INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF HAIR RESTORATION SURGERY BESTOWS HIGHEST HONORS TO FOUR DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS AT 33RD WORLD CONGRESS
CHICAGO – November 14, 2025. The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) recently honored four members for their significant contributions to the field of hair restoration surgery during a special recognition ceremony that was held at its 33rd World Congress in Berlin, Germany, October 23-25, 2025.
“Celebrating the immense talent and dedication of our members is a highly anticipated tradition of our annual Congress,” said Ricardo Mejia, MD, FISHRS, Immediate Past-President. “This year’s four award winners exemplify what it means to leave a lasting legacy on the field of hair restoration surgery – both in terms of our collective knowledge and expertise as hair restoration physicians and the consistent results our patients have come to expect from us.”
The ISHRS Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest honor of the ISHRS, given when an individual has distinguished themselves not only for excellence in knowledge and surgical skill in hair restoration surgery but also for their sincere contributions to patients, the profession, and dedicated service to ISHRS throughout their career. The 2025 ISHRS Lifetime Achievement Award was bestowed upon hair restoration surgeon Jennifer H. Martinick, MBBS, FISHRS, of Double Bay, New South Wales, Australia. A pioneer in modern hair transplant surgery, Dr. Martinick has been an advocate for natural results when the field of hair transplant surgery was still evolving. An active member of ISHRS since 1995, Dr. Martinick’s groundbreaking contributions to the profession are legendary – pioneering studies on transected hair follicles which improved graft survival; worked on follicle orientation – notably coronal angled grafting – enhancing graft placement aesthetics and success; emphasizing meticulous planning, minimized handling, enhanced graft survival, and predictable, comfortable patient experiences; and perfected the Gandelman Eyelash transplant technique. Her storied career led her to cross paths with Dr. Manfred Lucas, whom this award was initially named after, in Rome, where she became hooked on trying to improve the cosmesis and placing single hairs in between existing hairs.
The ISHRS Golden Follicle Award is bestowed annually to a physician who has made outstanding and significant clinical or educational contributions related to the field of hair restoration surgery. The 2025 Golden Follicle Award was presented to Bradley R. Wolf, MD, FISHRS, of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA. A past-president of the ISHRS, trained in surgery and emergency medicine, Dr. Wolf has devoted his career to hair restoration for the past 35 years and treats patients from around the country at his Cincinnati practice. An early advocate of strip microdissection and small grafts, Dr. Wolf helped shape the modern standards in the field of hair restoration surgery. He embraced FUE, performing every step personally from start to finish. A gifted teacher and workshop trainer, Dr. Wolf has attended 29 of 33 ISHRS annual meetings – serving as a program chair, faculty delivering countless lectures, and always leading with skill, dedication, and integrity. He has trained doctors from the Czech Republic, Belgium, Switzerland, and Ireland to use his microsurgical techniques. In addition, Dr. Wolf has served as editor and columnist of the Hair Transplant Forum International and is the author of the anesthesia chapter in the 5th Edition of Hair Transplantation.
The ISHRS Platinum Follicle Award is given for outstanding achievement in basic or clinical research, an invention or discovery, or furthering techniques and methods in a profound way that has resulted in the advancement of the field of hair restoration. The 2025 Platinum Follicle Award was presented to hair restoration surgeon, board-certified dermatologist, educator, and inventor Sanusi Umar, MD, FISHRS, of Manhattan Beach, Calif., USA. Originally from Nigeria, Dr. Umar holds faculty positions at the UCLA Department of Dermatology and is a long-time ISHRS Fellow and contributor for 21 years. Dr. Umar holds patents for an FUE handpiece and console with fluid integration, the flared punch, a manual FUE instrument to extract tightly curled follicles, a non-rotary punch for non-shaven FUE, and others. A focus of Dr. Umar’s inventions, published work, and research papers has been Afro-type hair and scalp problems, including techniques and tools for treating acne keloidalis nuchae (AKN) and keloids.
The ISHRS Distinguished Assistant Award is presented each year to a surgical assistant who has demonstrated exemplary service and outstanding accomplishments in the field of hair restoration surgery. The 2025 Distinguished Surgical Assistant Award was presented to Christine Turner, EN. Currently the head nurse for the Knudsen Clinic in Sydney, Australia, Turner is only the second assistant to win this award from the Southern Hemisphere. Like many surgical assistants, Turner began her early career training to be a hairdresser. Years later, after marrying and raising four children, Turner returned to the workforce to spend a decade in education, where she trained as an Enrolled Nurse. Perhaps because of an abiding interest in hair and hair loss, she joined an established hair restoration practice and became the third nurse in the team. Seven years later, she assumed the role of Head Nurse/Team Leader – a role she passionately continues to perform. Turner is committed to improving outcomes and teaching other assistants. She has attended nine ISHRS Annual Meetings and is now a regular faculty member of the Surgical Assistants Program.
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