The International Neuromodulation Society Board of Directors
Executive Officers
INS President 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.
INS Past 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 began a three-year term as 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.
INS President-Elect (starting September 2020) Marc Russo, MD
Dr Marc Russo was born in Sydney, Australia and commenced medical studies at Sydney University graduating in 1989. He undertook training in anaesthesia, intensive care and pain medicine with postgraduate qualifications as a Fellow of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists and Fellow of the Faculty of Pain Medicine.
He set up in 1999 a large multidisciplinary pain clinic in Newcastle, NSW that now employs over 40 clinical/allied health/administrative and research individuals making it one of the largest such units globally. He has been involved in neuromodulation since 1999 with spinal cord, peripheral nerve, occipital, sacral nerve stimulation and intrathecal therapy for both pain and spasticity.
He established the Australian chapter of the INS and has served as Secretary and President.
He established the Australian Pain Research Center and has been run over 40 trials including device and analgesia trials for pain relief.
He is a reviewer for the journals Neuromodulation and Anaesthesia & Intensive Care. He has lectured nationally and internationally and led teaching courses in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and Thailand. He is an active member of the Australian Pain Society.
His current interests are in CRPS management, new frontiers in neuromodulation and combination pharmacology of neuropathic pain.
He has a son James whom he hopes may someday be a future Wallaby and enjoys music, skiing and wine but not necessarily all at the same time.
INS 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 past president of the American Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery and vice president of the World Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery. He is also past secretary of the North American Neuromodulation Society. For many years, he was an executive committee member of the Joint Section on Pain of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and Congress of Neurological Surgeons. He also serves on Medical Advisory Board of the Facial Pain Association (formerly Trigeminal Neuralgia Association).
INS Treasurer Jan Vesper, MD, PhD
Department of Functional Neurosurgery and Stereotaxy University Hospital Duesseldorf Germany
Scientific Education and Employment
1987-1993 Medical School, Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany
1993 final practical training at Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA and Kantonsspital Frauenfeld, Switzerland
1993–1995 Internship at the Neurosurgical Department, Friedrichshain Hospital, Berlin, Germany
1995-2000 Residency in Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, Benjamin Franklin Medical Center, Free University of Berlin (Director: Prof.Dr.med.Dr.h.c. Mario Brock)
1993 Doctoral degree (Dr.med.) by the Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany
2000 Board Certification for Neurosurgery
2000–2002 Board-certified Neurosurgeon, Department of Neurosurgery, Benjamin Franklin Medical Center, Free University of Berlin (Director: Prof.Dr.med.Dr.h.c. Mario Brock)
2000-2003 Associate Professor for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, Department of Neurosurgery, Benjamin Franklin Medical Center, Free University of Berlin (Director: Prof.Dr.med.Dr.h.c. Mario Brock)
2003-2007 Associate Professor for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery, Department of Stereotaxy, Neurocenter, University Clinic Freiburg, (Director: Prof. Dr. med. C.B. Ostertag)
2004 venia legendi, (PhD) Charité, Berlin
2007-2012 Full Professorship for Functional Neurosurgery, Neurosurgery, University Clinic, Duesseldorf
Since 2012 Full Professorship for Functional Neurosurgery and Stereotaxy, University Clinic, Head of the Center of Neuromodulation, Düsseldorf, Germany
Membership: DGNC, ESSFN, German working group for Deep Brain Stimulation, Movement Disorder Society, ESSFN, DGNM
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 Russia l SE Europe l Spain l Switzerland l Turkey l UK & Ireland
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.
Australia & New Zealand: Nick Christelis, MBBCH, FRCA, FFPMRCA, FANZCA, FFPMANZCA
 Dr Nick Christelis is medical director and co-founder of Pain Specialists Australia, a multidisciplinary pain clinic, that is tier 1 college accredited for pain medicine specialist training.
He holds two specialist pain medicine qualifications: one from Faculty of Pain Medicine of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (FFPMANZCA), the other, from the Faculty of Pain Medicine of the Royal College of Anaesthetists in London, UK (FFPMRCA).
He completed his specialist training in pain medicine and anaesthesia at London’s Imperial School of Anaesthesia and worked as a pain consultant at The Chelsea & Westminster Hospital before moving to Melbourne in 2009 to take up appointments as Consultant in Pain Medicine, Head of Pain Service, and Anaesthetist at The Alfred Hospital.
Nick now practices 100% within the field of pain medicine. He is an interventional pain specialist combining a multidisciplinary team approach with advanced pain interventional techniques like nerve and joint blocks, epidural injections, radiofrequency ablation, pulsed radiofrequency, spinal cord stimulation and other advanced neuromodulation techniques.
