Newswise — The American Pain Society (APS), www.ampainsoc.org, today announced the winners of its prestigious annual achievement awards during 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.
“Through its achievement awards, the American Pain Society recognizes excellence in improving the understanding of pain management among health care professionals and the general public,” said APS President Charles E. Inturrisi, PhD, professor of pharmacology, Weill Cornell Medical Center. “We congratulate these individuals and pay tribute to their dedication and service on behalf of those with chronic and acute pain.”
The Wilbert E. Fordyce Clinical Investigator Award recognizes career achievement in clinical research and is awarded to Dennis Turk, PhD, John and Emma Bonica Professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Research at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle. Dr. Turk is a past president of the American Pain Society and is the editor-in-chief of The Clinical Journal of Pain. He has contributed more than 500 publications to the medical literature and has authored or edited 16 volumes in the areas of pain, chronic illness, and clinical decision making. His most recent work is The Pain Survival Guide: How to Reclaim Your Life.
The Frederick W.L. Kerr Basic Science Research Award honors individual excellence and achievements in clinical pain scholarship and is named in honor of the founder of the APS, Frederick W.L. Kerr. It is awarded this year to Timothy Brennan, MD, PhD, Samir Gergis Professor of Anesthesia and Vice Chair for research in the Department of Anesthesia at the University of Iowa. Dr. Brennan current is editor-in-chief of Anesthesiology and for the last 15 years has studied how incisions cause pain in models of post-operative pain, with the long-term goal of achieving better understanding of the etiology of incision to help future surgery patients undergo nearly painless surgery.
In recognition of the longstanding 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. It was established in 1996 in memory of Jeffrey Lawson and in recognition of his mother, Jill, for her efforts to end the practice of performing surgery and other procedures on children without anesthesia. This year's recipient is Maria Fitzgerald, PhD, professor of developmental neurobiology at University College London. Dr. Fitzgerald has published more than 130 research papers and reviews in pain neurobiology and her laboratory leads the world in studying the neurobiological mechanisms of infant pain.
The Elizabeth Narcessian Award recognizes outstanding educational achievements in pain management. Dr. Narcessian was an educator known for her lifelong interests in appropriate use of opioids, patient assessment and approaches to rehabilitating patients with chronic pain. The awardee is Gary Bennett, PhD, professor and Canada Senior Research Chair in the Department of Anesthesia at McGill University. He has served on numerous boards of directors and editorial boards, including the American Pain Society, and for the past 30 years his research has focused on peripheral nerve disorders and mechanisms underlying neuropathic pain syndromes.
The Distinguished Service Award for outstanding and dedicated service to APS is awarded to Richard Rosequist, MD, professor of anesthesiology and director of the pain medicine division at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. He is a past president of the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and one of two representatives for the American Society of Anesthesiology on the Pain Care Coalition. He has published 38 peer-reviewed articles, 11 book chapters and 15 abstracts, and his major areas of interest are chronic pain management, regional anesthesia and post-operative pain management.
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 2009 recipient is Robert Kerns, PhD, VHA National Program Director for Pain Management and director of pain research at the VA Connecticut Healthcare System. He has published nearly 200 peer-reviewed articles, book chapters and books and serves on the editorial boards of five scientific journals. His primary area of interest is behavioral medicine and health psychology and his research has been funded through the VA and other private and public sources.
To recognize early career achievement in pain scholarship, APS created the John C. Liebeskind Early Career Scholar Award. It is awarded to Andrea Nackley, PhD, assistant professor of endodontics with a joint appointment in pharmacology at the University of North Carolina. Her research integrates molecular genetics, animal models and clinical epidemiologic measures to better understand the neurobiological processes underlying persistent pain.
The Kathleen M. Foley Journalist Award recognizes excellence in reporting pain-related topics. The award is designed to honor the work of journalists whose coverage of events, scientific discoveries, patient care, issues and policies contribute to furthering public awareness and understanding of pain and pain-related issues. January Payne, medical writer for U.S. News and World Report is the recipient. Payne wrote three informative and helpful articles for individuals coping with chronic pain and concerned about the effectiveness and risks of various medications. In the first article, she presented a thorough and well-researched overview of chronic-pain conditions and treatments. In her second piece, Payne reviewed issues related to the safety of acetaminophen and what the FDA has advised. Her third article covered opioids and their potential risks.
About the American Pain SocietyBased in Glenview, Ill., the American Pain Society (APS) is a multidisciplinary community that brings together a diverse group of scientists, clinicians and other professionals to increase the knowledge of pain and transform public policy and clinical practice to reduce pain-related suffering. APS was founded in 1978 with 510 charter members. From the outset, the group was conceived as a multidisciplinary organization. APS has enjoyed solid growth since its early days and today has approximately 3,200 members. The Board of Directors includes physicians, nurses, psychologists, basic scientists, pharmacists, policy analysts and more.
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