Appendix B

Biographical Sketches of the Planning Committee and Workshop Speakers

Andrea Anderson has served as a national advocate for people living with persistent and high-impact pain since 2017. Today, her primary focus is collaborating with researchers and academic institutions to advance research, prevention, and potential cures for chronic and severe pain. She is involved in projects with several leading universities, including the University of Houston, Stanford University, the University of Michigan, and the University of Texas. Her work centers on bridging the gap between academia and patients—ensuring patient experiences are prioritized and helping connect individuals with relevant research opportunities. Her work includes partnerships with the Food and Drug Administration; Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; National Institutes of Health; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; the Bree Collaborative; and the American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. She has played a key role in advocating for and developing both state and federal legislation and has testified at state medical board hearings on behalf of chronic pain patients. She serves as an adviser to the National Pain Advocacy Center and was the executive director of the Alliance for the Treatment of Intractable Pain. In addition to her advocacy work, Anderson is a legal consultant for medical malpractice and personal injury cases.

Edwin Aroke, PhD, CRNA, is an internationally recognized CRNA scientist who specializes in pain research and health disparities. He is a tenured associate professor and the assistant dean for research and scholarship at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing. Aroke’s

National Institutes of Health–funded research program examines the role of epigenomic changes in chronic pain and pain disparities. His international leadership seeks to enhance equity in anesthesia outcomes. Aroke cofounded the Association of Cameroonian Nurse Anesthetists in America, and as association president he led initiatives to improve anesthesia outcomes in Cameroon. Among his numerous awards are the Researcher of the Year from the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology Foundation and the Founders Award for Excellence in Genomic Nursing Research from the International Society of Nurses in Genetics. Aroke is a fellow of the Academy of Diversity Leaders in Nursing, the American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, and the American Academy of Nursing.

Tamara Baker, PhD, MA, (Planning Committee Member) is a professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is an appointed member of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Geriatric and Gerontology Advisory Committee and a member of the National Institutes of Health’s Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee. She is the editor in chief of Ethnicity & Health, and has served as the former secretary and chair of the Committee on Minority Issues in Gerontology, and chair of the Behavioral and Social Sciences section for the Gerontological Society of America (GSA). She is a GSA Fellow, founder and co-convener of GSA’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities Collaborative Interest Group, and GSA Board of Governor’s Vice President Elect. Her background in gerontology, psychology, and biobehavioral health has evolved into an active research agenda that focuses on understanding the behavioral and psychosocial predictors and outcomes of chronic pain and pain and symptom management among older adults from historically marginalized populations. More broadly, her research includes health disparities and health equity, cultural diversity and sensitivity, and social determinants of health. Dr. Baker received her PhD from Penn State University and MA from Norfolk State University.

Anirban Basu, PhD, MS, (Planning Committee Member) is a professor of health economics and the Stergachis Family Endowed Director of the CHOICE Institute at the University of Washington, Seattle, with joint appointments in the Departments of Health Systems & Population Health and Economics. He is a research associate at the U.S. National Bureau of Economic Research and an elected fellow at the American Statistical Association. His research focuses on understanding the economic value of health care, generating causal evidence, and understanding the potential for discrimination with machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms. From 2018 to 2024, he co-led the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s Cure Sickle Cell Consortium on Economic Impact and Analysis.

He served on the 2nd Panel on Cost-effectiveness Analysis in Health and Medicine and serves on the editorial advisory board for Value in Health journal. Basu has earned many academic honors, including the 2018 Mid-Career Excellence Award from the Health Policy Statistics Section of the American Statistical Association, the 2007 and 2016 Research Excellence Award for Methodological Excellence, and the 2009 Bernie O’Brien New Investigator Award from the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research. He received his MS in biostatistics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a PhD in public policy studies from the University of Chicago.

Jerome Bickenbach, PhD, LLB, is permanent visiting professor at the University of Lucerne and professor emeritus at Queen’s University, Canada. He is the author or editor of several books on disability law and policy. As a consultant to World Health Organization, Bickenbach worked on developing and finalizing the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, and more recently on the Rehabilitation 2030 initiative, and as consultant with the World Bank, United Nations Children’s Fund, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has assisted several countries in reforming disability assessment and disability needs assessment tools. His research spans various aspects of disability studies, including quality of life of persons with disability, disability epidemiology, participatory action, inclusion, modeling disability statistics for population health surveys, the relationship between disability and health, and the ethics and the application of International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health to monitoring the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. As a lawyer in Canada, Bickenbach was a human rights litigator, specializing in anti-discrimination for persons with intellectual impairments and mental illness.

