The International Neuromodulation Society Board of Directors

President Timothy Deer, MD, FIPP 

Dr. Timothy Deer was born and raised in the small town of Chesapeake West Virginia, USA. Since the 1990s, in his medical practice and academic endeavors he has originated many ideas that have been incorporated in the mainstream of present day theory and practice of Interventional Pain Management.

Dr. Deer completed his medical school education at West Virginia University where he was an Alpha Omega Alpha honor student at the top of his class.

After medical school Dr. Deer attended the University of Virginia School of Medicine where he did his training in Internal Medicine, Anesthesiology, and Pain Medicine.

Since the year 2000, Dr. Deer has held numerous appointments including the Chairman of the American Society of Anesthesiologist committee on Pain Medicine. This 48,000 member group represents more pain clinicians than any other organized body. Dr. Deer has also been President of the West Virginia Society of Anesthesiologists, President of the West Virginia Society of Interventional Pain Physicians, and Representative to the Carrier Advisory Committee to Medicare.

In 2015, Dr. Deer became President of the International Neuromodulation Society, in addition to serving on the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Pain Medicine. He is a past member of the Board of Directors for the North American Neuromodulation Society and the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians.
 
Dr. Deer is the author of more than 100 peer-reviewed articles on the topic of interventional pain treatment, has edited a critically acclaimed atlas on implantable devices, and edited a best-selling comprehensive textbook on multidisciplinary pain treatment. In addition he has been active in peer review and is on the editorial committee for the journals Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface, Pain Medicine and Pain Physician. He serves as associate editor for Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface.
 
Dr. Deer has taught extensively on the topic of neuromodulation. He has lectured on the topic of spinal cord stimulation and intrathecal drug infusions throughout the United States, and also in Europe, Australia and Asia. He has taught cadaver techniques to more than 1,000 fellows and practicing physicians. Dr. Deer is currently involved in several pivotal FDA-approved studies and international research collaborations. He is also involved with new product design on a number of new devices.

Dr. Deer's future plans are focused on the advancement of the field of Pain Medicine and globalization of access to new and advanced techniques throughout the world.

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President-Elect Robert M. Levy, MD, PhD

Dr. Robert Levy earned his medical degree at Stanford University, where he also received his Ph.D. in neurosciences and completed a postdoctoral fellowship. He performed a second postdoctoral research fellowship and his residency in neurological surgery at the University of California, San Francisco, where his mentors included Dr. Howard Fields, Dr. Charles Wilson, and Dr. Yoshio Hosobuchi. He then moved to Northwestern University where he rose to the level of Tenured Professor of Neurological Surgery, Physiology, and Radiation Oncology at the Feinberg School of Medicine. During this period, he served as Acting Chairman of the Department of Neurological Surgery.  

He was then recruited to serve as Professor and Chairman of the Department of Neurological Surgery and Co-Director of the UF Health Jacksonville Neuroscience Institute at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Jacksonville, FL. He most recently served as the Founding Director of the Marcus Neuroscience Institute and Director of the Harvey Sandler Center for Neurosurgery in Boca Raton, FL.

Dr. Levy has authored several textbooks and published 300 peer reviewed journal articles. He has been the recipient of many national and international honors and awards and has been listed in the Best Doctors in America. His current research involves novel applications of neurostimulation and targeted drug delivery to the brain. He has assisted with the design and implementation of multiple new neuromodulation technologies and instruments.

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Secretary Konstantin Slavin, MD

Konstantin V. Slavin, MD, is a professor of neurosurgery in the University of Illinois at Chicago where he heads the section of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery. Dr. Slavin obtained his degree in Azerbaijan State Medical Institute in Baku, USSR in 1988, and completed his neurosurgery training in Moscow and then again in Chicago. In addition to neurosurgery residency in University of Illinois (1994-2001), he completed fellowship in functional neurosurgery in Portland, Oregon (1998-1999) and went through special training in Ankara, Turkey and Grenoble, France in 2000.

