Sandeep Amin, MD, is the chairman of anesthesia at Rush Oak Park Hospital, medical director at Rush Pain Center at Oak Park, and associate attending and associate professor at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL. Previously, he was the director of pain fellowship education at Rush University Medical Center and assistant clinical professor at the University of Illinois Hospitals. He attended medical school at Municipal Medical College in India and completed his residency in anesthesia at the University of Illinois Hospitals, where he was chief resident. He completed a fellowship in pain medicine at the University of Illinois Medical Center and was a clinical fellow in pain medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. His clinical interests include complex regional pain syndrome, low back pain, failed back surgery syndrome, cancer pain, supraorbital and occipital neuralgia, neuromodulation and targeted drug delivery, and radiofrequency denervation. 

Magdalena Anitescu, MD, PhD, is a professor of anesthesia and critical care, program director for the multidisciplinary pain medicine fellowship, and section chief of pain management services at the University of Chicago Medicine in Chicago, IL. She completed a surgical internship at the University of Iowa and an anesthesia residency at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Following a pain medicine fellowship at the Cleveland Clinic, she joined the faculty at the University of Chicago. She is an accomplished national and international educator, author of numerous textbook chapters and scientific papers, and a member of many professional organizations, editorial boards, and scientific committees that review the academic curriculum for various pain medicine meetings. She developed and edited a series of textbooks for anesthesiology subspecialties based on the problem-based mode of learning. Dr. Anitescu focuses research on improving the quality of life of patients with acute, chronic, or cancer pain through multimodal, multifaceted interventions, as well as use of infusion pharmacology and neuromodulation.

Apkar Apkarian, PhD, is Armenian, born in Syria, lived in Lebanon, and was educated in Armenian schools until moving to the US to begin a college education. He received his electrical engineering and biomedical engineering degrees from the University of Southern California and his Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Upstate Medical University. He joined Northwestern University in 2000 and has been faculty in the Neuroscience Department since then. He holds adjunct positions in the Department of Anesthesia and PM&R. He is currently the founding director of the Center for Translational Pain Research. Professor Apkarian’s work has been translational for three decades. He started using MR brain imaging technology to study the human brain in pain within months of the initial description of the technology. He has used human brain imaging results to generate hypotheses that could be tested mechanistically in rodent models. His overall interest is to understand the brain in relation to the mind.

Ehtesham Baig, MSc, MD, FRCPC, is a dually certified anesthesiologist and pain medicine physician currently practicing at the University Health Network and affiliated with the department of anesthesiology and pain medicine at the University of Toronto. His clinical practice focuses on comprehensive pain management in patients undergoing active cancer treatment as well as those who are cancer survivors. These strategies include interventional modalities utilizing ultrasound, fluoroscopy, and advanced techniques such as neuromodulation and intrathecal drug delivery. He is actively involved in the education of pain medicine practitioners at various levels including postgraduate trainees and those in clinical practice.   

Meredith Barad MD, grew up in Denver, CO. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin summa cum laude in 1998 and graduated from Stanford University Medical School in 2003. She completed her internship at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose, CA and then went on to a neurology residency at Stanford University. After residency, Dr. Barad was the first neurologist to be admitted to the pain fellowship at Stanford. She is board certified in headache and pain and co-directs the Facial Pain program at Stanford. She is currently a Clinical Associate Professor of Anesthesia (Pain Management) and Neurology & Neurological Sciences, as well as the Associate Division Chief of Education and Program Director for the Pain Fellowship. She is the chair of the headache and facial pain special interest group for the American Academy of Pain Medicine. She is the secretary of the American Pain Program Directors, and on the Editorial Board of Pain Medicine.