Staja “Star” Booker, PhD, is an assistant professor at the University of Florida College of Nursing. Booker is well known for her research on disparities, injustices, and health equity in the field of pain. For more than 10 years, her research has illuminated the lived experience and management of chronic pain in older adults, specifically those who identify as African American/Black. She has completed several research projects funded by the National Institutes of Health, and her current funded study will test a pain self-management intervention that addresses social determinants of chronic pain. Booker is a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. She has published nearly 100 peer-reviewed articles and editorials and 9 book chapters and has given more than 130 scientific presentations. In 2022 she was one of 10 faculty from across the University of Florida who received the Excellence Award for Assistant Professors, the first time a College of

Nursing faculty has received this award. Other awards include the Southern Nursing Research Society’s Early Science Investigator Award, the International Association for the Study of Pain’s Pain in Older Persons Junior Investigator Award, and the American Society of Pain Management Nursing Excellence in Nursing Award for Pain Management of the Older Adult. Booker is an active member and leader in several pain, gerontology, and nursing organizations.

Joseph Cammilleri, PharmD, BCACP, CPE, earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Palm Beach Atlantic University and furthered his clinical expertise through a postgraduate residency at Shands Hospital in Jacksonville, Florida. He enhanced his professional credentials by obtaining board certification in ambulatory care pharmacy in 2012 and completing specialized training through the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists Foundation’s pain management and palliative care traineeship program in 2014. In his current role at University of Florida Health Jacksonville, Cammilleri serves as both an ambulatory care clinical pharmacist and program director for the Postgraduate Year Two pain and palliative care residency program. His professional focus centers on pain management and overdose prevention strategies.

Casey Cashman uses her voice to fight passionately for the rights of people with pain, especially children. She has lived most of her life with multiple serious health conditions, including complex regional pain syndrome, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, and Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. Before joining the U.S. Pain Foundation, Cashman spent many years working in human resources. She brings this knowledge and experience to the table in her role as director of the Pediatric Pain Warriors Program, where she provides compassionate support to kids with pain and their families as they travel along their pain journeys. Cashman also spearheads U.S. Pain’s fundraising efforts and has helped create various programs and collaborations designed to support the organization’s free programs and services.

John Chae, MD, serves as executive vice president and chief academic officer for the MetroHealth System. He serves as senior associate dean for medical affairs and is professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) and biomedical engineering (BME) at the Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) School of Medicine. He served as chair of PM&R at MetroHealth System and CWRU from 2013 to 2023. Chae received his bachelor of science from Duke University and his master’s in BME from Dartmouth College. He received his MD from Rutgers University–New Jersey Medical School (NJMS) and his clinical training in PM&R from Rutgers–NJMS and the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation. He completed

the National Institutes of Health Rehabilitation Medicine Scientist Training Program Fellowship at CWRU. Chae is member of the National Academy of Medicine. Chae served as president of the Association of Academic Physiatrists from 2017 to 2019 and received the association’s Distinguished Academician Award in 2022. Chae’s research focuses on the application of electrical stimulation for neuroprostheses, neural plasticity, and the treatment of musculoskeletal pain. His research team developed percutaneous peripheral nerve stimulation for the treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain, which is now commercially available and has been placed in more than 32,000 patients. He also co-invented contralaterally controlled functional electrical stimulation for post-stroke motor relearning, which has been transferred to an industry partner and is in the process of commercialization. Chae has more than 135 peer-reviewed publications, books, and book chapters and has been awarded 33 patents.

Deb Constien lives in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. She was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis at the age of 13. She is a medically retired registered dietitian with majors in dietetics and biology. Constien has volunteered for the International Foundation for Autoimmune & Autoinflammatory Arthritis for more than 10 years. She cohosts its podcasts and attends American College of Radiology and European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology conferences yearly. She has been on the Advisory Council for the Wisconsin Research and Education Network for the past eight years. At the Arthritis Foundation, Constien serves as the cochair of the executive National Advocacy Committee. She has spoken at several press conferences and testified in Congress. Constien also serves as a consumer reviewer for the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs.