Clinical interests of Dr. Slavin include all applications of surgical neuromodulation, including treatment of pain, movement disorders, epilepsy and psychiatric diseases. He is particularly interested in treatment of facial pain, cancer-related pain, Chiari malformation, stereotactic radiosurgery, and all aspects of functional neurosurgery. He authored and co-authored more than a hundred of chapters and peer-reviewed articles, edited a book on Peripheral Nerve Stimulation, and presented at countless educational events and professional conferences. He is now an associate editor of Neuromodulation, Neurosurgery, Surgical Neurology International and a member of editorial boards of several other professional journals.

Dr. Slavin’s research interests parallel his clinical expertise and include practical aspects of neuromodulation, multitude of prospective clinical studies and pioneering research in spinal cord stimulation for cerebral vasospasm and deep brain stimulation for tremor, Parkinson disease and depression.

Dr. Slavin has received many clinical and professional awards, including “Most Compassionate Doctor,” and for many years has been included in the prestigious “Top Surgeons” and “Best Doctors” lists in USA. He is currently a Vice-President of the American Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, member of Executive committee of the Joint Section on Pain of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and Congress of Neurological Surgeons, and Director-at-Large of the North American Neuromodulation Society and the International Neuromodulation Society. He also serves on Medical Advisory Board of the Facial Pain Association (formerly Trigeminal Neuralgia Association).

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Treasurer Fabián César Piedimonte, MD

Dr. Fabián César Piedimonte was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and graduated from Medical School at 23 years old at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) in 1988, with an average score of 9 points over 10, obtaining the distinction of “Diploma of Honor”. In 1986, by competition, he obtained the Research Fellowship for the Young Investigator granted by the University of Buenos Aires and the CONICET through which he managed to characterize by immunohistochemistry the serotonergic neurons in the human brainstem and raise their relationship to the endogenous pain control. From that same year, still coursing his studies in medicine, he became involved with functional neurosurgery and neuromodulation, positioning himself as an assistant to Prof. Dr. Jorge Schvarcz and actively participating in deep brain stimulation procedures for pain and spasticity as well as in neurotransplantation protocols for Parkinson disease. In 1994, he completed his neurosurgery residency at the “Hospital de Clínicas José de San Martín” from the University of Buenos Aires subsequently performing as Chief Resident and Resident Instructor at the Neurological Institute “Raúl Carrea” (FLENI). In 1996 he attended a Fellowship in Functional Neurosurgery and Stereotaxy directed by Prof. Dr. Manoel Jacobsen Teixeira at the “Hospital de Clínicas”, School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, Brazil. He courses the University Career in the Official Chair of Neurosurgery at the Teaching Hospital “José de San Martín” getting the title of University Neurosurgeon with a final score of 10 points in 1998. In 1999, he was accepted as a member of the Argentine College of Neurosurgeons. He is a Founding Member of the Argentinean Association of Neurosurgery Residents in which he serves as President during the period 1996/1998.

From 1985 to date, he has continuously served as a lecturer at the School of Medicine of the University of Buenos Aires. In 1989, he obtained by competition the position of Teaching Assistant as Head of Practical Assignments, Department of Anatomy, 1st in order of merit. In 1992, he finished the Career of Teachers Education and Training being appointed Staff Professor. In 1993, he was appointed Assistant Professor of the Psychophysiology Chair at Salvador University, Argentina. In 2000 he was appointed Director of the Annual Course of Microsurgical Neuroanatomy intended for Neurosurgeons in training at Neurosciences Laboratory, School of Medicine, University of Buenos Aires. He has been active as a Lecturer, Coordinator and Director in several educational activities for graduate and postgraduate levels and has also chaired meetings in national and international conferences related to his specialty. He was recently appointed President of the Local Arrangements Committee (LAC) for the 15h World Congress on Pain, which will take place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in October 2014. Also, besides being a Founder and President of the Argentinean Society of Neuromodulation (SANE) - Argentinean Chapter of the International Neuromodulation Society - (INS), he serves as Vice president (President Elect) of the Latin American Federation of Associations for the Study of Pain (FEDELAT), Past President of the Latin American Society of Functional Neurosurgery and Stereotaxy (SLANFE), Past President of the Argentinean Association for the Study of Pain (AAED) - Argentinean Chapter of the International Association for the Study of Pain - (IASP), and Past President of the Chapter of Functional Neurosurgery of the Latin American Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (FLANC). He serves on the Board of Directors of the World Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery (WSSFN), Membership and Chapters Committee of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), and as Secretary General of the Inter-American Society of Minimally Invasive Spine Surgery (SICCMI) - institution in which he also served as Founding Partner in 2007 -, and as titular member of several scientific societies.