Kimberlee Bayless, DNP, FNP-BC, APRN, is a nurse practitioner and director of the transitional pain service department at George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salt Lake City, UT. Dr. Bayless has practiced pain medicine for multiple years in the private practice setting and has been a nurse for over 22 years in the private, hospital, and academic setting. Dr. Bayless is a member of the office of nursing service pain management field advisory committee. She is vice-chair of the Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant, and Clinical Nurse Special Interest Group for ASRA Pain Medicine. In 2019, Dr. Bayless received Secretary’s Ward Excellence in Nursing Award for the George E. Wahlen Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. She also received the 2022 Utah State Award for Excellence from the American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

Martha Bentley-McLachlan, BSN, RN, OCN, PMGT-BC, is a oncology nurse coordinator for the division of pain at the Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center. She has been a oncology nurse for 30 years with the last 15 years focusing on chronic cancer-related pain and symptom management. She is one of the founding members of the ASRA Pain Medicine’s NP/PA/RN SIG and initial co-chair.  She has lectured at the ASRA Pain Medicine Fall NP/PA/Nurse program for the last five years.

Honorio T. Benzon, MD, is a graduate of Far Eastern University Dr. Nicanor Reyes School of Medicine in Manila, Philippines. He took his residency in anesthesiology at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center and at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois. Later, he had research training in neurophysiology at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. He is presently a Professor Emeritus of Anesthesiology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He was the Chief of the Division of Pain Medicine at Northwestern (1990 to 2010) and the Director of their Pain Medicine Fellowship program (1994 to 2006). Dr. Benzon has written 101 articles, 120 book chapters, presented 110 abstracts, and gave 395 national and international lectures in the field of pain medicine and regional anesthesia. He is the chief editor of two textbooks on pain medicine (“Essentials of pain medicine,” “Practical management of pain”) and co-editor of two books in pain medicine and regional anesthesia (“Spinal injections” and “Challenging Cases and Complication Management in Pain Medicine”). He has been a Senior Editor of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Section Editor (Pain Medicine) of Current Opinion in Anesthesiology, and Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Pain Practice. He is presently the Executive Section Editor (Chronic Pain Medicine) of Anesthesia and Analgesia. He was on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Regional Anesthesia from 2010 to 2015, and the Chair of the USA Section of the World Institute of Pain from 2015 to 2021. Dr. Benzon was a recipient of the 1994 “Golden Apple Teaching Award” from the Department of Anesthesiology of Northwestern; "Deans Award for Teaching Excellence 2003" from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine; 2010 “Distinguished Service Award” and the 2016 “John J. Bonica award in pain medicine” from the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine; and became a member of Alpha Omega Alpha in 2014. Dr. Benzon has been the lead or co-lead author on national and international multispecialty and multisociety practice guidelines on anticoagulants and regional anesthesia and pain procedures, contrast media and interventional pain procedures, and safety of steroid injections. He has reviewed grant applications submitted to the Hong Kong Research Council, Irish National Research, Council and Austrian Science Fund. He has been a merit reviewer for grant proposals submitted to the US Veterans Administration and to the US Department of Defense. Dr. Benzon has worked with the Food and Drug Administration, Department of Justice, and Federal Trade Commission on several issues.

Anuj Bhatia, MD, PhD, FRCPC, is a professor in the department of anesthesia and pain medicine at the University of Toronto and the director of the comprehensive integrated pain program at University Health Network, Toronto. He is the chair of the Neuropathic Pain Special Interest Group of the Canadian Pain Society, Secretary and Treasurer of the Canadian Neuromodulation Society, Chair of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada’s Pain Medicine Specialty committee, Co-Chair of the North American Neuromodulation Society’s Research Committee, and a member of ASRA Pain Medicine’s Research Committee.

Brian Bruel, MD, MBA, is an interventional pain physician and PM&R specialist in Houston, Texas. He is an adjunct professor of PM&R at The University of Texas Health Sciences Center at Houston, McGovern Medical School and is in private practice at Cy Pain and Spine. He has been an educator and mentor his entire career and has special interests in the treatment of cancer related pain, specifically in survivorship. Dr. Bruel has expertise in neuromodulation and the comprehensive treatment of the spine utilizing rehabilitative and interventional approaches.

Thomas Buchheit, MD, serves as director of the regenerative pain therapies program at the Duke Center for Translational Pain Medicine (CTPM). He practices clinically at both Duke University and the Durham VA, where he treats patients with osteoarthritis, musculoskeletal disorders, and nerve injury. His research focuses on the immunologic mechanisms that drive tissue damage and pain, employing biologically based interventions such as platelet-rich plasma and autologous conditioned serum. 