Beth Darnall, PhD, is professor of anesthesiology, perioperative, and pain medicine at Stanford University Medical School and director of the Stanford Pain Relief Innovations Lab. A psychologist-scientist, she leads National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute-funded national studies on scalable behavioral analgesic interventions and patient-centered opioid reduction. Her work centers on developing, investigating, and disseminating solutions that offer more equitable access to evidence-based behavioral pain care for diverse and underserved populations. She created Empowered Relief®, a single-session group intervention that rapidly equips individuals with effective pain relief skills for acute, chronic, and postsurgical pain. Empowered Relief® is delivered by certified instructors in 30 countries and in 8 languages. She has three times briefed the U.S. Congress and the Food and Drug Administration on patient-centered pain care and opioid stewardship. She is a scientific member of

the NIH Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee, served on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Opioid Workgroup (2021), is chief science advisor for AppliedVR, and is author of four books for patients and clinicians. She has keynoted national pain society conferences in Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the UK. In 2018 she spoke on the psychology of pain relief at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.

Shravani Durbhakula, MD, MPH, MBA, is a double-board-certified interventional pain physician and anesthesiologist known for her expertise in personalized pain management and education. She has a track record of creating innovative educational products and technological tools to address gaps in pain education and public health outcomes. Her current research focuses on using artificial intelligence to advance precision medicine and optimize therapy utilization in chronic pain. Durbhakula has received numerous accolades, including the 2025 American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine Excellence in Education Award and the 2023 American Academy of Pain Medicine Presidential Excellence Award for Education. She was featured by NPR for her educational innovations, and her research is published in top-tier journals. She serves on the board of directors for the American Academy of Pain Medicine Foundation and hosts the American Academy of Pain Medicine podcast Pain Matters. Durbhakula taught at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, where she directed the first pain curriculum for first-year medical students and the Multidisciplinary Pain Fellowship. Currently at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, she specializes in treating peripheral nerve injuries and serves on the Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Controlled Substances Quality Oversight Committee and the Executive Admissions Committee for the School of Medicine.

Reuben Escorpizo, PT, MSc, DPT, (Planning Committee Member) is a rehabilitation clinician scientist and academic with established work in the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and disability outcomes. He co-led the development of the Clinical Practice Guideline for Physical Therapists in Work Rehabilitation through the American Physical Therapy Association and the Academy of Orthopedic Physical Therapy. He has published 1 book, 22 book chapters/e-chapters, and more than 130 publications, and has numerous invited keynotes and visiting professorships. He has been invited to participate in international work like the ICF-Pain Task Force of the International Association for the Study of Pain, the International Spinal Cord Injury Community Study, the ISCOS Core Data Set Committee for Vocational Rehabilitation, and the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Worker Productivity group. Dr.

Escorpizo was appointed as the inaugural section chief editor of “Disability, Rehabilitation, and Inclusion” of the journal Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences. He co-developed the Work Rehabilitation Questionnaire (WORQ), a questionnaire used in rehabilitation settings and translated into multiple languages worldwide. He completed his master’s degree in kinesiology (occupational biomechanics), Doctor of Physical Therapy degree, and post-clinical doctorate degree in disability evaluation and rehabilitation. He practices in a general outpatient clinic of the University of Vermont Medical Center and sees diverse patients including those referred for work rehabilitation. He currently serves on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Standing Committee of Medical and Vocational Experts for the Social Security Administration’s Disability Programs.

Stefan Friedrichsdorf, MD, is a pediatric pain and palliative medicine specialist who treats children experiencing acute and chronic pain. He also provides holistic care for pediatric patients with life-limiting diseases and with his team adds an extra layer of support to the care of children with serious illness and their families. He serves as medical director of the Stad Center for Pediatric Pain, Palliative and Integrative Medicine at Benioff Children’s Hospitals in Oakland and San Francisco.

Julie Fritz, PhD, PT, ATC, is a distinguished professor in the Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training at the University of Utah. Fritz’s research career has focused on developing and evaluating nonpharmacologic interventions for patients with chronic pain. She is a principal investigator for clinical trials investigating nonpharmacologic interventions for persons with chronic musculoskeletal pain funded through the National Institutes of Health–Department of Veterans Affairs–Department of Defense Pain Management Collaboratory, the National Institutes of Health Helping End Long Term Addiction (HEAL) Pragmatic and Implementation Studies for the Management of Pain to Reduce Opioid Prescribing (PRISM) and Back Pain Consortium (BACPAC) programs, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and the Department of Defense. Federal agencies have continuously funded Fritz’s research since 2008, and her work has included rigorous clinical trials published in high-impact journals. In addition, these studies have provided Fritz with the opportunity to engage with interdisciplinary teams of physical therapists, physicians, behavioral health specialists, informaticists, biostatisticians, and health care economists.