He is author of numerous works, having won 10 national and international awards including highlights as “Stimulus to the Future” (1988), “Dr. Julio Aranovich” (1995), “Dr. Raúl Carrea” (1996 and 1998), “Dr. Manuel Balado” (1996), “Dr. Julio Ghersi” (1998) and “American Society of Regional Anesthesia” (1997), among others. He has attended numerous training courses abroad, highlighting among the most recent ones the Fellow of Interventional Pain Practice (FIPP) granted by the World Institute of Pain (WIP) in 2008, in Budapest, Hungary. He served as Staff Neurosurgeon at the Neurological Institute “Raúl Carrea” (FLENI) until 2003 and as Neurosurgeon Physician of the “Movement Disorders and Parkinson Program” at the “Hospital de Clínicas José de San Martín", University of Buenos Aires, until 2007. At present, he acts as Chairman of the Neurosurgery Department at the “Hospital Interzonal de Agudos Evita de Lanús”, and President of CENIT Foundation for Research in Neurosciences. He also complements his activities with an intense academic work as Founder and Director of the Biannual Course of Functional Neurosurgery and Stereotaxy correspondent to the Functional Neurosurgery and Stereotaxy Chapter of the Argentinean Association of Neurosurgery (AANC), Director of the Course of Specialists of the Province of Buenos Aires, Founder and Director of the Course for Physicians on Improvement in the Treatment of Pain (e-learning) of the Argentinean Association for the Study of Pain (AAED), and Editor in Chief of the Journal of Functional Neurosurgery, Stereotaxy, Radiosurgery and Pain, named “NeuroTarget”, scientific publication Level 1 (Superior Level of Excellence according to the LATINDEX Catalogue) and official organ of scientific diffusion of the Argentinean Society of Neuromodulation (SANE), the Argentinean Association for the Study of Pain (AAED), and the Latin American Society of Functional Neurosurgery and Stereotaxy (SLANFE). He has been recognized by his peers with the “Francisco Velasco Campos Award” in 2009 in Porto de Galinhas, Brazil, and with the Honorary Presidency of the ABCUR Meeting, which he founded in 2002, last year in Montevideo, Uruguay, for his career and support of functional neurosurgery and neuromodulation in Latin America. Dr. Fabián César Piedimonte also performs activity in the government as Coordinator of the Program of Neuromodulation in the Province of Buenos Aires and is involved in the development of Functional Neurosurgery and Stereotaxy in various Latin American Countries, supporting professionals involved in this area, and encouraging the beginning of this field with professionals of Countries such as Peru, Ecuador, Uruguay, Chile, Bolivia, Puerto Rico, Paraguay and Panama, among others.

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Acting Editor-in-Chief, Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface Robert Foreman, PhD

Dr. Robert D. Foreman, PhD is George Lynn Cross Research Professor Emeritus in the Department of Physiology at The University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. He has published more than 220 articles in peer reviewed journals, and his research was supported by the National Institutes of Health throughout his career. Dr. Foreman is Past President of the North American Neuromodulation Society. In addition, he received the Distinguished Service Award from the society in 2013 and the Lifetime Achievement Award in 2018. He also served as Treasurer of the International Neuromodulation Society. Presently he is Acting Editor-In-Chief and Section Editor in Basic Science for the journal Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface.

