.
The award is made on the basis of a thesis submitted in competition. The investigation reported in the thesis may be carried out in the laboratory, in the clinic, or in private practice.
The prize is awarded biennially. Competition is limited to graduates of the School of Medicine of the University of Virginia, and to current members of the house staff of the University of Virginia Health System. In these groups only those are eligible who have received the doctorate in medicine not more than ten years prior to the date of closure of competition.
The prize consists of a cash prize of $5,000 and a certificate of award. Formal announcement and presentation of the prize will be made during the UVA Department of Surgery Annual Awards Day event, to be held on Wednesday June 3, 2026.
No award will be made if in the judgment of the committee it is deemed that no thesis is worthy of the prize. Previous prize-winners are not eligible for competition. At the discretion of the committee, the award may be given on the basis of work done in collaboration with an individual not eligible for competition, but in such a case the award will be made solely to the eligible contestant. If the contestant is not the senior author, a statement is requested from the senior author indicating the contestant’s role in the work presented.
Material eligible for competition is divided into three categories:
- Work submitted de novo to the committee in written form;
- Reprints of work published between January 1, 2024 and January 1, 2026;
- A manuscript of work accepted for publication prior to January 2026.
If previous work has been published related to the material submitted, it is important that reprints of such work be included with the paper in competition. Such additional material will not be considered as part of the Prize Thesis but will be given weight in the assessment of the value of the work presented. Do not submit reprints or typewritten manuscript of work dealing with another subject. Please designate the paper you wish primarily considered for the award. All questions of eligibility of material and of comparative values lie in the judgment of the committee.
This competition will close on April 15, 2026, and all entries must be in the hands of the chairman of the committee on or before that date. Entries may be submitted by email to the address below.
Ankush Gosain, MD, PhD, MBA, Committee Chair
2026 John Horsley Memorial Prize Committee
Address all manuscripts and inquiries to:
Christina Mondelli
clm7zk@uvahealth.org