He serves on the executive board of the Neuromodulation Society of Australia and New Zealand (NSANZ) as well as the Faculty of Pain Medicine of the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists Interventional Procedures Clinical Care Standard Working Group.
Nick’s areas of expertise include back pain, neuropathic pain, lumbar radicular pain and sciatica, neck, shoulder and arm pain, facial pains/headaches, trigeminal neuralgia, CRPS, male and female pelvic pain, post-surgical neuropathic pain syndromes like post laminectomy pain, failed back surgery syndrome, ilioinguinal pain, thoracic pain.
Benelux Countries: Monique Steegers, MD, PhD
Brazil: Daniel Benzecry Almeida, MD
 MAIN PROFESSIONAL DATA:
- Medical Doctor graduated by the Federal University of Para - 1985-1990
- Residency Program at the Federal University of Sao Paulo (UNIFESP-EPM) - 1991-1995
- One year Post-residency specialization in Pain and Functional Neurosurgery at Hospital de Clínicas at USP - 1995-1996
- Further one year Post residency specialization in Pain and Functional Neurosurgery at Hospital A.C. Camargo, São Paulo-SP – 1996-1997
- Fellow in Functional Neurosurgery at Hôpital Neurologique Pierre Wertheimer - Lyon, France - 1999
- Master's degree in Neurosurgery at the Federal University of São Paulo in 2006
- Past vice-president of the Brazilian Chapter of the International Neuromodulation Society (INS) 2017-2019
- Actual president of the Brazilian Chapter of the International Neuromodulation Society (INS) 2019-2021
- Currently working at the Department of Neurosurgery at the Institute of Neurology in Curitiba where coordinates the Gamma Knife Service and the Pain Treatment Group
- Preceptor of the Medical Residency at the Institute of Neurology of Curitiba
- Fields of interest in Functional Neurosurgery, developing special work in treatment of chronic pain, surgery of abnormal movements, spasticity surgery, spine surgery and Gamma Knife Radiosurgery
CURRICULUM VITAE
Canada: Dr. Keith MacDougall, MD, FRCSC
 After earning his BSc with first class honours in 1997 from the University of Calgary, Dr. MacDougall completed medical school at the University of Alberta in 2002 and neurosurgical training at Western University in 2008 in London, Ontario. After a year in Calgary as a general neurosurgeon, Dr. MacDougall returned to Western for a year of fellowship training in Pain Surgery and Deep Brain Stimulation. Subsequently, Dr. MacDougall spent another fellowship year performing Epilepsy Surgery abroad at the Austin Hospital in Melbourne, Australia. He has published and presented on outcomes following epilepsy surgery, specifically after invasive intracranial recordings. Ongoing research interests include the effectiveness of neuro-modulation for the treatment of chronic neuropathic pain and headache and the application of novel stimulation techniques. Dr. MacDougall is an Associate Professor at Western University and the Program Director for the Residency training program in London. His clinical practice is focused on Functional Neurosurgery and he is the current President of the Canadian Neuromodulation Society.
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.
Colombia: William Omar Contreras Lopez, MD, PhD
William Omar Contreras Lopez, MD, PhD
Chief of Functional Neurosurgery
FOSCAL Clinic
Bucaramanga, Colombia
France: Philippe Rigoard, MD, PhD
Prof. Philippe Rigoard is senior surgeon and coordinator of the Spine & Neuromodulation Unit within the Neurosurgical Department at the Poitiers University Hospital in France. He is also an Honorary Consultant in the pain clinic of Guy's and St Thomas NHS Foundation Trust hospital in London, UK; an Anatomy Conference reader at the Human Morphology Institute, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Poitiers; a researcher at Inserm CIC (Clinical Investigation Center) 802; and the research program director of the N3Lab (Neuromodulation & Neural Networks Lab) in Poitiers. He has expended a lot of effort to rebuild the INS French chapter (Société Française de NeuroModulation, SFNM), which is now represented again in the global community.
While studying anatomy and morphology at National Art Institute, Beaux-Arts, Paris, from 1994-1996, Prof. Rigoard decided to enter into medicine. He received his medical degree as 1st Laureate of the Faculty of Medicine in Poitiers in 2006 and completed postgraduate medical training in spine surgery in 2008 and a fellowship in functional neurosurgery in 2009.
From 2002-2007 he also completed his PhD of Sciences in Poitiers, as well as several degrees including in neuromuscular diseases, acute pain, chronic pain and pain management in emergency conditions, microsurgical techniques and surgical robotics.
His main research interests are neuromodulation and spine biomechanics. He has been involved in intensive scientific collaborations with several researchers worldwide, e.g., Prof. Krishna Kumar (Canada); Dr. Mehul Desai, Prof. Richard North, and Prof. Konstantin Slavin (USA); and Dr. Adnan Al-Kaisy (UK).