 

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Editor-in-Chief, Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface Robert M. Levy, MD, PhD

Dr. Robert Levy earned his medical degree at Stanford University, where he also received his Ph.D. in neurosciences and completed a postdoctoral fellowship. He performed a second postdoctoral research fellowship and his residency in neurological surgery at the University of California, San Francisco, where his mentors included Dr. Howard Fields, Dr. Charles Wilson, and Dr. Yoshio Hosobuchi. He then moved to Northwestern University where he rose to the level of Tenured Professor of Neurological Surgery, Physiology, and Radiation Oncology at the Feinberg School of Medicine. During this period, he served as Acting Chairman of the Department of Neurological Surgery.  

He was then recruited to serve as Professor and Chairman of the Department of Neurological Surgery and Co-Director of the UF Health Jacksonville Neuroscience Institute at the University of Florida College of Medicine in Jacksonville, FL. He most recently served as the Founding Director of the Marcus Neuroscience Institute and Director of the Harvey Sandler Center for Neurosurgery in Boca Raton, FL.

Dr. Levy has authored several textbooks and published 300 peer reviewed journal articles. He has been the recipient of many national and international honors and awards and has been listed in the Best Doctors in America. His current research involves novel applications of neurostimulation and targeted drug delivery to the brain. He has assisted with the design and implementation of multiple new neuromodulation technologies and instruments.

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 Staff

Executive Director & Managing Editor Tia Sofatzis

Tia Sofatzis graduated from the University of California at Berkeley, with a B.A. in American and English Literature. Tia has been the Managing Editor of Neuromodulation since its inception in 1998, and has worked in her role with the INS since 2001. She is perpetually inspired by the people who are working wonders in this field.

 

 

 

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Public Education & Website Manager Nancy Garcia

Nancy Garcia received an honors bachelor’s degree in biology from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a master’s in journalism from the University of Michigan, where she studied print and broadcast journalism. She joined the INS in 2011 as the public education and website project manager.

With a background in carrying out lab projects as well as science writing, she enjoys the international nature of research collaborations. Having served on an educational policy committee in high school, and received college credit for conducting patient education, then starting a professional association as a member of the news media, and finds the INS position merges many of those interests.

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Editorial Assistant Mary Bockman Price

Mary Bockman Price graduated from The Pennsylvania State University with a bachelor of science degree in business management, and a master of arts degree in counseling psychology from Argosy University. Mary has served as the Editorial Assistant of Neuromodulation since 2009. Mary currently resides in Huntsville, Alabama. She greatly enjoys working for the Society and the journal during this time of growth.

 

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Regional Chapter Presidents

Argentina I Australia & New Zealand l Benelux Countries l Brazil l Canada l China l Colombia l France l Germany l India l Italy l Japan l Korea l Nordic l North America l Poland l South Africa l SE Europe l Spain l Switzerland l Turkey l UK & Ireland

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Argentina: Noemi Rosenfeld, MD

Noemi Estela Rosenfeld was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) July 1977. Also in Buenos Aires, on April 9, 1980 was awarded by the Association of Anesthesiology of Buenos Aires (AAARBA) with a post graduate as anesthesiologist. One year later, on March 30th, 1981 she received the title of Specialist in Anesthesia awarded by the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Buenos (UBA).    

She has an expertise in pain medicine and palliative care, awarded by the Foundation for the Study, Research and Treatment of Pain, of the Association of Anesthesiology of Buenos Aires (AAARBA) in Buenos Aires, December 20, 1996. She is a medically certificated anesthesiologist, granted by the board of certification of medical professionals founded under the auspices of the National Academy of Medicine, in Buenos Aires. Also has a degree in Argentine Program in palliative care-FEMEBA, with final evaluation, from May to November 2000.

