Gaston Labat Award

The Gaston Labat Award Committee annually seeks nominations from the ASRA Pain Medicine membership for individuals who have demonstrated outstanding contributions to the development, teaching, and practice of regional anesthesia in the tradition of Louis Gaston Labat, MD (1876-1934). The Gaston Labat Lecture is presented each spring at the ASRA Pain Medicine Annual Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine Meeting. Members are asked to nominate qualified anesthesiologists who have distinguished themselves in two of the following areas of regional anesthesia: research, teaching, or clinical practice. The emphasis of the award is to recognize those who have fostered the art and science of regional anesthesia in the tradition of Louis Gaston Labat by contribution to the performance of research that has furthered the specialty, innovative teaching traditions, organizational contributions, or simply exemplary clinical practice of regional anesthesia that has encouraged its expanded application.

Dr. Labat and his colleagues founded the original American Society of Regional Anesthesia in 1923, shortly after the publication of his landmark textbook of regional techniques. It should be noted that his colleagues wanted to honor Dr. Labat by calling the fledging organization the Labat Society. The first ASRA merged with the American Society of Anesthesiologists in 1939 and dissolved after the merger. The records of the early society are preserved at the Wood Library - Museum of Anesthesiology at the ASA office in Park Ridge, Illinois. The present-day ASRA Pain Medicine was refounded in 1975.

Nominees should be nationally recognized and their contributions to the subspecialty duly noted by a broad audience. The individual need not be a member of ASRA Pain Medicine, and the receipt of previous awards from ASRA Pain Medicine does not disqualify him or her. Current members of the Board of Directors are not eligible (see full list here). Nominations must be made using the Gaston Labat Award Nomination Form. Nominations are open through July 15th.

Dr. Gaston Labat

Dr. Louis Gaston Labat

 

Dr. Christopher Wu

Christopher L. Wu, MD
2024 Gaston Labat Award Recipient

 


Learn about activities to honor Dr. Labat and the founding of the original ASRA in 1923.


Past Winners


1977John J. Bonica, MD, & Daniel C. Moore, MD
1978Sir Robert Macintosh
1979Torsten Gordh, MD
1980John Adriani, MD
1981Robert Hingson, MD
1982Alon P. Winnie, MD
1983Peere C. Lund, MD
1984Philip R. Bromage, MB, FFARCS, FFARCA
1985J. Alfred Lee, MD
1986Benjamin G. Covino, MD, PhD
1987Nicholas Greene, MD
1988D. Bruce Scott, MD
1989Ronald Melzack, PhD & Patrick Wall, MD
1990P. Prithvi Raj, MD
1991Bertil Lofstrom, MD
1992B. Raymond Fink, MD
1993Sol M. Shnider, MD
1994Phillip O. Bridenbaugh, MD
1995Rudolph H. DeJong MD
1996Michael J. Cousins, MD, FANZCA
1997Gale E. Thompson, MD
1998Stefano Ischia, MD
1999L. Brian Ready, MD
2000Gary R. Strichartz, PhD
2001Cosmo A. DiFazio, MD, PhD
2002John A.W. Wildsmith, MD, FRCA
2003Brendan T. Finucane, MD
2004David L. Brown, MD
2005Henrik Kehlet, MD, PhD
2006Dag E. Selander, MD, PhD
2007Michael F. Mulroy, MD
2008James C. Eisenach, MD
2009Quinn H. Hogan, MD
2010Narinder Rawal, MD
2011Terese Toddie Horlocker, MD
2012Denise J. Wedel, MD
2013Admir Hadzic, MD, PhD
2014Per H. Rosenberg, MD
2015John C. Rowlingson, MD
2016Vincent W.S. Chan, MD, FRCPC
2017Nigel E. Sharrock, MB, ChB
2018Alain Borgeat, MD
2019
Joseph M. Neal, MD
2020
Guy L. Weinberg, MD
2021F. Kayser Enneking, MD
2022Brian Ilfeld, MD
2023Santhanam Suresh, MD, MBA, FAAP, FASA
2024Christopher L. Wu, MD
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