Prof. Rigoard is a reviewer for several scientific journals. He is also a member of professional societies, including the International Association for the Study of Pain, International Neuromodulation Society, European Association of Neurosurgeons, French and North American Society of Spine Surgery.
Prof. Rigoard has also published dozens of journal articles, abstracts, and book chapters, and has lectured at more than 100 conferences and symposia worldwide.
Germany: Priv.-Doz. Dr. med. Dirk Rasche
India: Paresh Doshi, MBBS, MS (General Surgery), MCh (Neurosurgery)
 Prof. Paresh Doshi is the Director of Neurosurgery and Stereotactic and Functional neurosurgery at the Jaslok Hospital and Research Centre, Mumbai. He has been a pioneer in functional neurosurgery in India. He had been trained in stereotactic and functional neurosurgery at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London and the Maudsley hospital, London. He further obtained selective functional neurosurgical experience from Prof. Benabid, Prof. Marwan Hariz, Prof. Marc Sindou and others. He established the first dedicated department of Functional neurosurgery in India in 1997.
The functional neurosurgical program at his institute has several firsts to its credit, e.g. first deep brain stimulation surgery (DBS) in India (1997), first surgery for obsessive compulsive disorder (2010), first DBS surgery for depression in Asia and Australia (2013), first occipital nerve stimulation for migraine (2012) etc. It offers functional neurosurgical fellowship for a period of one year. This is one of the few centres around the world where comprehensive functional neurosurgery training for all subspecialties of functional neurosurgery is available, i.e. movement disorders, pain, epilepsy, spasticity and psychiatric disorders. It also has the widest spectrum of surgical procedures being performed, ranging from rhizotomies to lesional surgeries to neuromodulation.
Prof. Doshi, has been on the board of several organizations, academic and non-academic. He has recently served as the President of the Indian Society For Stereotactic And Functional Neurosurgery (ISSFN). He is on the board of WSSFN and AASSFN societies. He is the trustee of Parkinson’s care trust, a non-governmental organization catering to Parkinson's disease patients. He has been awarded several awards, including the Indo-American young achiever’s award and Medscape India award for excellence in neurosciences. He has published extensively and is on the editorial board of many journals. He has been invited in numerous national and international meetings to deliver lectures.
Prof. Doshi is passionate about functional neurosurgery. His aim is to empower every neurosurgical department in his country to perform some part of functional neurosurgery. He is the founding President of The Neuromodulation Society (India).
Italy: Alessandro Dario, MD
 Graduated in 1985 from Pavia University, Dr. Alessandro Dario had speciality in Neurosurgery in 1990; from 1991 he serves at the Neurosurgical Clinic of Insubria University where he performs clinical activity and university teaching. Other didactic activity consists of lessons at the School of Nursing Professionals from 1990 to 1996, and he is the chief of practice-theoretical instruction in favor of medical staff at four major hospitals in Lombardy, Veneto and Emilia-Romagna.
He participated as a speaker and teacher in 50 national and international congresses and courses and as a participant in about 100 congresses. He has 150 scientific works in abstract or extended form including more than 50 publications indexed in Medline, mainly concerning spasticity and peripheral nerve stimulation. His clinical activity is in the field of stereotactic and functional neurosurgery, mainly concerning spinal cord or peripheral nerve stimulation, chronic intrathecal infusion, motor cortex stimulation and deep brain stimulation for movement disorders, including spasticity. Dr. Dario is a reviewer for several scientific journals. He is also a member of six professional societies, including the International Association for the Study of Pain. To date he is President of the Italian Chapter of INS.
Japan: Hidehiro Hirabayashi, MD, PhD
Korea: Byung-chul Son, MD, PhD
Nordic: Kliment Gatzinsky, MD, PhD
 Dr. Kliment Gatzinsky holds a full time position as Senior Consultant at the Department of Neurosurgery, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden. He graduated from the Medical School at Gothenburg University, where he also received his PhD degree in neurosciences. After completing a two-year postdoctoral fellowship at The Royal Free Hospital in London, he did his neurosurgical residency at Sahlgrenska University Hospital where he was appointed as Consultant after finishing his neurosurgical training. He has served as head of the Functional Neurosurgery Pain Unit at the hospital since 2004. Since 2005 he is also working as Visiting Consultant on permanent basis at the Department of Neurosurgery, Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway, where he started up the neuromodulation unit. Dr. Gatzinsky’s main interest is in neurosurgical treatment of chronic pain disorders. Having more than 20 years of experience in the field of neuromodulation, he has developed a strong expertize in this therapy for treatment of pain. This knowledge is raised on a transdisciplinary vision in order to optimize outcomes, which has contributed to the build-up and development of the neuromodulation units at the University Hospitals in Gothenburg and Stavanger. Dr. Gatzinsky uses most neuromodulation techniques on a regular basis, including spinal cord, dorsal root ganglion, peripheral nerve, repetitive transcranial/epidural motor cortex, and sacral nerve stimulation. He has published numerous peer-reviewed journal articles, reviews and book chapters and has ongoing international teaching and advisory board assignments in the field.