Amongst others, her participation in institutional work is: Member of the Board of Directors of the Argentina Association for the study of pain (AAED) between the years 1998 and 2009; Secretariat of records and publications of the XV Argentine Congress of pain and VI Congress of pain for nursing in Buenos Aires, which took place on October 21st - 23rd 1999. She also took place as a Member of the Scientific Committee of the XVI Argentine Congress of pain and VII Congress of pain for nursing in Buenos Aires, 19 and 20 October 2001.

All through the years 2002 to 2009 she participated as a Member Steering Committee Latin American federation of Associations for the Study of Pain in FEDELAT.

Later on in 2001 she was named General Secretariat of the Board of Directors of the AAED.  First for the period of 2001-2003, then reelected from 2003-2005. Contemporarily from 2003-2005 took upon the role of Secretariat of the Pain Committee of Argentine Medical Association. When her period of Secretariat of the Pain Committee of Argentine Medical Association concluded, she was named Chairman of the Board of Directors of the AAED from the year 2005 to 2007.

She was named Chairman of the Board of Directors of SANE from the year 2017 to 2019.

She is also member of the International Association for the Study of Pain, IASP; Medicine and Palliative Care Argentine Association (AAMYCP); International Neuromodulation Society (INS); Member of the Board of Directors of Argentine Neuromodulation Society (SANE - INS chapter); Argentine Association of Anesthesia, Analgesia y Reanimation of Buenos Aires (AAARBA); Argentine Association for the Study of Pain (AAED - IASP chapter); Federation of Latin American Associations for the Study of Pain (FEDELAT) and of the World institute of pain (WIP).

During several international congresses she was a part of the organizing committees: she participated as a member for the Local Arrangement Committee IASP 15th World Congress on Pain, Buenos Aires, Argentina 2014; Member of the Organizing Committee of the XVIII Argentine Congress of pain, Buenos Aires, September 6th -8th, 2007; Member of the Scientific Committee of the XVIII Argentine Congress of pain, Buenos Aires, September 6th – 8th, 2007; President-outbound from the Board of Directors of the AAED from the year 2008 through 2010.  

Amongst other professionals she was Partner founder of the Argentine Society of Neuromodulation (SANE), Argentine chapter of the International Neuromodulation Society (INS) in August 2009; and was named President of the XIX Argentine Pain Congress Buenos Aires, October 7th, 2009 (AAED)

In her personal practice, she has been part of the anesthesiologist staff department since 1989; and as Coordinator in pain management unit since 1997 in General Acute Disease Public Hospital Parmenio Piñero, Buenos Aires, Argentina, up to 2017.

