John and Emma Bonica Public Service Award
Ada Rogers, RN

Wilbert E. Fordyce Clinical Investigator Award
Roger Fillingim, PhD

“I would like to thank the Awards Committee for bestowing upon me this tremendous honor. Also, I would like to thank my mentor Bill Maixner, who continues to be an invaluable role model, colleague, and friend. In addition, I express my sincerest appreciation to the outstanding students, fellows, and colleagues with whom I have been privileged to work with over the years. Finally, I owe my deepest gratitude to my wife, Lori, whose unconditional love and support have energized and inspired me—I can’t imagine this journey without you.”

Frederick W. L. Kerr Basic Science Research Award
Joyce DeLeo, PhD

“I would like to thank the nominating committee for selecting me to receive the 2009 Kerr Basic Science Research Award. This prestigious honor would not have been possible without the many talented past and current members of my lab, who include research staff, undergraduate and graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, residents, and junior faculty. I have been most fortunate to work with these researchers. I am similarly grateful to be a part of the international pain community, many of whom are close friends and colleagues. Finally, I am deeply indebted to my early mentors who encouraged me to investigate the wonderful world of glia as it proved to be a most fruitful and fascinating research direction.”

Elizabeth Narcessian Award for Outstanding Educational Achievements in the Field of Pain
Carmen Green, MD

“Unfortunately, I never had the privilege of meeting Dr. Elizabeth Narcessian. She was a true scholar, talented teacher, and trailblazer whose work touched the lives of many, including mine. I am truly honored and humbled to receive the Elizabeth Narcessian Award for Outstanding Educational Achievements in the Field of Pain. I thank the many patients who entrusted me with their stories. They sparked my curiosity and inspired me to look into the shadows and illuminate what I saw, providing the impetus for change and healthcare justice. I thank my research team for their commitment and willingness to hear the unheard stories and see the unequaled burdens of pain. I thank those friends, colleagues, and mentors who provided unwavering support, wise counsel, and believed in me. Lastly, I thank my family for encouraging me to have the courage to dream big, chase rainbows, and to create a path. I am indeed fortunate.”

Distinguished Service Award
Sandra Ward, PhD RN FAAN

“I am so pleased to be receiving this award. In the more than 15 years that I have been involved with APS, my service has never felt like a burden. That is because the APS people are so wonderful. They have made it rewarding to join with them, working steadily to move the bigger effort along. The AMC staff has always made my work as easy and pleasant as possible. Thanks in particular to Cynthia Porter and Amy Sherwood, who have provided absolutely outstanding support to the Small Grants Committee.”

Kathleen M. Foley Journalist Award
Atul Gawande, The New Yorker

“The topic was intriguing to investigate for many reasons—because I didn’t understand how itch really worked, because the case of the patient who scratched through her own skull was irresistible, because the topic seemed relatively unplumbed, and because I had long been interested (and periodically written about) the physiological basis of neuroperception. My hope in writing as both physician and journalist, however, is that I do more than ‘inform’ the lay public. If I am lucky, I have attacked questions we all puzzle over... and found at least a few surprises for any of us.”

Jeffrey Lawson Award for Advocacy in Children’s Pain Relief
Patrick McGrath, PhD

“This award is a tribute to the short life of Jeffrey Lawson. His life was not in vain. His mother, Jill Lawson, had the courage and perseverance to ensure that the prevention and management of pain became a priority. Jeffrey’s life and Jill’s actions have been a catalyst for the multitude of changes we have seen in children’s pain [management] over the last 25 years.

I wish to thank the APS and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research—who funds much of my research; my colleagues, especially Allen Finley and Christine Chambers; my many students and staff; my daughter, Mika; and my wife and colleague, Anita Unruh, for their inspiration and support. Finally, we must never forget the plight of the many children who suffer needless pain.”

John C. Liebeskind Early Career Scholar Award
Steven George, PhD PT

“I would like to thank the American Pain Society and its awards committee for recognizing my work. As a pain researcher, it is a tremendous honor to be affiliated with John C. Liebeskind.

I would like to thank those who have mentored me along the way. These individuals include Drs. Julie Fritz and Tony Delitto when I was at the University of Pittsburgh and Dr. Michael Robinson at the University of Florida. I would like to especially recognize Dr. Robinson for mentoring me during the critical transition from post-doctoral fellow to junior faculty. Dr. Robinson profoundly influenced my career and I greatly appreciate his time and effort in my development as a pain researcher. I would also like to thank Drs. Roger Fillingim and Donald Price, two collaborators from the University of Florida. These two accomplished scientists have pushed me in different directions and I have been very fortunate to work with them. Thank you also to Dr. Kathleen Sluka, who has been supportive of me from afar.

