International Neuromodulation Society Names “Giant Of Neuromodulation”

Newswise — SAN FRANCISCO (June 19, 2013) -- The International Neuromodulation Society (INS) named its second Giant of Neuromodulation during its 11th World Congress in Berlin, conferring the honor on Dr. Elliot Krames, past president and founder of the society’s journal, Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface.

“It was fortunate for the INS that at a critical time in its development, the right person with the right skill set and passion for our field was there for us,” remarked Dr. Robert Levy, editor-in-chief of the journal since 2009. The journal was established in 1998 and has been MEDLINE-indexed since 2011.

He was the right person at the right time for the fledgling society, agreed past president Dr. Giancarlo Barolat. Krames, a pain management specialist, joined the board of the society just seven years after its formation in 1989.

The society had no more than 100 members when Krames joined in the mid-1990s, Levy continued, but has grown to more than 1,600 today – attracting 1,350 scientists, physicians, engineers and entrepreneurs to its world congress in early June – and now represents a field that serves millions of people a year. Neuromodulation is a family of medical therapies that modulate the nervous system to manage chronic conditions, delivering a stimulus such as electrical stimulation or medication to targeted sites in the body, often using implanted devices.

When Krames began his leadership role, Levy said, neuromodulation was viewed as an almost illegitimate field. “Many felt there was more charlatanism than science. We needed someone who could help legitimize the field, inspire young and active minds. He had intellect, perseverance, and strength of character – traits we owe our field to. He was willing to devote his life’s energy to this field, and we owe him a tremendous debt of gratitude.”

Accepting the award, Krames said, “People said you couldn’t bring together disparate medical specialties, neurosurgeons, physiatrists, pain doctors and others, but we did it, and we should all congratulate ourselves for the accomplishment.”

Present at the ceremony was the first Giant of Neuromodulation award recipient, Dr. Krishna Kumar, a clinical professor of neurosurgery at the University of Saskatchewan, School of Medicine, and founding member of the Canada chapter of the INS. Both honorees continue to lecture extensively, research, and publish regarding the burgeoning field.

After the INS scientific world congress June 8-13, where he co-chaired a pre-conference about innovation and investment, Krames went on to speak at a satellite meeting in Poland that was jointly organized by the new INS Polish chapter and the Argentinian Neuromodulation Society, the Interventional Section of the Polish Association for the Study of Pain and the London Pain Forum.

“Being an ultimate ambassador for neuromodulation worldwide is his biggest professional accomplishment,” Barolat commented.

Presenting the award, Dr. Simon Thomson, president of INS and chair of the congress scientific committee, remarked that neuromodulation is transforming chronic illness management.

About the International Neuromodulation Society (INS)The INS is a nonprofit group of clinicians, scientists and engineers dedicated to scientific development and knowledge of neuromodulation, a rapidly growing family of therapies developed to help relieve pain or restore function by delivering electromagnetic stimulation or chemical agents to specific sites in the body. Founded in 1989 and based in San Francisco, Calif., the INS has 15 current and four forming chapters worldwide, and educates and promotes the field through meetings, its journal Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface, and chapter websites. For more information, please visit www.neuromodulation.com, or the INS Image Bank at www.neuromodulation.com/image-bank for photos.