In reference to her educational activities she has participated as lecturer in these congresses and conferences meetings in the topics here presented: Speaker in “Case report Small Fiber Syndrome in adolescent”, Annual Congress of Neurology Surgeons Society. 3 December 2016. Buenos Aires, Argentina. Speaker in “Pain management in public hospitals” XI Latinamerican Pain Congress, VI Center American and Caribean Palliative Care and Pain Congress, XIV Iberoamerican Pain, 15-17 June 2016, San Jose de Costa Rica. “1-antidepressants in neuropathic pain, 2- FAQ in clinical pain syndromes, 3-risk/benefit of opioids in chronic pain” during the 3rd International Congress of Pain; Latin American meeting of interventional pain physicians in La Paz, Bolivia, 21st -24th October 2015. As a moderator in these subjects: Pharmacological management of chronic pain in the context of the XII Spanish Pain Society (SED) national congress & XIII Iberoamerican Pain meeting in Seville, Spain, 28th - 31st, May 2015. In II Polish - Argentinian Neuromodulation Joint Meeting, III Brazilian – Argentinian Neuromodulation Joint Meeting of the International Neuromodulation Society (INS) in the City of Mendoza, Argentina, October 12th -15th in 2014. In the 3rd Update in multildisciplinary management in pain; topics: Use of opioids available in Argentina, Clinical reports and Rotation of opioids on May 8th and 9th 2014, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Speaker in “XXII International Pain Congress” Topic: Pain management in chronic opioid therapy, Colombian Association for the Study of Pain, 20-22 June 2013 Bogotá, Colombia. In the scientific conference of the Professor Bernardo Houssay hospital, Topic: Opioids case reports, took place in Buenos Aires, Argentina, November 14, 2013. In Argentine program of palliative medicine. Femeba; topic: Interventional treatment for pain relief at Unit Care Hospice-Hospital Dr. E. Tornu, August 13th, 2013 in Buenos Aires; Speaker of the 1st course in abnormal movements and pain on July 5th, 2013 in the City of San Luis, Argentina. In a table discussion: update on lumbosacral pain and FBSS post Laminectomy. X National Congress of the SED and XI Iberoamerican meeting on pain, 10th-13th of April 2013, Granada, Spain. Moderator in the 3rd International Symposium on spine surgery, update (SIACCO). Topic: FBSS assessment and treatment, March 20-22, 2013, Buenos Aires. Lecturer in Inquiry Panel expert: Opioid infusion combined intrathecal and parenteral, RECOBRAN II joint meeting Brazilian - Argentina Neuromodulation societies, 24th and 25th August 2012 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. "Chairperson in the Poster Presentation" 15th WFSA World Congress of Anesthesiologists, Buenos Aires, March 25th - 30th, 2012. Speaker in “Update in use of opioids available” and “Acute pain management” 1st. International Pain Congress, 3rd  International Pain Symposium, 24-26 October 2011, La Paz, Bolivia,

These are the latest Poster Presentations: “Baclofen therapy in Pelizaeus–Merzbacher disease (PMD)”, “H-Reflex Assessment”, INS 13th World Congress Edinburgh, 27 May and 1st June, 2017, Edinburgh, UK. Oral Presentation: “Baclofen therapy in Pelizaeus–Merzbacher disease (PMD)”, “H-Reflex Assessment”, INS 13th World Congress Edinburgh, 27 May and 1st June, 2017, Edinburgh, UK. “Small Fiber Syndrome Pathology. Pathophysiology of a Non Frequent Finding in Adolescents. Diagnostic. Approaches in Painful Conditions. A Case Report”. Hellenic Society of Pain Management and Palliative Care (PARH.SY.A.)  Anesthesiology Department, Pain and Palliative Care Center, University, Athens, May 25-27 2017, Rodos Island, Greece. “Algorithm for interventional therapy for Klippel-Trenaumnay Syndrome”, 16th World Congress on Pain, September 26-30, 2016, in Yokohama, Japan. “Use of Imaging of Sacral Spine & Sacroiliac Joint“in 4th World Congress of Regional Anaesthesia & Pain Therapy 24-28 November 2014, Capetown, South Africa. “Peripheral Nerve Field Electrical Chronic Stimulation for the treatment of refractory Sacroiliac Pain: Up-date Case Report” in the 15thWorld Congress on Pain 6th - 11th October 2014, Buenos Aires, Argentina. "Pain and Educational Center in a Public Hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina", 13th World Congress on Pain, International Association for the Study of Pain, Montreal, 29th August –2nd September 2010.