Aaron Calodney, MD, is past president of the Texas Pain Society and past president of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians. He has served on the board of the International Spine Intervention Society for many years and was director of Education. Dr. Calodney is board certified in anesthesiology and carries subspecialty certification in pain management through the American Board of Anesthesiology. Dr. Calodney earned his medical degree from the University of Missouri School of Medicine in Columbia, MO, and completed a family medicine internship at St Joseph’s Hospital in Syracuse, NY. His residency in anesthesiology and subsequent interventional pain management fellowship was completed at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. He subsequently completed a fellowship in pediatric anesthesia at the Denver Children’s Hospital, Denver, CO. 

Kenneth D. Candido, MD, is chair of the Department of Pain Medicine at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago and clinical professor of anesthesiology and clinical professor of surgery at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago. Dr. Candido is a highly visible presence regionally and nationally in the pain management community. Since becoming chair in 2008, Dr. Candido has spearheaded a pain management program which has realized double-digit expansion in each of his ten years there, and presently serves as fellowship director of the Pain Medicine Program (ACGME Accredited). Dr. Candido has published extensively on areas of acute and chronic pain management, and to date has written more than 155 original peer-referenced papers on a variety of topics related to controlling pain. He has also written more than 85 textbook chapters on diverse areas of pain control and has lectured to international audiences on the complex nature of pain and its treatment. Several of his works deal with finding appropriate solutions to dealing with painful conditions in patients who have underlying or iatrogenic addictive diseases which often blurs the distinction between therapy aimed at physiological ailments versus those designed to combat psychological distress.

Alexios G. Carayannopoulos, DO, MPH, DABPMR, FAAOE, FFSMB, is dual board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) as well as pain medicine. He is a clinical associate professor of neurosurgery and neurology at The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. He completed his residency in physical medicine and rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School and his fellowship in pain medicine at Dartmouth Medical School. He earned a master’s degree in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University. He earned certification in Medical Acupuncture from Harvard Medical.  

Andrea Chadwick, MD, MS, completed her residency in anesthesiology at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), then trained in pain medicine at the same institution. Concurrently with fellowship training, Dr. Nicol conferred a master’s of science in clinical research through the UCLA Department of Biomathematics. Currently, she is an assistant professor at the University of Kansas School of Medicine in Lawrence where her clinical responsibilities include chronic pain and her research interests include fibromyalgia, centralized pain syndromes, and mechanisms of the chronification of pain. 

Sandy Christiansen, MD, is an assistant professor in the anesthesiology department at the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) in Portland, OR who specializes in chronic pain management. Dr. Christiansen joined the faculty of the comprehensive pain center in 2016 after completing her fellowship in pain medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital. She specializes in the treatment of cancer, neuropathic and spine related pain advocating a multimodal approach to all patients.

Steven P. Cohen, MD, is professor of anesthesiology & critical care medicine, neurology, physical medicine & rehabilitation and psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences. He is also Chief of Pain Medicine and Director of Pain Operations at Johns Hopkins and Director of Pain Research at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

Dr. Cohen has published over 400 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters in journals such as Lancet, JAMA, BMJ, CMAJ, Anesthesiology, Pain and New England Journal of Medicine. Among his major contributions are the development of an FDA-approved denervation technique for treating sacroiliac joint pain, helping set up the first pain clinic in a war zone, inventing the IV ketamine test, performing the first studies evaluating the epidural administration of biological agents for pain and serving as Senior Investigator on the congressionally mandated study evaluating compounded topical creams for chronic pain. He has served as Chair on international committees developing guidelines on ketamine for acute and chronic pain management, lumbar and cervical facet joint guidelines, and pain management during COVID. His work was instrumental in the passage of the 2008 Military Pain Care Act. In the past few years, ExpertScape listed Dr. Cohen as the #1 lor #2 leading pain expert in the world based on a complex formula that includes the number and quality of publications and the number of citations. In addition to his academic work, Dr. Cohen is a retired Colonel in the U.S. Army.