Dr. Gatzinsky serves as expert advisor for SBU (The Swedish Council on Technology Assessment in Health Care) for evaluation of neurosurgical techniques in the treatment of chronic pain disorders. He has served on various medical and professional boards both in Sweden and internationally and is a reviewer for several scientific journals.
Dr. Gatzinsky is keen to advance the field of neuromodulation for chronic pain from both a practical and scientific point of view, and he tries to push the boundaries based on the rapid technical development that is taking place in this field at the moment. He continuously strives to broaden his skills and to motivate his collaborators in order to create optimal conditions for good outcomes. A collaboration between disciplines is crucial in this context.
North America: B. Todd Sitzman, MD MPH
 Dr. B. Todd Sitzman is medical director of Advanced Pain Therapy, a comprehensive pain clinic located in Hattiesburg, MS. He is an active member of numerous national and international pain societies: president North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS); past president of American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM), Southern Pain Society (SPS), Mississippi Pain Society (MPS) and Mississippi Society of Interventional Pain Physicians. He is the recipient of AAPM’s Distinguished Service Award in 2012. He has authored more than 75 scientific publications including abstracts, manuscripts, and book chapters, and serves on the editorial boards of the journals Pain Medicine and Pain Practice. He is actively involved in patient advocacy and postgraduate medical education, and lectures nationally and internationally on topics related to pain pharmacology and interventional pain therapies. Dr. Sitzman received his medical and master of public health degrees from Tulane University in his native city, New Orleans. He completed postgraduate training at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA (internal medicine) and the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, Charlottesville, VA (anesthesiology and pain medicine). Dr. Sitzman is board certified in anesthesiology and pain medicine.
Poland: Prof. dr hab.n.med. Wojciech Maksymowicz
Prof. Wojciech Maksymowicz, MD, PhD was born on the 24th of May 1955 in Włocławek, Poland.
In 1980 he graduated from the Medical University of Warsaw, where he also received his doctorate in the same year and later a post-doctoral degree in 1994. During his 12 years of work in Neurosurgery Clinic at the Medical University of Warsaw he received his 1st and 2nd degree specialization in the range of neurosurgery and neurotraumatology in 1983 and in 1987.
At that time he performed the first implantations of the epidural spinal cord stimulations in Poland in cooperation with Restorative Neurology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.
He expanded his neurosurgery knowledge during a five-year European Neurosurgery Course organized by European Association of Neurosurgical Societies. He completed the course in 1992 in Jerusalem.
In 1990 he worked scientifically in the Clinic of Neurosurgery Wessex Neurological Center of the University in Southampton. Over the period 1997-1999 he was the Minister of Health and Social Welfare of the Polish Republic, leading the implementation of the huge healthcare reform.
After that he became the head of Neurosurgery Department in the Central Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of Interior in Warsaw. On a proposal from the Scientific Council of Military Medical Institute in 2006, he received the professor’s degree.
Since 2007 he has been the Dean of the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, at the same time being the head of the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Neurosurgery Clinic and Laboratory of Research on Stem Cells at this university.
He is the author of over 120 publications and scientific reports and also the member of Scientific Council to the Health Minister of Poland.
Russia: Emil Isagulyan, MD
 Candidate of medical sciences (PhD), Neurosurgeon-algologist (specializes in interventional and surgery treatment of chronic pain) of the Group of Functional Neurosurgery, the N.N. Burdenko Neurosurgery Institute, Chief expert in neuromodulation pain syndrome in the Russian Federation. Currently holding the post of President of National Neuromodulation Society in Russia (NNSR), Vice-President of the Society of Interventional Pain Treatment and Russian Society for Functional and Stereotactic Neurosurgery (RSFSN). He studied at Yerevan State Medical University, residency at Armenia Republican Medical Center. Graduated study at Group of Functional Neurosurgery, the N.N. Burdenko Neurosurgery Institute, where his mentor was Prof. Shabalov V.A. He participated in International onsite training: 1) Faculte De Medecine, University Center for Neurological and Neurosurgical Disorders, Toulouse, France; 2) Hodgkin Building, King’s College London, Guy’s Campus, London. Member of nine scientific societies: International Neuromodulation Society (INS), International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), National Neuromodulation Society in Russia (NNSR), European Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery (ESSFN), World Society for Stereotactic and Functional Neurosurgery (WSSFN), Russian Society for Functional and Stereotactic Neurosurgery (RSFSN), Society of Neurosurgeons of Russia, Society of Interventional Pain Treatment, Russian Association for the Study of Pain. Member of numerous international program committees. Actively has been taking part in international and Russian conferences. Author of books and articles about treatment of chronic pain. Spheres of interest is interventional and surgery treatment of chronic pain syndromes. Author of study courses in neurosurgery and algology. Often speaks on media in Russia, promoting treatment chronic pain syndromes and methods of neuromodulation.