In teaching activities she worked from 2011 up to 2013 with a health team as member of the National Programme of Public Health in the Ministry of National Health. Consensus for physician consultation: “Guidelines for treatment of chronic pain”. Ministry resolution 105/2013.  At Universidad Favaloro, Faculty of medicine, graduate school, “interventionism in pain", Buenos Aires, since 2012. At Argentine Association of Anesthesia, Analgesia y Reanimation of Buenos Aires (AAARBA) and European Committee for Teaching in Anesthesiology “interventionism in Chronic pain", 7-9 June 2012; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Co-Director the "Theoretical and practical course in pelvic pain", dictated by AAED and society of Obstetrics  and Gynecology of the province of Buenos Aires (SOGBA), Faculty of Medicine UBA. Load time: 56 hours with final evaluation. 2006. As a founder and co-director she dictated: "Practical and theoretical management on pain”; since 2005. Co-director in Post-Graduate Course in Pain management for health workers. August-November 2016, Buenos Aires, Argentina.  “Behavior in opioids treatment”, Postgraduate course in Psycho-oncology, September 2016, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Skype conference in “Intervention therapy in palliative care patients”, for postgraduates in palliative care; Palliative Care Foundation and National University of Cuyo, 18th August 2017, Buenos Aires-Mendoza, Argentina.

As attendant the II° Theoretical and practical workshop in interventional chronic pain control of the Latinamerican federation of association for the study of pain (FEDELAT), Faculty of medicine UBA. April 16- 18 2015, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Attendance the “peripheral neuromodulation masterclass III”, with the London Forum: 30 November and 1 December 2012. Department of Anatomy, King´s College London, Guy´s Hospital Campus. London, UK. Paper Publication in Childs Nerv Syst (2014)30:1913-1995. Comparison between programmable pump and fixed-rate in children. Co-author.

 

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Australia & New Zealand: Richard Sullivan, MBChB, FANZCA, FFPMANZCA

Dr. Richard Sullivan is a Pain Medicine Specialist and Specialist Anaesthetist at Precision Brain, Spine and Pain Centre in Melbourne, Australia.

He has a public position as a pain specialist and specialist Anaesthetist at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in East Melbourne and was recently successful in establishing Peter Mac as a centre for fellowship training in pain medicine.

His focus is in clinical practice, research and advancing neuromodulation therapies in the private sector where he sees patients with a diverse range of conditions including post surgical pain syndromes in non-cancer patients and cancer survivors.  

He is a medical director and co-founding company director of a multi-site interstate outpatient pain management program focused around empowering patients in effective self-management, functional and vocational recovery and improved quality of life - The program is Precision Ascend. The program is a Network Provider for Worksafe Victoria and the Transport Accident Commission.

Dr. Sullivan is a fellow of the Faculty of Pain Medicine Australia and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists and fellow of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists.

He assisted with the authorship of the current training curriculum for both the College of Anaesthesia and the Faculty of Pain Medicine.

He obtained a Bachelor of Medicine, & Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) from Otago University, New Zealand (1993 – 1998).

His professional appointments include President of the Neuromodulation Society of Australia and New Zealand, Chair of the Scientific Committee, Australian and New Zealand Neuromodulation Society and a number of pharmaceutical and medical device advisory boards. He is a past Victorian Director of the Australian Pain Society.

Dr. Sullivan is an invited national and international speaker on a diverse range of topics in pain medicine.

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Benelux Countries: Monique Steegers, MD, PhD

 

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Brazil: Alexandre Amaral, MD

• 2003 - Functional neurosurgery specialist title awarded by the Brazilian Society of Functional Neurosurgery;

• 2003 - Specialist in neurosurgery title awarded by the Brazilian Society of Neurosurgery;

• 1999 - Neurosurgery specialist title awarded by the Brazilian Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC):

• 1999 - Specialization in Functional Neurosurgery at the Functional Neurosurgery Division of Hospital das Clinics University São Paulo;

• 1999 - Completed Medical residency program at the Hospital of the Federal Service of Neurosurgery Servants of the State;

• 1994 - Top School of Medicine and Surgery of the University of Rio de Janeiro (UNI-RIO);

• Coordinated treatment group patients with neuropathic post laminectomy syndrome at the multidisciplinary Pain Centre of the Hospital of the Clinics of FMUSP;

• Medical Director of Multidisciplinary pain Center of Rio de Janeiro;