Steven George, PhD, PT, FAPTA, conducts research involving biopsychosocial models for the prevention and treatment of chronic musculoskeletal pain disorders. His long-term goals are to improve accuracy for predicting who is going to develop chronic pain, and to identify nonpharmacological

treatment options that limit the development of chronic pain conditions. George is an active member of the American Physical Therapy Association, American Pain Society, and International Association for the Study of Pain. George’s research projects have been supported by the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, Brooks Rehabilitation, Orthopaedic Section of the American Physical Therapy Association, University of Florida, and Foundation for Physical Therapy. George and his collaborators have authored more than 200 peer-reviewed publications in leading physical therapy, rehabilitation, and pain research journals. He currently serves as a contributing editor for Physical Therapy and editorial board member for the Journal of Pain. George is also a member of the advisory council for the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health.

Carol Greco, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry and the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Pittsburgh. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and researcher specializing in psychosocial assessment, Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) instrument development, and nonpharmacologic interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy and mindfulness meditation for pain and chronic illness symptoms. She has been principal investigator, site principal investigator, co-investigator, and interventionist on numerous grants and awards from the National Institutes of Health, Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, and foundations. Greco and her team have used PROMIS instrument development methodology to create patient-reported measures of context factors that can affect treatment outcomes, like positive outlook and treatment expectations. Greco has been a co-investigator and trainer on several federally funded research trials designed to reduce the burden of back pain by teaching physical therapists, chiropractors, and other professionals how to implement effective communication and behavioral pain management strategies with their patients.

Richard Harris, PhD, is a Susan Samueli Endowed Chair in the Susan Samueli Integrative Health Institute and professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Care in the School of Medicine at the University of California, Irvine. His background is in basic science and clinical research in alternative medicine. He received his BS degree in genetics from Purdue University in 1992 and his PhD in molecular and cell biology from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1997. Following his graduate work, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at National Institutes of Health. He is a graduate of the Maryland Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine and has received an MS degree in clinical research design and statistical analysis at the University of Michigan. Harris is currently

investigating mechanisms of chronic pain and its treatment with acupuncture and shamanism. His recent investigations have focused on the role of brain neurotransmitters and brain network behavior in chronic pain. He was a member of the National Advisory Council for National Institutes of Health/National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health and is a current co-president for the Society for Acupuncture Research.

Allen Heinemann, PhD, MA, (Planning Committee Chair) is a professor of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and director of the Center for Rehabilitation Outcomes Research at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab. His research focuses on patient-reported outcomes and evaluating medical and vocational rehabilitation services. He led the development of the Rehabilitation Measures Database, an online resource for outcome instrument reviews. A diplomate in rehabilitation psychology, he is a fellow and past president of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine (ACRM) and a fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA). Dr. Heinemann co-edits the Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and serves on editorial boards of Rehabilitation Psychology and the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation. As an author of more than 500 publications, he co-directs the Integrated Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Health Services and Outcomes Research at Northwestern. He has received the Distinguished Career Award from APA’s Rehabilitation Psychology division and the Gold Key Award from ACRM. He completed his PhD in psychology at the University of Kansas and currently serves on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Standing Committee of Medical and Vocational Experts for the Social Security Administration’s Disability Programs.

Juan M. Hincapie-Castillo, PharmD, MS, PhD, (Planning Committee Member) is an assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill. Prior to joining UNC, he was an assistant professor of pharmaceutical outcomes and policy at the University of Florida. His research is at the intersection of legal and pharmacoepidemiology, where he leverages large real-world data sources to evaluate and promote evidence-based policymaking. His primary focus is on improving prescribing policies and the provision of equitable pain management and safe psychotropic medication use. Dr. Hincapie-Castillo is a consultant for the Food and Drug Administration’s Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee. In 2021, he was appointed as a research fellow for the Center for Public Health Law Research at Temple University. He is a graduate from the University of Florida College of Pharmacy where he received the degrees of Doctor of Pharmacy, Master of Science in Pharma-

ceutical Sciences, and PhD with a concentration in pharmacoepidemiology. He is the recipient of the 2020 New Investigator Award from the American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy and the 2020 Emerging Leader Award from the International Society for Pharmacoepidemiology. He currently serves as president of the board of directors and member of the Science & Policy Advisory Board for the National Pain Advocacy Center.