Rakhi Dayal, MD, is double board-certified in anesthesiology and pain medicine. Program Director of Pain Medicine Fellowship at the University of California, Irvine, Dr. Dayal is an active member of national societies and has published in peer-reviewed journals. Her clinical interests include opioid stewardship, neuropathic pain, headaches, and neuromodulation. In addition, she is passionate about education, patient safety, health care disparities, and perioperative sustainability.

Oscar de Leon-Casasola, MD, is the senior vice chair and professor of anesthesiology (tenure track), department of anesthesiology, and professor of medicine at the University at Buffalo, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He is also chief of the division of pain medicine and a professor of oncology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY. Dr. de Leon-Casasola was the editor-in-chief of the journal Techniques in Regional Anesthesia and Pain Management from 2000 to 2011. He also served on the editorial board of Seminars in Pain Medicine and the Journal of the Spanish Society of Pain. Dr. de Leon-Casasola served as president of ASRA Pain Medicine from 2015-2017. 

Timothy Deer, MD, is the world leader in research, product development, and education in the practice of interventional spine and pain treatment. He is the president and CEO of The Spine and Nerve Centers of the Virginias. He is also a Clinical Professor of Anesthesiology at the West Virginia University School of Medicine. Dr. Deer has been a leader in the field of interventional techniques and neuromodulation for more than two decades. His rich research career has included many pivotal studies to achieve FDA approval, and many “first in human” approved devices. Dr. Deer has provided cadaver-based training to over 3000 physicians in novel methods of pain relief without the need for opioids. His work has led to more than 200 peer reviewed publications, several book chapters, and full textbooks. Dr. Deer has held many national and international society positions including his current roles as the Chairman of the American Society of Pain and Neuroscience, Past President of the International Neuromodulation Society (INS), and President Emeritus of the West Virginia Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (WVSIPP). He is he Past Chairman of the American Society of Anesthesiologist Committee of Pain Medicine and a Member of the West Virginia Controlled Substance Monitoring Program, and has been involved in the peer review process to improve the quality of research in the international arena. In addition to his many endeavors in Medicine, Dr. Deer is an avid ultrarunner completing several 100-mile races. Dr. Deer is blessed with a more than 30-year marriage to his wife, Melissa, and has four children. 

Tina Doshi, MD, MHS, is an assistant professor in the division of pain medicine in the departments of anesthesiology and critical care medicine and of neurological surgery at Johns Hopkins University. She completed her anesthesiology residency at Washington University in St. Louis and pain medicine fellowship at Johns Hopkins, where she stayed to complete a T32 fellowship and a Master's in Clinical Investigation. Her research and clinical interests include craniofacial and neuropathic pain, novel pain biomarkers, and ultrasound guidance in chronic pain procedures. She is the Chair of the WRAPM SIG.

Ryan D'Souza, MD, is a board-certified anesthesiologist and interventional pain physician at Mayo Clinic Rochester. He also serves as the director of neuromodulation. He is passionate about research in neuromodulation, regenerative medicine, fibromyalgia, and evidence-based synthesis methodology. He has received several grants related to neuromodulation technology and investigation of interventional therapy for novel clinical indications. He has authored over 100 peer-reviewed publications. He serves on the editorial board for anesthesia and analgesia, and regional anesthesia and pain medicine.

Maxim Eckmann, MD, is the Ramamurthy Endowed Professor of Pain Medicine and interim chair of the department of anesthesiology at the University of Texas Health San Antonio. Dr. Eckmann has been an academic pain physician since 2008 and has served many societies and entities in a leadership capacity. He is past president of the Texas Pain Society, co-chair of the ASRA Pain Medicine CME Committee, past chair of the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ Pain Education Track Subcommittee, examiner for the American Board of Anesthesiologists, and chief executive officer for iKare Mood Trauma and Recovery Clinic. Dr. Eckmann has served as the director of translational research and vice chair of clinical research for his department. His special interests include joint denervation and neuroanatomy, central and peripheral neuromodulation, medical education, and executive health leadership.

Dalia Elmofty, MD, is an associate professor at the University of Chicago. During these years, she has continued to commit her time towards the education of young physicians, residents, fellows, practitioners, being involved in many hands on educational sessions at conferences locally, regionally and nationally.  She has authored and co-authored several textbook chapters and peer-reviewed publications. Her academic interests include procedural simulation for neuraxial procedures, epidural simulations for anesthesiology residents and virtual reality simulation for pain fellowship training.

