APS Press Room
| For immediate release April 12, 2007 |
Contact: Chuck Weber (847) 705-1802 |
American Pain Society Presents 2007 Achievement Awards
WASHINGTON, DC, May 3, 2007—The American Pain Society (APS), www.ampainsoc.org, today announced the winners of its prestigious annual achievement awards at the organization’s annual scientific meeting.
Every year, APS rewards excellence in the field of pain management by presenting six separate awards for career achievement, pain scholarship, education and public service, advocacy on behalf of children, outstanding service to APS and early career achievements.
“The American Pain Society sponsors these annual awards to publicly recognize outstanding efforts in improving the understanding of pain management among health care professionals and the general public,” said APS President Judith Paice, PhD, RN. “We salute these individuals and their important contributions toward alleviating the suffering of people with chronic and acute pain.”
The Wilbert E. Fordyce Clinical Investigator Award recognizes career achievement in clinical research and is awarded to Robert J. Gatchel, PhD, chair, Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Arlington. Dr. Gatchel is the author of several publications including Comorbidity of Chronic Pain and Mental Health Disorders: The Biopsychosocial Perspective (2004), Clinical Health Psychology in the Primary Case Setting (2003), and Psychophysiological Disorders: Past and Present Applications (1993).
The Frederick W.L. Kerr Basic Science Research Award honors individual excellence and achievements in clinical pain scholarship and will be awarded to George Wilcox, PhD. For more than 30 years, Dr. Wilcox has contributed to furthering the understanding of the basic science of pain with his pioneering research. Among his achievements are introducing the technique of direct lumbar puncture in mice, being the first to study the role of nitric oxide synthase in spinal nociceptive transmission, and developing a model of bone cancer pain in mouse femur. During his 27 years at the University of Minnesota, Wilcox has trained 36 undergraduate students, 12 doctoral students and 13 postdoctoral fellows. Many of his students have made a lasting impact in pain research and treatment.
In recognition of the long-standing APS interest in promoting improved pain management in pediatric health care settings, the Jeffrey Lawson Award recognizes advocacy efforts to improve pain management in children. This year’s recipient is Leora Kuttner, PhD. Internationally known for her achievements in pediatric pain management, Dr. Kuttner is professor of pediatrics at the University of British Columbia and a clinical psychologist. Her work on the treatment of psychological distress and fear in young children with cancer has created a bridge between professionals, parents and children to acknowledge and effectively respond to the reality of pain and suffering associated with pediatric illness. She has produced several award-winning documentaries.
The Elizabeth Narcessian Award recognizes outstanding educational achievements in pain management and is awarded to Marion Good, PhD, RN, FAAN, professor of nursing at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Good is one of the country's leading researchers and educators of non-pharmacologic methods to reduce postoperative pain. She has a strong research program in pain management, is a prolific author in highly respected medical and nursing journals, and has trained and mentored the next generation of nurse educators. Her pain research has directly led to the development of a theory of a balance between analgesia and side effects, which prescribes non-pharmacological interventions in addition to medication, patient teaching, and attentive nursing care.
The 2007 Distinguished Service Award for outstanding and dedicated service to APS is awarded to Allen Lebovits, PhD, and Kathleen Sluka, PhD.
Dr. Lebovits is associate professor of anesthesiology and psychiatry at New York University Medical Center. He has been a member of APS since 1987. One of his most significant contributions to APS is serving as editor of the organization’s online member newsletter, APS E-News, since its inception in 2003. His work on APS E-News is well integrated with as a member of the APS Web Committee for the past eight years. Dr. Lebovitz also served on the Nominating Committee as well as the APS Association Management Center (AMC) Evaluation Task Force. He was a founding member of the Ethics Committee and created and chairs the Ethics Special Interest Group.
Dr. Sluka is a professor of physical therapy and rehab science at the University of Iowa. She has been a member of APS since 1990, and has served two terms on the Scientific Program Committee (1998 and 2005-2006), was co-chair of the Basic Science Special Interest Group (2004-2007), and represented APS as the liaison to the International Association for the Study of Pain. Dr. Sluka also serves on the editorial board of The Journal of Pain.
The John and Emma Bonica Public Service Award pays tribute to this couple for their leadership in the pain-treatment movement. It recognizes contributions by an individual or organization through public education, public service or other vehicles to communicate information about pain. The 2007 recipient is Christina Spellman, PhD, executive director, Mayday Fund, which is dedicated to alleviating the incidence, degree, and consequence of human physical pain. Dr. Spellman’s work helps build support for pain programs and advance public policy debates for pain care.
To recognize early career achievement in pain scholarship, APS created the John C. Liebeskind Early Career Scholar Award. It is awarded to Bryan Hains, PhD. Dr. Hains received a doctoral degree in neuroscience from the University of Texas Medical Branch. He is an assistant professor in the Department of Neurology of Yale University. He combines interests in the neurobiology of the spinal cord and the basic pathobiology of spinal cord and nerve injury with an interest in mechanisms of chronic pain. His lab is investigating signaling mechanisms in neuroimmune interactions, as well as abnormal sodium channel expression, in post-SCI neuronal hyperexcitability and pain.