About the USASP

Dr. Burel Goodin, PhD, is a tenured Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology within the School of Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL). Before joining WUSTL in 2023, Dr. Goodin spent 11 years at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where they rose to the rank of Professor of Psychology and co-directed the Center for Addiction Pain Prevention & Intervention (CAPPI). Dr. Goodin is nationally and internationally recognized as an expert in translational pain science, with broad expertise ranging from clinical psychology to behavioral neuroscience and a notable record of both building and leading transdisciplinary research teams. Currently serving as the Principal Investigator (PI) or Multiple Principal Investigator (MPI) on four R01 awards, as well as the site PI for an R37 MERIT award, and co-investigator on an R01 and an NIH HEAL Initiative Other Transactions Authority (OTA) award, Dr. Goodin's scientific expertise is centrally related to disparities in the pain experience and pain management based upon minority status. They have published extensively on psychological aspects of chronic pain outcomes, with recent work examining environmental conditions and contexts influencing pain. Dr. Goodin is a leading expert in the application of social neuroscience frameworks to understand the mechanisms driving pain disparities, particularly focusing on older African American/Black populations. Continually funded by NIH since 2010, serving as a member on the NIH/NIDA Career Development Education and Training (CDET) study section, and having published over 125 peer-reviewed publications with nearly 5,500 citations per Google Scholar, Dr. Goodin's career is defined by bringing together investigators from different disciplines to address scientific problems requiring innovative translational research perspectives.

John T. Farrar, MD, PhD. is a Professor of Epidemiology (primary), Neurology (secondary), and Anesthesia (secondary) at the Perelman School of Medicine (PSOM) at the University of Pennsylvania. He received his MD from the University of Rochester, and MSCE and PhD in pharmacoepidemiology from the University of Pennsylvania. He has been a funded investigator in clinical research for over 25 years with a major focus on studies of the efficacy of pain therapeutics and design of pain clinical trials. As a neurologist and a pharmacoepidemiologist, he has been involved in numerous studies including randomized trials (RCTs), cohort studies, and methodologic studies of pain and associated symptoms, making important contributions to the measurement, analysis, and interpretation of pain related studies. At the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, he has co-directed the Biostatistical Analysis Center and for 15 years the Master of Science in Clinical Epidemiology (MSCE) program, a two-year masters program focused on training 25-30 fellows per year to launch their careers as independently funded scientists in clinical research. In his mentoring role he has worked with a diverse group of more than 25 fellows, been primary mentor on several career development awards and teaches courses in health measurement, clinical trials, and grant writing. He currently is a member of multiple Special Interest Groups in the IASP and was previously the co-Director of the Pain Measurement SIG for the APS as well as a member of the APS board. DISCLOSURES: Vertex Pharam (consulting fees)

Yenisel Cruz-Almeida MSPH, Ph.D. was born in La Habana, Cuba. She completed a B.Sc. degree in Microbiology & Cell Science in 2001. In 2004 she completed her master’s degree in Epidemiology & Public Health with a concentration in Biostatistics, and in 2011, her Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at the University of Miami MILLER School of Medicine. As a postdoc, she focused on pain phenotyping including investigating age and pain-related biomarkers of immune function and training in Geriatrics and Gerontology at the University of Florida. Yenisel is currently a tenured Associate Professor in the Departments of Community Dentistry and Behavioral Sciences, Epidemiology and Neuroscience in the Colleges of Dentistry & Medicine. Dr Cruz-Almeida also serves as the Associate Director of the UF Pain Research & Intervention Center of Excellence and the Core Leader of the Pilot & Exploratory Studies Core of the UF Older American Independence Calude D. Pepper Center. She is the Course Director of various pain (Neurobiology of Pain, Science and Clinical Management of Dental Pain), and translational research (Clinical Translational Sciences Journal Club) courses. She is a member of the executive committee of the North American Pain School (2022-2025), the Chair of the NIH Center for Scientific Review Neurobiology of Pain & Itch Study Section (2023-2025), and serves on the leadership of the “Pain In Older Persons SIG of the International Association for the Study of Pain (2022-present). DISCLOSURES: Journal of Pain (Associate Editor)