South Eastern Europe: Damianos Sakas, MD
Professor of Neurosurgery and Chairman, Department of Neurosurgery, University of Athens, Evangelismos General Hospital, Athens, Greece (2000 –). Graduate of Ionnidios School of Piraeus (1972) and Medical School, University of Athens (1978). Certificate of Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates USA (1979). Military service in the Greek Navy (1979 -1981).
Specialty Training: Department of Surgery, General Hospital of Mytilene (1981-1982), Department of Neurology, University of Athens, Eginition Hospital (1981-1982) and Department of Neurosurgery, Evangelismos General Hospital, Athens (1983-1986). Completion of Specialty Training in Neurosurgery, Athens (1986). Neurosurgical Fellow, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA (1986 -1989) M.D. Thesis, University of Athens (1988). Neurosurgical Registrar, Institute of Neurological Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland (1990-1991). Neurosurgical Registrar, National Centre for Neurosurgery, Dublin, Ireland (1991-1993).
Senior Appointments: Consultant Neurosurgeon Walsgrave Hospital, Coventry, England (1993), Midland Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery, University of Birmingham, England (1994), and University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire, England (1995-1999). Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer, University of Warwick, England (1995-1999). Lead Clinician, Dept. of Neurosciences, University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire, England (1997-1999).
Editorial Work: Associate Editor, Yearbook of Neurology and Neurosurgery (1997-). Associate Editor, Yearbook of Medicine (2003-), Reviewer in Neuromodulation (2003-) and Acta Neurochirurgica, The European Journal of Neurosurgery (2003-). Editor of the textbook: An Introduction to Neurosurgery, Parissianos Medical Publishers (in Greek), Athens, (2003).
Membership of Societies: President, Hellenic Neurosurgical Society (2001-2003). President, South East European Chapter, International Neuromodulation Society (2004-). Member, Executive Committee, European Society for Functional & Stereotactic Neurosurgery (2000-). American Congress of Neurological Surgeons (1995-). Society of British Neurological Surgeons (1995-), Society for Research into Higher Education (1995-), Training Committee, European Association of Neurosurgical Societies (2003-).
Special Neurosurgical Interests: epilepsy surgery, movement disorders surgery, vascular surgery, neurotrauma, skull base surgery and neuromodulation.
Spain: Carlos Tornero Tornero, MD, PhD
Switzerland: Christophe Perruchoud, MD
Turkey: Prof. Dr. Gül Köknel Talu
Prof.Gül Köknel Talu,MD, FIPP
Chair of the Department of Algology, Medical Faculty of Istanbul University
Editor-in Chief of the journal of the Turkish Society of Algology, AGRI (pain)
EDUCATION:
Medical Graduate of İstanbul University, 1991
University anesthesiologist degree from Anesthesiology Department of İstanbul University Medical Faculty, 1997; working in Department of Algology of İstanbul University Medical Faculty since then
Pediatric intensive care unit fellowship at Childrens Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 1994
Pain fellowship at the Department of Algology as a member of the İstanbul University medical faculty, 1997-2002
World Institute of Pain pain fellow (FIPP), 2002, Budapest
Associate professorship in anesthesiology 2003
Pain fellowship at Spinal Diagnostics and Treatment Center, 2004-2005
Professorship in anesthesiology 2009
Chair of the Department of Algology, İstanbul University Medical Faculty, since 2011
MEMBERSHIPS:
National:
Turkish Pain Association (Faculty Member)
Turkish Anesthesiology and Reanimation Association
Turkish Regional Anesthesiology Association
Turkish Palliative Care Association (Founder and Faculty Member)
Turkish Pain Board (Founder and Faculty Member)
Turkish Pain Board, Exam Committee (chair)
International:
World Institute of Pain (Faculty member 2007-2011)
International Neuromodulation Society
European Federation of the International Association for the Study of Pain Chapters
Former president of the Turkish Chapter of the IASP, former president of the Turkish Chapter of the WIP, former president of the Turkish Chapter of the EFIC
PROFESSIONAL SKILS
Regional anesthesia
Pain therapy
Interventional pain therapy
ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES
Editor in-Chief of the Journal of AGRI (pain)
Editor of 10 Turkish medical books on pain, more than 40 Turkish pain chapters, two pain chapters in International Pain (Interventional Spine – an algorithmic approach), SAUNDERS, Interventional Pain Management, SAUNDERS.