Hesham Elsharkawy, MD, MBA, MSc, FASA, is a staff member at MetroHealth and associate professor at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH. Dr. Elsharkawy’s research focus has been on the development of new technologies, new pain procedures, and the transition from acute to chronic pain. This interest led him to establish the Persistent Perioperative Pain Special Interest Group. He has experience in research, has contributed to the field of regional anesthesia, and has been invited to many lectures and workshops, in national and international conferences, and on numerous grand rounds.

Dr. Elsharkawy is also actively involved in multiple research projects and multicenter studies and has received multiple grants to support research projects. The core of his educational activities is teaching residents and fellows in different clinical settings, as well as during formal lectures, journal clubs, simulation sessions, workshops, and problem-based learning discussions. He earned an MBA from Cleveland State University, which helps him to lead many departmental projects.

Trent Emerick, MD, MBA, is board-certified in anesthesiology, pain medicine, and addiction medicine, and currently serves as program director of the chronic pain fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). He completed his medical school at Georgetown University, residency and fellowship at UPMC, and MBA at Penn State University. He is also the director of quality improvement and innovation and associate chief of the UPMC Chronic Pain Division. Outside of his academic roles, he is also the designated pain specialist for the Pittsburgh Steelers. His other academic interests include telemedicine, craniofacial pain, medical device innovation, and practice management topics. He currently holds certification as a Six Sigma Black Belt through the American Society for Quality.

Alexander Feoktistov, MD, is the founder and president of the Synergy Integrative Headache Center in Chicago, Illinois. He is board-certified in headache medicine and is a diplomat of the American Board of Pain Medicine. He co-authored nine book chapters and published over 40 articles on the topics of headache and neck pain. In 2015, he was named the recipient of the 2015 National Headache Foundation Lectureship Award. Since 2019, Dr. Feoktistov serves as the President of the American Interventional Headache Society.   

Patrick Giam, MD, FASA, is a board certified physician partner at USAP, and is First Vice President of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. He has served in several leadership roles within ASA. He is a member of the Texas Society of Anesthesiologists where he served as President. He is also a registered parliamentarian. Dr. Giam received his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine and completed his fellowship in cardiovascular anesthesiology at the Texas Heart Institute.

Chris Gilligan, MD, MBA, is associate chief medical officer and a pain medicine physician in the Division of Pain Medicine. In his administrative role, Gilligan is charged with leading hospital-wide initiatives in Perioperative and Periprocedural Services that redesign the delivery of care to improve patient outcomes, clinician and patient satisfaction and operational effectiveness. Areas of focus include quality and safety, teamwork and professionalism, and operational performance. He began his career at BWH in 1997 as a resident in General Surgery and Emergency Medicine. He then completed a fellowship in Pain Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and earned a Master’s in Business Administration from Harvard Business School. He also serves as the Chief of the Division of Pain Medicine and Director of the Brigham and Women’s Spine Service Line. He remains clinically active, and continues to conduct clinical trials, and teach and mentor fellows, residents and students.

Vasudha Goel, MBBS, is an associate professor with the department of anesthesiology and pain medicine at the University of Minnesota. She found her interest in pain management while completing medical school in India. As an interventional pain management specialist, she is the site director for the pain medicine fellowship and directs the cancer pain practice at the UMN. She has interests in health services research and improving outcomes for cancer survivors. After clinical duties, teaching, and clinical research, she enjoys painting and spending time with her two little kids.

Jay Grider, DO, is the associate chief medical officer for UKHealthCare Ambulatory Services and the medical director for UKHealthCare Pain Services. He is active in the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, NANS, and ASIPP. Additionally, he serves on national committees related to pain medicine in the American Academy of Pain Medicine and the American Society of Anesthesiologists. Dr. Grider has lectured nationally and internationally on topics related to neuromodulation, interventional techniques, and opioid pharmacology for ASRA, ASIPP, and the NANS.