Kim Dupree Jones, PhD, RN, FNP, FAAN, (Planning Committee Member) is a professor and associate dean for academic advancement at Emory University. Formerly, she was dean and professor at Linfield University’s School of Nursing and a professor at Oregon Health & Science University. Her research focuses on fibromyalgia, a chronic pain condition that primarily affects women. She has led 60 studies funded by the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, and foundations, resulting in more than 130 publications. Her work is referenced in major medical texts, including Cecil’s Textbook of Medicine and Kelly’s Textbook of Rheumatology. Dr. Jones has extensive clinical experience as a family nurse practitioner and advanced her expertise with postdoctoral training in neuroendocrine physiology. In Oregon, she was appointed by the legislature to create pain management courses for prescribers and successfully advocated for fibromyalgia disability coverage under Medicaid. She is recognized as a fellow of the American Academy of Nursing and was inducted into the Sigma International Nurse Researcher Hall of Fame for her contributions to the field. Dr. Jones received her PhD in nursing from Oregon Health & Science University.

Ming-Chih Jeffrey Kao, PhD, MD, is faculty at Stanford Pain Management Center. He studied molecular biology and psychology at the University of California, Berkeley. At Harvard University, he earned a PhD in biostatistics after developing statistical methods in genomics and computational biology. He then pursued medical training at the University of Michigan and completed his internship at Yale New Haven Hospital. Kao came to Stanford University in 2012 where he completed his residency at Stanford’s Division of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and completed a fellowship at Stanford’s Division of Pain Management. He is board certified in pain medicine and physical medicine and rehabilitation. Kao is the author of more than 30 scientific journal articles, ranging from genetics, genomics, proteomics, combinatorial chemistry, artificial intelligence, oncology, epidemiology, rehabilitation, and pain. His mission is to offer all of his patients comprehensive interdisciplinary pain care, leveraging the full extent of what is known in state-of-the-art pain medicine.

Sean Mackey, MD, PhD, (Planning Committee Member) is Redlich Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine; chief of the Division

of Pain Medicine; and director of the Stanford Systems Neuroscience and Pain Lab at Stanford University. He has served as principal investigator on multiple National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Food and Drug Administration grants to better understand the mechanisms of pain and translate that knowledge into safe and effective therapies. In 2024 Dr. Mackey received the International Pelvic Pain Society James E. Carter Memorial Award and the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research-Helrich Lecture Award for his contributions to pain, neuroscience, and outcomes research. Past awards include American Academy of Pain Medicine’s Founders Award; Robert G. Addison, MD Award; Presidential Commendation; Distinguished Service Award; American Pain Society’s Wilbert E. Fordyce Clinical Investigator Award; and the NIH Director’s Award for his leadership role on National Pain Strategy (NPS). He received his BSE and MSE in bioengineering from University of Pennsylvania and his PhD in electrical and computer engineering, as well as his MD from University of Arizona. He completed his residency and pain medicine fellowship at Stanford University. Dr. Mackey was co-author of the Institutes of Medicine’s report Relieving Pain in America. He was co-chair of the Health and Human Services/NIH NPS, as well as vice chair for the Committee on Temporomandibular Disorders for National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine/NIH.

Tom Norris is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force who has lived with chronic pain for nearly four decades following treatment for testicular cancer. He brings a deeply personal and sustained commitment to chronic pain advocacy, combining his lived experience with national-level engagement on research and policy. Norris currently facilitates multiple peer-led chronic pain support groups through the American Chronic Pain Association and other networks, creating welcoming spaces for individuals navigating life with chronic pain. As a patient advisor, he actively contributes to clinical trials and guideline development initiatives, championing meaningful patient engagement across research design, implementation, and dissemination. Norris’s advocacy spans collaborations with organizations such as the U.S. Pain Foundation, National Institutes of Health-funded initiatives, and federal programs that seek to center patient voices—especially in the context of Social Security disability evaluations and access to comprehensive, multidisciplinary care.

Tonya Palermo, PhD, is professor and vice chair for research, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at University of Washington, with adjunct appointments in pediatrics and psychiatry. She holds the Hughes M. and Katherine Blake Endowed Professorship in Health Psychology. Palermo serves as interim director of the Center for Child Health, Behavior

and Development at Seattle Children’s Research Institute, where she directs the Pediatric Pain and Sleep Innovations Lab. Her National Institutes of Health-funded research focuses on innovative psychological treatments for managing and preventing chronic pain in children, adolescents, and young adults. Palermo has published more than 350 articles and two books on cognitive behavioral therapy for pediatric chronic pain. Palermo is the editor in chief for the Journal of Pain. She is active in training clinician-scientists at the postdoctoral and faculty level and directs a T32 postdoctoral training program in anesthesiology research.