National and international (SCI and SCI-Expanded) publications on acute and chronic pain management
United Kingdom and Ireland: Ganesan Baranidharan, MBBS, FRCA, FFPMRCA, PG Dip Anaesthesia
 Dr G Baranidharan is a Consultant in Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine at the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS trust and Honorary Clinical Associate Professor at the University of Leeds. He completed his UG from Madras Medical College and his anaesthesia and Pain Medicine training from Yorkshire Deanery and McMaster University, Canada. He is active in research and teaching. Most of his research activities are on Neuropathic pain and Neuromodulation. He has a special interest in managing pain of visceral origin. He has had a significant contribution in developing a National Neuromodulation Database for the United Kingdom. He is currently the Regional advisor for Pain Medicine in Yorkshire and also teaches in various courses nationally and internationally. He has successfully run his annual cadaver workshop in Leeds for the last 10 years. He is an elected Board member and Examiner for the Faculty of Pain Medicine. He enjoys cycling, running, cricket and Badminton in his spare time. .
Directors-at-large
 Corey W. Hunter, MD, FIPP
Dr. Hunter is an interventional pain management physician practicing in New York City, holding board certifications in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Pain Medicine.
Dr. Hunter earned his medical degree from Drexel University College of Medicine. Thereafter, he completed a residency in PM&R at New York University followed by a Pain Medicine fellowship at the Weill Cornell Medical Center. Dr. Hunter went on to found the Ainsworth Institute of Pain Management in New York City where he serves as the Executive Director. In addition, he holds an appointment as Assistant Clinical Professor in PM&R at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Medical Center.
Prior to attending medical school, Dr. Hunter worked as a research assistant at the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis investigating embryonic stem cells to treat paralysis, Parkinson’s disease and chronic pain. He continued his research in medical school studying stromal stem cells (now known as mesenchymal) to treat paralysis – his work was amongst the earliest research on this particular cell line, which is now the mainstay of regenerative medicine.
Dr. Hunter continues to be active in research, serving as the principal investigator on a number of clinical trials on emerging neuromodulation technologies and regenerative medicine. He has a keen interest in teaching and is well-published with his work appearing in a number peer-reviewed journals and textbooks on a wide variety of topics that include DRG stimulation, pelvic pain, regenerative medicine, CRPS, amputee pain, advanced spinal cord stimulation techniques, and targeted drug delivery.
 Jason Pope, MD
Dr. Pope is the President and CEO of Summit Pain Alliance in Santa Rosa, California. He serves the North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS) as a Director-at Large, Advocacy and Policy Committee Co-chair, and is currently serving his second year as the Annual Planning Meeting Co-Chair. He completed his undergraduate education at Purdue University in Chemistry, where he studied tumor-targeting radiopharmaceuticals and receive a grant. He then went to Medical School at The Indiana University School of Medicine and the completed his Anesthesiology Residency at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. He went on Fellowship in Pain Medicine at the Cleveland Clinic. Following Fellowship, he advocated for pain care access and therapy as a congressional fellow to a member of the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Sub-committee on Health.
Dr. Pope served as meeting Co-Chair for the inaugural Advanced Neuromodulation lab for the INS meeting in Montreal, and is involved in many committees with the INS, serving as the chair of the Young Neuromodulator Committee, The CME and Education Committee, is co-chair of the upcoming INS Advanced Neuromodulation Lab in Edinburgh. Dr. Pope is President Elect for the California Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (CASIPP) and is also serving as Co-Chair for the Special Interest Group in Neuromodulation for the American Society of Regional Anesthesia (ASRA).
Dr. Pope has served as liaison to the FDA for numerous companies, both in and outside od the pain and neuromodulator space, and is the Regulatory and Marketing Vice President of AGR, an anesthesia gas company. He serves on numerous task forces for appropriate pain care and industry advisory boards.
Focused on education, Dr. Pope is centered on improving outcomes and safety through research and curriculum development. He is well published in many peer-reviewed journals, authored numerous chapters, textbooks and atlases, while presenting at regional, national, and international meetings. Working foundationally on on comprehensive workshops for fellows, residents, and physicians in practice, both domestically and internationally, Dr. Pope and his colleagues are working towards an improved neuromodulation space.