Jennifer Grimmer, DNP, FNP-BC, PMGT-BC, has been practicing as a family nurse practitioner for 13 years and she has been serving as the nurse practitioner in Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center’s chronic cancer pain clinic for almost nine years. Jennifer has also been actively involved with ASRA Pain Medicine's NP-PA-Nursing SIG, and was a founding member and initial co-chair for the SIG. She has presented locally and nationally regarding many chronic pain management topics. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her three little girls, dogs, and watching the Buffalo Bills.

Maged Guirguis, MD, serves as the chief system lead of the pain management department at Ochsner health system. He is an associate professor for The University of Queensland Ochsner Clinical School where he also serves as the pain/palliative medicine rotation director as well as serving as a clinical assistant professor in Louisiana State University School of Medicine. After completing a residency in internal medicine in his home country, he joined the Cleveland Clinic Foundation for a research fellowship in pain medicine, where he also completed his residency in anesthesiology and clinical fellowship in pain management. Dr. Guirguis is triple board certified in anesthesiology, pain medicine, and headache management.

Dr. Guirguis published numerous papers and book chapters as well as presented various studies and peer reviewed abstracts on pain medicine at national and international meetings. He serves as a faculty and meeting chairman for the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine. He also serves as faculty and member of the pain educational committee for the American Society of Anesthesiology and in both the research and education committees for the international neuromodulation and North American neuromodulation society. He has a special interest in neuromodulation, headaches management, and ultrasound-guided interventions for acute and chronic pain.

Amitabh Gulati, MD, is an anesthesiologist and pain medicine physician currently practicing in New York City. He is an associate professor and director of chronic pain, specializing in interventional cancer pain management, at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. He received his medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine, completed his anesthesiology residency at Emory University School of Medicine, and obtained his pain management fellowship diploma from Weill Cornell School of Medicine in 2007. Furthermore, Dr. Gulati completed his acupuncture certification at the Helms Medical Institute in 2007, and is licensed to practice in the state of New York.

Jennifer Hah, MD, MS, is triple boarded in anesthesiology, pain medicine, and addiction medicine. She is an assistant professor in the department of anesthesiology, perioperative, and pain medicine at Stanford University in Stanford, CA. She has practiced pain medicine for over a decade educating trainees and clinicians in ultrasound-guided interventions, neuromodulation, and evidence-based treatments at the cutting edge.   

As a clinical epidemiologist and physician-scientist, she leads National Institutes of Health-funded research at the intersection between mood, pain, and medication use, specifically characterizing risk factors for persistent pain and opioid use after surgery and developing interventions to encourage postoperative opioid cessation. She is the director of the Stanford pelvic pain program with a clinical focus on treating both men and women suffering from a wide range of conditions including endometriosis, pelvic floor myalgias, vulvodynia, and painful bladder syndrome.

Karen Hande, PhD, DNP, is an adult health board certified nurse practitioner and a certified nurse educator. Karen is a professor of nursing at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing and the department chair for health promotion, populations, and health systems. Karen teaches full-time at Vanderbilt and practices at Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center in oncology pain management. She serves as the clinical coordinator of the oncology/hematology NP fellowship and the Pain and Symptom Management Program co-chair of advanced practice education, training, and scholarship.

Michael Hanes, MD, is board certified in anesthesiology and pain medicine. He practices in Northeast Florida and co-owns Jax Spine & Pain Centers and Centurion Spine & Pain Centers. He is a key opinion leader in the field of pain medicine and a national speaker for neurostimulation therapies and kyphoplasty. He has published multiple peer-reviewed articles and book chapters in optimizing patient outcomes and reducing complications.     

Nathan J. Harrison, MD, earned his medical degree in 2004 from Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, followed by an internship at Tulane University. He then completed a residency in anesthesiology at University of Michigan and a fellowship in Pain Management at University of California, Davis. He has been on staff at Ochsner Health Systems since 2010 and has a special interest in neuromodulation in the treatment of spinal and peripheral nerve pathology.

Christine Hunt, DO, MS, is an Assistant Professor and the Vice Chair of Quality in the Department of Pain Medicine at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. She is boarded in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Pain Medicine. She treats patients with a variety of pain conditions including chronic neuropathic pain and musculoskeletal pain, with a particular interest in patients with spinal cord injury and brachial plexus avulsion injury. She has been thankful to be a part of the Regenerative Medicine SIG for a number of years and see its members work together to support patients and practitioners interested in learning about this growing field.