Kemly Philip, MD, PhD, MBE, is an assistant professor and division chief of musculoskeletal medicine and interventional pain in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth. Philip is a double-board-certified interventional pain specialist focusing on management of spine and musculoskeletal disorders and electrodiagnostic medicine. Philip takes the time to develop a comprehensive, customized, and cutting-edge treatment plan for each patient with the goal of maximizing their function and quality of life with nonsurgical interventions. She uses a multifaceted approach to pain management, including focused rehabilitation, diagnostic testing, and targeted, image-guided interventions. Philip received her Bachelor of Science in bioengineering and master of bioengineering from Rice University, followed by her MD/PhD through the Medical Scientist Training Program at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences and McGovern Medical School. She next completed her physical medicine and rehabilitation residency at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, where she served as academic chief resident from 2020 to 2021. She went on to complete her fellowship in pain medicine at the University of Colorado in Aurora before joining the esteemed faculty at McGovern Medical School. Philip is committed to undergraduate and graduate medical education through her involvement in bedside teaching, lectures, and curriculum design, supporting the next generation of physicians in the management of chronic disability and neuromuscular and musculoskeletal disorders. Ultimately, as an interventional pain physician-scientist, she hopes to translate her background in bioengineering and research to create novel diagnostic and therapeutic treatments for patients suffering with pain. Philip is an active member of the Spine Intervention Society and American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Jaime Sanders is the author of the award-winning blog The Migraine Diva and the book More Than Migraine: A Journey Through Pain, Advocacy, and Hope. She is a participant with the Coalition for Headache and Migraine Patients, with whom she worked to create an issue brief on dis-

parities in headache and served as part of the leadership of the Disparities in Headache Advisory Council. Sanders is a stakeholder with the Headache and Migraine Policy Forum, worked with the Society for Women’s Health Research Interdisciplinary Migraine Network, sits on the Patient Leadership Council with the National Headache Foundation, and served on HealthyWomen’s Chronic Pain Advisory Council. She has lived with migraine since the age of two and has been chronic and intractable for the last 18 years. Through her advocacy work and blog, Sanders’s mission is to make a very invisible disease visible to the rest of the world and validate the real pain of millions.

Nathaniel “Nat” M. Schuster, MD, is a pain and headache neurologist and is professor and medical director at the University of California, San Diego Center for Pain Management. He serves on the board of directors of the American Academy of Pain Medicine, as senior vice president of the World Headache Society, as the vice chair of the Guidelines Committee for the International Pain and Spine Intervention Society. He has received the American Headache Society’s Harold G. Wolff Award, the American Academy of Pain Medicine’s Rollin “Mac” Gallagher Award, the International Pain and Spine Intervention Society’s Outstanding Volunteer Award, and the Migraine Research Foundation’s Impact Award. He is section editor for the Neuropathic Pain section for the journal Pain Medicine. He graduated from University of Michigan Medical School and completed a neurology residency at University of California, Los Angeles, headache fellowship at Montefiore Headache Center, and pain fellowship at Massachusetts General Hospital. He conducted the first placebo-controlled trial of cannabinoids for acute migraine and his ongoing research includes clinical trials studying treatments for headache and neuropathic pain.

Laura Simons, PhD, is a professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine at Stanford University Medical School and an attending psychologist at the pediatric pain management clinic at Stanford Children’s Health. Simons is a committed researcher and clinician with a focus on psychological assessment and development of treatment interventions to improve the lives of youth with chronic pain. Before joining Stanford in 2016, she was an attending psychologist and associate professor at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Over the decade she spent at Boston Children’s Hospital she worked in the chronic pain clinic, pediatric headache program, and pediatric pain rehabilitation center.

Konstantin Slavin, MD, FAANS, is professor, chief of section, and fellowship director for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery in the Department of

Neurosurgery at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC). Slavin graduated from medical school in Baku, Azerbaijan, in the Soviet Union and completed his neurosurgery residency in Moscow. He then completed his second neurosurgery residency at UIC and a fellowship in functional and stereotactic neurosurgery at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland. Slavin is the current president of the International Neuromodulation Society, immediate past president of the World Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, and past president of the American Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery. Slavin is published in many books and peer-reviewed journals and is an associate editor or editorial board member for a number of publications, including Neuromodulation, Neurosurgery, Brain Sciences, Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, and Acta Neurochirurgica; he is the editor in chief of Progress in Neurological Surgery. His first book Peripheral Nerve Stimulation was published in 2011; another book, co-edited with Sam Eljamel, Neurostimulation: Practice and Principles, came out in 2013; a third, Stimulation of Peripheral Nervous System: The Neuromodulation Frontier, was released in 2015. His most recent book, Neuromodulation for Facial Pain, came out in 2021.