 Lawrence Poree, MD, PhD
Dr. Poree holds the position of Clinical Professor in the Department of Anesthesia at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) where he serves as the director of the Neuromodulation service. He started his neuromodulation career as a basic science researcher at UC Berkeley where he investigated the analgesic properties of CNS hormones. He continued his research at Johns Hopkins University in the department of Biomedical Engineering where he investigated the neural pathways involved in spinal cord stimulation. He decided to apply his research to medical practice and enrolled at Stanford University where he earned his medical degree and completed his residency in anesthesia while continuing to conduct research on new non-opioid based pain medications. He then completed an interventional pain fellowship at UCSF. He founded and served as medical director of a private practice comprehensive pain management clinic for the next 15 years. During this time, he was able to consult with neuromodulation companies and completed a pivotal multi-center trial for DRG stimulation. He returned to academia 2 years ago to help advance the use of neuromodulation technologies at the University of California San Francisco Pain Management Center. He continues his academic research on the investigation of novel spinal cord stimulation systems. For the past 8 years he has served on the North American Neuromodulation Society board of directors where his focus is on education and credentialing. He has co-authored several publications in the neuromodulation field including spinal cord stimulation and intrathecal therapy training guidelines.
Regional Directors-at-Large
 Fabián César Piedimonte, MD, PhD - Latin America Regional Director-at-Large
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 appointed President of the Local Arrangements Committee (LAC) for the 15h World Congress on Pain, which took 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 held the position of Treasurer of the INS for two consecutive periods.
He served as Vice president (President Elect) of the Latin American Federation of Associations for the Study of Pain (FEDELAT); currently he is 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.
 Kaare Meier, MD, PhD - Europe, Canada, and Africa Regional Director-at-Large
Kaare Meier received his medical degree from University of Southern Denmark in 2006 and started working with Spinal Cord Stimulation in 2009.
He received his PhD on SCS in 2012 at Aarhus University, Denmark.
Currently he holds a position at Aarhus University Hospital and spends half of his working hours doing clinical neuroanesthesia, keeping the professional link with neurologists and neurosurgeons.
The other half is spent on neuromodulation; Spinal Cord Stimulation, Occipital Nerve Stimulation, and Peripheral Nerve Stimulation.
His original research interest was neurological studies and animal models but gradually his professional interest has turned in a different direction:
1) providing documentation for the effect, safety, and cost-effectiveness of neuromodulation.
He is the driving force behind the Neurizon Neuromodulation Database (http://neurizon.org), a free, comprehensive database designed specifically for international collaboration.
2) exploring dogmas in neuromodulation.
He and his small research team is investigating and testing a number of existing dogmas in neuromodulation, using both interventional approaches and the large dataset in the Neurizon database.
3) fostering international collaboration.
He strongly believes that international collaboration is the key to provide more solid research results and improve treatment outcomes.
In 2014, he took the initiative to form the Nordic Neuromodulation Society, a multinational INS chapter uniting members from Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, and he has been the president of the society since its founding. He has been on the planning committees at all annual meetings of the NNS and in the scientific committee of the 2019 EFIC meeting.
He also worked towards establishing the Russian INS chapter, that was founded in 2018.
In 2016/2017 he was chairman of the team that defined the underlying structure behind the new INS website with the specific aim of providing a common tool for the neuromodulation society.
He was part of the working group initiating and planning the 1st Joint European meeting of European INS chapters in Nijmegen 2018, just as he is for the 2nd in Paris 2020.
His is married to Ioanna, a (very patient) Greek pediatrician with a very handy expertise in epidemiology and statistics, and he is the father of Rebekka and Andreas who, to the delight of their parents, both share a vivid imagination, an adventurous spirit, and an all-round cheerful view of life.
Lawrence Poree, MD, PhD - USA Regional Director-at-Large
Dr. Poree holds the position of Clinical Professor in the Department of Anesthesia at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) where he serves as the director of the Neuromodulation service. He started his neuromodulation career as a basic science researcher at UC Berkeley where he investigated the analgesic properties of CNS hormones. He continued his research at Johns Hopkins University in the department of Biomedical Engineering where he investigated the neural pathways involved in spinal cord stimulation. He decided to apply his research to medical practice and enrolled at Stanford University where he earned his medical degree and completed his residency in anesthesia while continuing to conduct research on new non-opioid based pain medications. He then completed an interventional pain fellowship at UCSF. He founded and served as medical director of a private practice comprehensive pain management clinic for the next 15 years. During this time, he was able to consult with neuromodulation companies and completed a pivotal multi-center trial for DRG stimulation. He returned to academia 2 years ago to help advance the use of neuromodulation technologies at the University of California San Francisco Pain Management Center. He continues his academic research on the investigation of novel spinal cord stimulation systems. For the past 8 years he has served on the North American Neuromodulation Society board of directors where his focus is on education and credentialing. He has co-authored several publications in the neuromodulation field including spinal cord stimulation and intrathecal therapy training guidelines.