Dr. Claudia Campbell, PhD, is a clinical psychologist with a laboratory boasting a strong history of NIH-supported work in the neurophysiological assessment of pain responses and their interaction with psychosocial processes. Maintaining a robust multidisciplinary membership within the society is of great importance to Dr. Campbell. They hold an NIH K24 grant dedicated to mentoring future leaders in the pain field and recognize the vital role of the US Association for the Study of Pain (USASP) in their development. Having joined the society’s predecessor, APS, as a graduate student, Dr. Campbell understands the impact societies have on facilitating the careers of young investigators. They attended every meeting from 2002-2019, contributing to various committees and serving as a board member in the last several years before its dissolution. Dr. Campbell thoroughly enjoyed their time on the board and is eager to take on the role of secretary in the USASP board. They aim to actively collaborate with energetic and invested leaders to guide the society, brainstorm and implement strategies for continuous innovation and improvement, and manage record-keeping and meeting minutes in conjunction with the society’s administration. Dr. Campbell believes they are well-suited to represent the needs of USASP members and the interests of individuals in the pain community who benefit from the society’s initiatives. NEW

Dr. Rajesh Khanna is the Richard and Thelma O.C. Barney Term Professor and serves as the Director of the Pain Research and Integrated Neuroscience Center (PRINC) at the University of Florida's Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics. His research focuses on the allosteric regulation and trafficking of voltage-gated ion channels, particularly in the context of chronic pain and neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Khanna's laboratory employs a multidisciplinary approach that includes mouse genetics, confocal microscopy, protein biochemistry, electrophysiology, live imaging, and behavioral analyses in rodent models to investigate the mechanisms underlying chronic pain. In addition to his research, he teaches courses such as "Molecules to Man: Past, Present and Future Therapeutic Strategies for Disease" and "Principles of Drug Action and Therapeutics" at the University of Florida.

Dr. Samantha Meints is an Assistant Professor of Anesthesia at Harvard Medical School, where she is dedicated to advancing research that aims to prevent and treat chronic pain through nonpharmacologic interventions. She is currently funded by the National Institutes of Health for a project exploring the use of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a mind-body intervention, to prevent chronic pain and long-term opioid use following spine surgery. In addition to her research, Dr. Meints is passionate about teaching and mentoring the next generation of pain clinicians and researchers. Originally from the suburbs of Chicago, Dr. Meints is a devoted fan of Chicago sports. She spent a decade in Indianapolis before relocating to the Boston area in 2017 to complete her internship at VA Boston. She then joined Brigham and Women’s Hospital for a fellowship and became faculty in 2020. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Psychology from Butler University and completed her graduate training at Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI). Outside of her professional work, Dr. Meints enjoys spending time with her husband, young son, and their dog. She has a lifelong love of softball, both playing and coaching, and finds joy in traveling, exploring food and wine, and embracing her value of playfulness—especially as she experiences the world anew through the eyes of motherhood.

Emily Wakefield, PsyD, is a pediatric psychologist in the Division of Pain and Palliative Medicine at Connecticut Children’s. Dr. Wakefield has dedicated her career to understanding and reducing the psychological burden of disease for children and adolescents with chronic health conditions and their families. Dr. Wakefield has expertise in pediatric pain and research interests in psychosocial factors impacting the quality of life for youth with chronic pain and sickle cell disease. The social support challenges that youth with chronic pain face due to the invisibility of chronic pain is a current focus of her NIH-funded research. She is evaluating the impact of pain-related stigma on children and adolescents with chronic pain and their caregivers. Additionally, Dr. Wakefield is dedicated to identifying barriers and solutions to reducing chronic pain inequities among marginalized youth. Dr. Wakefield has been recognized as a leader in her clinical abilities during her doctoral and fellowship training programs where she received several recognitions, including the Director’s Award for Sustained Superior Performance and the Clinical Excellence Leadership Postdoctoral Fellow Award.

Anna Woodbury, MD, MSCR, C.Ac. founded the Division for Pain Management at the Veterans Affairs Health Care System (VAHCS) in Atlanta and currently serves as the Associate Vice Chair of Research for the Department of Anesthesiology at Emory University. She is double-board certified in Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine and licensed to practice Acupuncture. She is an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Management at Emory University School of Medicine and active in research at both Emory and VAHCS. She has been a member of the national Committee on Pain Medicine for the American Society of Anesthesiologists and has served on institutional and federal grant review committees including NIH and VA study sections. She has presented nationally and written book chapters, articles and clinical reviews on integrative medicine and neuromodulation, including applications for chronic pain management, anesthesia and neuroprotection. She has also edited a Pain Management Board Review book. Her clinical expertise and research interests include the use of non-pharmacologic therapies for the management of pain, and she has a specific interest in understanding and treating chronic widespread pain conditions with non-invasive brain stimulation. She is one of the original members of the USASP and was recently elected to its Board of Directors. She is also a Charter Member of the Vagus Nerve Society and serves as its Secretary. DISCLOSURES: Elsevier book royalties, Lumina Health royalties