Corey Hunter, MD, is an interventional pain management physician practicing in New York City, holding board certifications in physical medicine & rehabilitation as well as pain medicine. In addition to owning his own private practice, he is an assistant clinical professor of PM&R at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital and the CEO of the Ainsworth Ambulatory Surgery Center. 

Zohra Hussaini, MSN, FNP-BC, MBA, is a board-certified family nurse practitioner specializing in pain management at the University of Kansas Health System, serving as the lead coordinator of APPs in the interventional pain clinic. She finds professional growth through active membership at multiple national pain and nurse practitioner societies, and stays engaged through serving as faculty, directing labs, and planning APP education for ASRA, ASPN, AANP, PainWeek, NANS, and many more. She’s actively involved in ongoing research, consulting, and collaborates with industry to advocate and promote APP educational opportunities.

Heather J. Jackson, PhD, APRN-BC, NEA-BC, FAANP, is the administrative director of advanced practice for Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and pain clinician practicing in the supportive oncology and palliative care clinic. She is also an associate professor of Nursing at Vanderbilt University School of Nursing as well as the Vanderbilt School of Medicine. As a nursing scientist, Dr. Jackson has advanced the use of acupuncture for the treatment of pain and opioid dependence in adult, neonatal, and pediatric populations.

Michael Joyner, MD, has broad-based interests related to integrative physiology in humans, and practices clinical medicine as an anesthesiologist at the Mayo Clinic. Dr. Joyner’s specific areas of expertise include autonomic control of circulation, muscle and skin blood flow, exercise, oxygen transport, and metabolic regulation in humans. This work has been continuously funded by the NIH since the early 1990s. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Joyner repurposed his lab and led the U.S. Expanded access program for convalescent plasma and has an emerging interest in passive immunity and antibody therapy for infectious diseases.

David Julius, PhD, received his undergraduate degree from MIT (1973-77), gaining his first research experience in the laboratory of Alexander Rich studying mechanisms of tRNA aminoacylation. He then moved to the University of California at Berkeley for graduate studies (1977-84), and continued on to postdoctoral studies at Columbia University (1984-89). David then joined the faculty at the University of California, San Francisco (1990), where he is currently the Morris Herzstein chair in Molecular Biology and Medicine and chair of the Department of Physiology.

A major focus of Dr. Julius’ work is to elucidate molecular mechanisms of somatosensation and pain, and sensory adaptation. His group discovered a family of thermo- and chemo-sensitive ion channels that detect temperatures and other noxious stimuli. With the aid of genetic, electrophysiological, and behavioral methods, they have determined how these ion channels contribute to pain sensation, and how channel activity is modulated in response to tumor growth, infection, or other forms of injury. His work has been recognized with numerous awards, including the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Headshot copyrighted by BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Awards.

 Hemant Kalia, MD, MPH, FIPP, specializes in interventional pain and cancer rehabilitation with special expertise in advanced neuromodulation and minimally invasive spine procedures. He earned his medical degree from Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Medical College, Indore, India, and master’s degree in Public Health from Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY. His first residency was in Preventive Medicine & Public Health, followed by Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation at the University of Rochester. He subsequently completed a fellowship in Pain Medicine from the University of Rochester and additional FIPP (Fellow of Interventional Pain Practice) certification from World Institute of Pain, Budapest Hungary. He is the President & CEO of C.R.I.S.P (Center for Research and Innovation in Spine & Pain) and Managing Medical Director of InvisionHealth, Rochester, NY.

As part of the faculty at numerous national/international professional societies, he is involved in teaching and mentoring both fellows and young neuromodulators. He also serves as an examiner for the reputable FIPP certification course through World Institute of Pain. He served as an Editor-in-Chief of Advances in Clinical Medical Research & Health Care Delivery open access Journal and currently serves on the editorial board for numerous pain and neuromodulation journals. He continues to play an important role in advocacy and policy initiatives at the local, state, and federal levels through his role as President-Elect of Monroe County Medical Society and by serving on numerous boards and committees of professional societies. 