 Richard Sullivan, MBChB, FANZCA, FFPMANZCA - Asia, Australia and New Zealand Regional Director-at-Large
Dr Richard Sullivan is a Pain Physician at Precision Brain Spine and Pain Centre, where he has practiced for the past decade. He prides himself in adopting a holistic, contemporary, interdisciplinary and patient-centred approach to chronic pain, integrating patient education, functional restoration, intervention and neuromodulation in his day to day practice.
He heads an Australasian Faculty of Pain Medicine accredited Fellowship Training Unit based in Melbourne and also practices in Queensland. He is the immediate past president of the Neuromodulation Society of Australia and New Zealand and has succeeded in helping cement the society’s world renown for exceptional quality scientific meetings.
He is a Faculty Examiner and sits on the Procedural Pain Steering Committee for the Australasian Faculty of Pain Medicine.
He is an avid and active researcher in the field of neuromodulation authoring and co-authoring peer-reviewed publications on new indications, functional outcomes and novel therapies. He is a passionate teacher and mentor for trainees in pain medicine and for clinicians learning the art of neuromodulation and is often invited to lecture and teach to international audiences.
He sits on numerous advisory boards for medical device and pharma companies. He is also a respected local expert in chronic pain diagnosis and management in the medicolegal world.
Previously he was the clinical lead of Pain Services at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre and completed his Pain Medicine training at Royal Melbourne Hospital.
Emeritus Director-at-Large
 Simon Thomson, MBBS, FRCA, FIPP
Dr. Simon Thomson is a consultant in Pain Medicine and Neuromodulation at Basildon and Thurrock University NHS Trust since October 1992. He works in a private capacity at Nuffield Health Brentwood and The London Clinic. He holds an interest in multidisciplinary pain management, pain and neuromodulation, education, and clinical research. Since 2012 he is fulltime in pain medicine and neuromodulation.
In September 2009 he was elected as president of the International Neuromodulation Society and re-elected to serve a second term until June 2015. He was elected onto council of the British Pain Society and served from 2005 to 2008. He became a fellow of interventional pain practice (FIPP) in 2002. He founded the Neuromodulation Society of UK and Ireland (NSUKI) in 2000.
He led the INS team and executive board to create the INS Education and Public awareness strategy and to establish the INS as a flagship for all matters pertaining to neuromodulation. Under his Presidency INS membership, chapter formations and INS congress attendees more than doubled. He has established INS global regional meetings between biennial congress years.
He has developed and commissioned the UK neuromodulation registry project.
To do these projects he has raised over $500,000 in grants from industry partners.
He has been chair of the scientific committee for three large successful international congresses in London in 2011, Berlin in 2013 and Montreal 2015. He created the popular Neuromodulation Innovations symposia that bring leading scientists, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, clinicians and consolidating companies together and the Basic Neuromodulation Science satellite symposia.
Key scientific contributions have been through clinical indication studies EPOS, PROCESS, RASCAL studies. Recent research has been to explore sub-perception SCS with PROCO, HALO and FAST studies. He also does Mechanism of action research with quantitative sensory testing and biomarkers from skin biopsy.
He was specialist adviser to ScHARR (University of Sheffield) on a Health Technology Assessment concerning SCS in refractory neuropathic and ischaemic pain (2007 to 2008) and contributed to the NICE technology appraisal (TA159) in that capacity.
He was the first in the UK to publish long-term outcomes of SCS in a large personal series of patients with neuropathic and ischaemic pain syndromes. He continues to publish sequentially service reviews and has championed the need for long term longitudinal studies both with RELIEF and the National Neuromodulation Registry.
He has contributed chapters to textbooks on pain management and neurostimulation for pain. He serves on editorial board of Neuromodulation: Technology at the Neural Interface.
More recently he has chaired the development of a pan European e-tool for SCS referrers and centre selection.
He is interested in re-engineering our collective approach to SCS delivery, away from relying upon a prolonged trial period of SCS, to that of better multidisciplinary assessment and management.
He is working to improve the definitions concerning back and leg pain and improving the terms used in our field, such as failed back surgery syndrome.
He is involved in specialist training for pain management generally and SCS and IT drug delivery training specifically.
He is an advocate of pain management and neuromodulation specifically and addresses public audiences and writes articles for scientific community and popular newspapers.
His colleagues regard him as a leader in the field of pain medicine and neuromodulation.
Neuromodulation and spinal cord stimulation are transforming chronic illness management. The worldwide progress in gaining patient access to neuromodulation has been significantly helped by the efforts of Dr. Thomson.
When not working he enjoys his family and friends. He likes to ski, play tennis both real and lawn, cycle, cook and entertain. He is father to Ben, Jonny and Beth.
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