Christopher J. Standaert, MD, (Planning Committee Member) is a physiatrist and is board certified in physical medicine and rehabilitation and electrodiagnostic medicine. He is an associate professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Services at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He is also the vice chair of outpatient services and the director of Value-Based Fellowship in Spine and Musculoskeletal Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Dr. Standaert specializes in the non-operative care of spine, joint, and neuromusculoskeletal disorders. He has worked extensively on health policy issues at state and national governmental levels as well as for multiple professional medical associations and hospital systems. His research interests include non-operative spine care, spinal injections, and health policy. Dr. Standaert received his medical degree from Harvard Medical School and completed his residency at the University of Washington, followed by his fellowship at Pioneer Spine and Sports Physicians. He currently serves on the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine Standing Committee of Medical and Vocational Experts for the Social Security Administration’s Disability Programs.

Sebastian Tong, MD, MPH, (National Academy of Medicine Fellow) is a family physician, addiction medicine specialist, and health services researcher. He is an assistant professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Washington. He also serves as the associate director of the Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho region Practice and Research Network, a practice-based research network of more than

120 practices. He practices primary care at Harborview Family Medicine Center, a hospital-based safety-net clinic. Dr. Tong’s research focuses on access to and implementation of evidence-based practices in primary care. He has a particular interest in chronic pain, substance use disorder, loneliness, and integrated behavioral health. He has received research funding for his work from the National Institutes of Health, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, the American Board of Family Medicine Foundation, and the American Academy of Family Physicians Foundation. Dr. Tong is of the 2023–2025 National Academy of Medicine James C. Puffer/American Board of Family Medicine Fellows. In this capacity, he serves on the Standing Committee on Primary Care. Dr. Tong received his MD from Boston University School of Medicine and his MPH in health care management and policy from Harvard School of Public Health. He completed his family medicine training at Lawrence Family Medicine Residency in Lawrence, Massachusetts. He is certified by the American Board of Family Medicine and the American Board of Preventive Medicine in addiction medicine.

Carole Tucker, PT, PhD, is the associate dean of research, School of Health Professions, University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), Galveston. She also serves as director of the UTMB Center for Health Promotion, Performance and Rehabilitation Research, as well as chair of the Department of Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences. Her education includes degrees in physical therapy, electrical engineering, and exercise science. Her research interests include rehabilitation, digital health technology, health informatics, measurement science, patient-reported health outcomes, application of artificial intelligence and machine learning in health care, and lifespan health, particularly in pediatrics. She has received funding for her research from the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, and Department of Defense and serves on several editorial boards.

Christin Veasley, BS, is a nationally recognized advocate in the field of pain research, fueled by her own journey with chronic pain following a near-fatal accident in her teens. With a science background and a deep personal connection to the cause, she has spent her life fostering the advancement of rigorous pain science and ensuring that research translates into meaningful, lasting change for those living with pain. Veasley has been a passionate and effective voice at the federal level—raising awareness of chronic pain’s widespread impact, advocating for an increased investment in pain science, and championing the essential role and inclusion of patients as equal partners in science. She holds numerous advisory roles in federal initiatives, academic studies, and collaborative public–private partnerships focused on improving pain research, care, education, and engagement. In 2009 Veasley cofounded the Chronic Pain Research Alliance (CPRA)—the only

advocacy initiative dedicated to advancing research on chronic overlapping pain conditions. Through strategic partnerships, the CPRA promotes high-quality research, clinician and patient education, and the development of safe and effective treatments, as well as a whole-person model of care. She is cochair of the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH’s) ENGAGE Working Group, tasked with developing the first-ever agency-wide framework for integrating patients and the public in all NIH-funded clinical research. As a trusted voice in the field, Veasley has authored numerous scientific, policy, and educational publications, and is a sought-after speaker. Her work bridges the gap between science, policy, and the lived experience to improve outcomes for people with pain.

V. G. Vinod Vydiswaran, PhD, is an associate professor of learning health sciences and associate professor of information at University of Michigan. His research focuses on health care research involving natural language processing and artificial intelligence over clinical documentation, biomedical literature, and health-related social media. His current research encompasses developing and evaluating novel natural language processing and artificial intelligence approaches including large language models, neural and federated networks, information extraction pipelines, and social determinants of health to address various health informatics challenges. Vydiswaran mentors graduate students from the Medical School and the School of Information, as well as postdoctoral researchers and undergraduate students.