Last, I would like to thank my wife, Rebecca George. She has been a tremendous source of support for me, personally and professionally. I am extremely lucky to have her in my life.”

Future Leaders in Pain Research Small Grants

The 2008 Future Leaders in Pain Research Small Grants Program offered funding for five researchers in the amount of $20,000. To be eligible, grant applicants must be APS members who are within 6 years of completion of their terminal degree and have not yet been awarded major NIH or foundation grant funding. There were 20 competitive applications for funding this year. Members of the Small Grants Committee reviewed and scored the applications to prepare for grant recipient selection.

APS Small Grants Committee

Sandra Ward, PhD RN FAAN, Chair
Karen O. Anderson, PhD
Jim Campbell, MD
Michael Caterina, PhD
C. Richard Chapman, PhD
Patrick M. Dougherty, PhD
Roger Fillingim, PhD
Gerald F. Gebhart, PhD
Michael Gold, PhD
Jennifer Haythornthwaite, PhD
Keela Herr, PhD RN
Jianren Mao, MD PhD
Gayle Page, RN DNSc
Kathleen Sluka, PhD
George Wilcox, PhD

Small Grant Recipients

APS is proud to announce the following 2008 grant recipients. Each of the recipients will attend the Annual Scientific Meeting to report on the progress of their research studies to members of the Small Grants Committee.

Patrick D. Braun, PhD
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN
Signaling Mechanism of Novel Peptides in the Pain Pathway

Gregory O. Dussor, PhD
University of Arizona Health Sciences Center
Tucson, AZ
Cutaneous Nociceptors Respond to Mediators Released from Skin Cells

Tara A. Macey, PhD
Washington State University
Vancouver, WA
The Role of Akt Signaling in Morphine Tolerance

Khara M. Ramos, PhD
University of Colorado at Boulder
Boulder, CO
Beyond Astrocytes and Microglia: The Role of Oligodendrocytes and Endothelial Cells in Exaggerated Pain States

Edgar Alfonso Romero-Sandoval, MD PhD
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
Lebanon, NH
Cannabinoids and Glial Interactions in Acute and Chronic Pain

Clinical Centers of Excellence in Pain Management Awards Program

The CCOE in Pain Management awards program awards U.S.-based, healthcare teams who provide distinguished, comprehensive pain care. This year’s recipients of the CCOE in Pain Management awards were selected from an incredibly strong field of applicants from healthcare settings, both large and small, from around the country.

CCOE Program Committee

Michael E. Clark, PhD, Chair

James A. Haley Veterans Hospital

Elsayed Abdel-Moty, PhD

Rosomoff Comprehensive Pain Center

Miles J. Belgrade, MD

Fairview Health Services

Gilbert J. Fanciullo, MD MS

Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center

Christopher Gharibo, MD

New York University Medical Center

Kenneth R. Goldschneider, MD

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital

Charles E. Inturrisi, PhD

Weill Cornell Medical College

Robert N. Jamison, PhD

Brigham & Women’s Hospital

Mark P. Jensen, PhD

University of Washington

Jeffrey L. Koh, MD

Oregon Health & Science University

Sean C. Mackey, MD PhD

Stanford University

Judith A. Paice, PhD RN FANN

Northwestern University Medical School

Nathan J. Rudin, MD MA

University of Wisconsin, Madison

Dennis C. Turk, PhD

University of Washington

Christine Dorothy Zampach, PT MED DPT

University of California, San Francisco

2009 Award Recipients

• M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, The University of Texas, Department of Pain Medicine, Houston, TX
• Beth Israel Medical Center, Department of Pain Medicine and Palliative Care, New York, NY
• University of Virginia, Division of Pain Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology, Charlottesville, VA
• Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
• University of California, Los Angeles, Pediatric Pain Program, Mattel Children’s Hospital, David Geffen School of Medicine, Los Angeles, CA

Honorable Mentions

Honorable mentions were awarded to University of California, Davis Division of Pain Medicine; the University of California, San Diego Center for Pain Medicine; Minnesota Head and Neck Pain Clinic, University of Minnesota; and the University of Pittsburgh, Interprofessional Program on Pain Research, Education and Health Care.

Special Commendation for Innovation in Pain Management

Acute & Chronic Pain Management, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center

APS Awards Committee

Judith Paice, PhD RN FAAN, Chair
Ronald Dubner, PhD DDS
Robert Edwards, PhD MPH
Perry G. Fine, MD
Allen Finley, MD FAAP FRCPC
Steven Passik, PhD
Srinivasa N. Raja, MD
Karin Westlund High, PhD