• Implemented and coordinated as medical director for 14 years the Multidisciplinary Programme of continuing education on Pain of the Multidisciplinary Pain Center of Rio de Janeiro, leading hundreds of doctors, physiotherapists, psychologists, occupational therapists and nurses in the approaches, research, diagnosis and treatment of patients with difficult-to-control pain syndromes;

• Implemented and coordinated the first functional neurosurgery service at the Hospital Rio Mar;

• Worked as a physician assistant in the Division of Functional Neurosurgery at the Hospital das Clinicas da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo;

• Adjunct Professor responsible for a postgraduate course in neurosurgery at the Institute of Post-Graduate Medicine Carlos Chagas;

• Adjunct Professor responsible for a postgraduate course on treatment of pain at the Carlos Chagas Institute;

• Implemented the Functional Neurosurgery Department neurosurgery service at the Federal Hospital of Servants of the State;

• Implemented the first multidisciplinary pain center of the state and the city of Rio de Janeiro at the Federal Hospital of Servants of the State ;

• Multidisciplinary pain center coordinator of Federal Hospital of Servants of the State;

• Author of a chapter in the book: A Manual for Clinical Pain - Post Laminectomy Syndrome;

• Director General of Federal Hospital of Servants of the State;

• President of the Brazilian Society of Neuromodulation;

• Scientific Director of the Neurosurgical Society of the State of Rio de Janeiro 2013/2014 Biennium;

• Scientific Director of the Technical Committee of the Brazilian Society of Interventional Pain 2013/2014 Biennium.

 

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Canada: Christopher Honey, MD, DPhil, FRCSC

Dr. Christopher Honey received his medical degree from the University of Toronto. He completed a doctoral degree in neurophysiology at Oxford University as a Canadian Rhodes Scholar. He trained in neurosurgery at the University of British Columbia and began practicing at UBC in 1996. He introduced deep brain stimulation to British Columbia in 1999 and has expanded the funding for this programme over the last decade. He has a large practice in the neurosurgical management of facial pain and also participates in the surgical treatment of spasticity.

 

 

 

 

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China: Guoming Luan, MD, PhD

Prof. Guoming Luan is the Vice-President of Beijing Sanbo Brain Hospital of the Capital Medical University, established in Beijing in 2004. He achieved the Medical Degree in 1982 and studied under the guidance of Zhongcheng Wang, considered to be the founder of modern neurosurgery in China, at the Capital University of Medical Science, Beijing culminating in a PH.D in 1989. He gained professional research experience for two years in the University of California, Los Angeles, USA (UCLA). Afterward he devotes himself to clinical and research work about Functional Neurosurgery and focuses on the therapy of Epilepsy. In 2002, he created a technique, which is to use bipolar electrocoagulation to burn superficial cortex when treating refractory epilepsy. The latter was approved by the President of International Functional Neurosurgery later that year. This unique technique has now been adopted worldwide.

Prof. Luan is currently acting editor and sub-editor for more than 9 medical journals including 'Journal of the INS', 'The Chinese Journal of Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery' and 'The Chinese Journal of Minimal Invasive Neurosurgery'. He has published more than 100 articles both in national and international journals. He is the ‘Editor in Chief’ of 8 books and has been published in over 10 National and Government led scientific publications. Furthermore, he has worked on 10 national, civic and ministry scientific research programs. He is not only the President of Chinese Neuromodulation Society, but also a vice-chairman of China Association Against Epilepsy and the Secretary-General of Asian Epilepsy Surgery Congress.

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Colombia: Luz Elena Cáceres, MD

Dr. Luz Elena Cáceres Jerez. Palliative care and pain management specialist from the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Colombia, analgesic interventions specialist from the Universidad de Puerto Rico, and anesthesiologist from the Universidad Industrial de Santander (UIS) in Colombia. With clinical experience as an anesthesiologist in several institutions in Colombia and as a specialist in pain management and palliative care for patients presenting acute pain, cancer pain, chronic non-oncological pain, and advanced or end-stage diseases.