Chong Kim, MD, is a professor in the departments of PM&R and Anesthesiology at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He serves as the program director for the pain medicine fellowship. Additionally, he is director of pain and healing center, MSK Division of MetroHealth Rehab Institute, and co-director of Spine Center, all at MetroHealth.

Nebojsa ‘Nick’ Knezevic, MD, PhD, obtained his MD and PhD degrees from the University of Belgrade in Serbia and completed his training at the University of Illinois in Chicago. He is the vice chairman for research and education at the department of anesthesiology at Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, and also a clinical professor of anesthesiology and surgery, University of Illinois at Chicago. He has extensive expertise in basic and clinical research and has published more than 150 peer-reviewed scientific articles including the most recent in the Lancet that were cited more than 5,000 times.

Lynn Kohan, MD, is a professor of anesthesiology and pain medicine at the University of Virginia at Charlottesville. She obtained her medical degree from Georgetown University, where she also completed her anesthesia residency. She completed her pain medicine fellowship at the University of Virginia and stayed on as faculty. Dr. Kohan currently serves as the division chief and medical director of pain medicine as well as the chronic pain management fellowship director. She serves on the board of directors for both ASRA Pain Medicine and the American Academy of Pain Medicine. She sits on the editorial board of several pain management journals.

Sandra L. Kopp, MD, is a professor of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. She received her doctor of medicine degree from the University of Minnesota School of Medicine in 1999. Dr. Kopp did her internship, anesthesiology residency, and regional anesthesiology fellowship at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN. Dr. Kopp is currently the vice chair, integration and convergence, department of anesthesiology and perioperative medicine; chair, division of community anesthesiology; and chair, surgical and procedural practice in SE Minnesota. As part of her Mayo Clinic enterprise roles, she works clinically providing anesthesia in small community hospitals as well as a large tertiary care hospital. She serves as a Board Member for ASRA. Her research interests include regional anesthesia and analgesia for orthopedic surgery, peripheral nerve injury, and anticoagulation.

Andrzej Król, MD, DEAA, FRCA, has been a consultant in anesthesia and pain medicine at St. George’s University Hospital, London, UK (2005). Dr. Król has been actively involved in promoting and teaching interventional pain relief techniques with ultrasound-guided approaches opening a new horizon. He is the chairman of the popular international ultrasound in pain medicine course in London, and coordinator of ESRA Cadaver Pain Workshops in Europe. Dr. Andrzej Król has been a board member and an examiner of EDPM-ESRA. Dr. Król has authored more than 100 articles. He is a master scuba diver.

Pranab Kumar, FRCA, FRCPC, FIPP, completed his medical training in Bangalore, India, followed by an anesthesia residency/subspecialization in pain medicine in London Deanery, United Kingdom. After a year of neuromodulation fellowship at Guy’s and St. Thomas Hospital, he worked as a consultant at Norwich University Hospital. He relocated to Toronto for a comprehensive pain management fellowship to refine his ultrasound skills in interventional MSK. Dr. Kumar is currently affiliated with the University of Toronto as an assistant professor and works as a staff in anesthesia and pain management at Toronto Western Hospital. He is the current ASRA Newsletter Liaison for Chronic Pain Ultrasound SIG and teaches ultrasound workshops in WIP, PSI, ISURA, and LSORA.

Usman Latif, MD, MBA, trained in anesthesiology, was a chief resident at Johns Hopkins Hospital and completed a pain fellowship at the Harvard/MGH program. He previously was an internal medicine faculty at Yale-New Haven Hospital. He ran clinical drug trials at Pfizer, earned an MBA, and held principal roles in multiple technology ventures. Dr. Latif is an associate editor for Pain Practice and served as an investigator for countless medical device trials. He has a strong track record in product development.

Robert M. Levy, MD, PhD, is an internationally recognized neurosurgeon and currently holds the position of Editor-in-Chief of Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface. He earned his medical degree and Ph.D. in neurosciences from Stanford University and the Stanford University Medical School.  During his academic career, he has been a tenured full professor of neurosurgery, physiology and radiation oncology at the Feinberg School Medicine at Northwestern University. His current research involves novel applications of neurostimulation and targeted drug delivery to the brain.