Peter Wayne, PhD, is an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He is the director of research for the Osher Center for Integrative Medicine and currently serves as interim center director. The primary focus of Wayne’s research is evaluating how mind-body and related complementary and integrative medicine practices clinically impact chronic health conditions and understanding the physiological and psychological mechanisms underlying observed therapeutic effects. He has served as a principal or co-investigator on more than 25 National Institutes of Health-funded studies. He has been involved in the design, conduct, analysis, and interpretation of clinical trials evaluating the safety and efficacy of tai chi exercise for balance disorders, heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, osteoporosis, and depression, and trials evaluating acupuncture for stroke-related paralysis, hypertension, endometriosis, and chemoradiation-related immune and swallowing side effects in cancer patients. Wayne is actively involved in the teaching and training of students and fellows in integrative medicine research. He serves as associate director for the National Institutes of Health-funded Harvard Medical School Research Fellowship in Complementary and Integrative Medicine.

His commitment to mentoring is reflected in his being awarded a National Institutes of Health K24 mid-career mentoring award.

Anna Williams, BEd, (Planning Commitee Member) serves as the vice president for Clusterbusters, a nonprofit serving patients and caregivers of those experiencing cluster headaches. She is on the Programming Committee for the Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy/The Headache Alliance (AHDA/THA) working to provide education in the headache space as well as plan their advocacy event Headache on the Hill. While Williams is an advocate, she is a patient first, who experiences cluster headache, migraine, trigeminal neuralgia, and a few other chronic pain conditions. She is a patient opinion leader with Coalition for Headache and Migraine Patients (CHAMP) working with leading organizations to best elevate headache patient experience. She has undergone training programs with CHAMP, AHDA/THA, and Miles for Migraine.

Anna Wilson, PhD, is a professor of pediatrics at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU). Dr. Wilson is a clinical psychologist who provides assessment and treatment for children and adolescents with chronic pain as part of OHSU’s multidisciplinary Pediatric Pain Management Center. As a principal investigator in the Advancing Research in Pediatric Pain Lab, she studies acute and chronic pain conditions in children and in parents, with the goal of identifying psychosocial, intergenerational, and behavioral targets for the prevention of chronic pain and related conditions. Her work has been supported by the National Institutes of Health, the American Pain Society, and the Medical Research Foundation of Oregon. She co-authored When Children Feel Pain, a book about the history and science of the field of pediatric pain told through the lens of patient and researcher experiences.

Anna Woodbury, MD, founded the Division for Pain Management at the Veterans Affairs Health Care System (VAHCS) in Atlanta and serves as the associate vice chair of research for the Department of Anesthesiology at Emory University. She is double-board-certified in anesthesiology and pain medicine and licensed to practice acupuncture. She is an associate professor of anesthesiology and pain management at Emory University School of Medicine and active in research at both Emory and VAHCS. She has been a member of the national Committee on Pain Medicine for the American Society of Anesthesiologists and has served on institutional and federal grant review committees including National Institutes of Health and VA study sections. She has presented nationally and written book chapters, articles, and clinical reviews on integrative medicine and neuromodulation, including applications for chronic pain management, anesthesia, and neuroprotection. She has also edited a Pain Management Board Review book. Her clinical

expertise and research interests include the use of nonpharmacologic therapies for the management of pain, and she has a specific interest in understanding and treating myofascial pain syndromes.

Henry Xiang, MD, MPH, PhD, MBA, (Planning Committee Member) is a professor of pediatrics and epidemiology at the Ohio State University and director of the Center for Pediatric Trauma Research at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. He also serves as co-director of the Pilot Translational and Clinical Studies Program at the Ohio State University’s Clinical and Translational Science Institute. Dr. Xiang’s research spans over 30 years, with a focus on trauma care, pediatric pain management, and the development of digital health solutions for chronic pain management and treatment. Dr. Xiang has pioneered the use of virtual reality for pain management, including its application in pediatric burn care, traumatic brain injury rehabilitation, and managing pain and anxiety during medical procedures. His research, continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, has significantly advanced the understanding of how emerging technologies can alleviate pain, reduce opioid usage, and improve patient outcomes. Dr. Xiang’s contributions are recognized globally, earning him accolades such as the Excellence in Science Award from the American Public Health Association (ICEHS), the Society for Advancement of Violence and Injury Research (SAVIR) Excellence in Violence and Injury Prevention Science Award, and the Kate Granger Compassionate Care Award. Dr. Xiang received his PhD from Colorado State University, his MD and MPH from Tongji Medical College, and his MBA from the Ohio State University.