Katherine Martucci, PhD is Assistant Professor in Anesthesiology, Director of the Human Affect and Pain Neuroscience (HAPN) Lab, faculty member of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, and faculty member of the Center for Translational Pain Medicine (CTPM) at Duke University. At Duke University, Dr Martucci’s lab uses a combination of neuroimaging techniques, including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of the brain and cervical spinal cord, as well as sensory, behavioral, and psychological tests to study acute pain processing and chronic pain in humans. Dr Martucci received her BS, majoring in Physiology and Neurobiology, from the University of Connecticut, and her PhD in Neurobiology and Anatomy (with graduate mentor, Dr Robert Coghill; and dissertation committee chair, Dr James Eisenach) from Wake Forest School of Medicine. She then completed a postdoctoral fellowship with Dr Sean Mackey at Stanford University. Collectively, Dr Martucci has over 15 years in neuroimaging and collaborative pain research. Her established research program on the neurophysiology of chronic pain and opioid use has been funded by the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences (DIBS), a DREAM Innovation Grant, and multiple NIH NIDA awards (F31, K99/R00, R01). In addition to her role on the Board of Directors for USASP, Dr Martucci’s service to the field of pain research includes her roles as member of the Early Career Advisory Group and Membership Committee for the former American Pain Society (APS), member of the 2020 Global Year Task Force for the Prevention of Pain and the Digital Strategy and Content Working Group for the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), and member of the Nominations Committee, Diversity Inclusion and Anti-Racism in Pain SIG, Substance Use and Addiction SIG, and 2023 meeting local organizing committee for the USASP.

Daniela Salvemini, Ph.D is William Beaumont Professor and Chair of the Department of Pharmacology and Physiology at Saint Louis University (SLU) School of Medicine, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience and Director of SLU’s Institute for Translational Neuroscience. Dr. Salvemini received her BSc in Pharmacology from Kings College in London and her PhD in Pharmacology from the University of London under the mentorship of the late Nobel Prize winner Professor Sir John Vane. She pursued postdoctoral studies at the William Harvey Research Institute in London and in the Department of Discovery Pharmacology at Monsanto in Saint Louis. Before joining SLU in 2005, Dr Salvemini spent 15 years in the private sector where she led drug discovery efforts on novel anti-inflammatory agents and analgesics. Dr Salvemini’s research interests are to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms underpinning neuropathic pain and developing therapeutics to target these mechanisms. Her highly translational approaches combine behavioral pharmacology, biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, toxicology and drug discovery. Her work led to several seminal discoveries that resulted in the development of novel therapies that entered clinical trials. She has published over 270 peer-reviewed articles and holds many U.S. patents. Dr. Salvemini is founder of BioIntervene Inc, which is developing first-in-class selective A3AR agonists for the treatment of chronic pain and neuroinflammatory diseases and founding Director of the Henry and Amelia Nasrallah Center for Neuroscience at SLU. She is a board member of the United States Association for the Study of Pain. Dr. Salvemini has been honored with several awards for her basic science and translational research in pain and inflammation, including the Novartis Award in Pharmacology, the Outstanding Scientist Award from the Saint Louis Academy of Science and the Pharmacia-ASPET Award in Experimental Therapeutics. Dr. Salvemini is a fellow of the Saint Louis Academy of Science, a fellow of the National Academy of Inventors and a fellow of the American Society of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics. Her research has been funded consistently by the NIH, foundations and the private sector. DISCLOSURES: Biointervene Inc.

Dr. Janiece Taylor, PhD, MSN, RN, FAAN, is an Assistant Professor at Johns Hopkins University in the School of Nursing. She draws the foundation for her commitment and passion for pain research from personal, clinical, and professional experiences. Witnessing the enduring struggle of her mother and grandmother with chronic debilitating pain in her early life left a profound impact. As a bedside nurse, Dr. Taylor formed intimate connections with patients navigating varying degrees of undermanaged pain. Her role as a researcher provided opportunities to listen and collaborate with participants, gaining insight into the exhaustive impact pain had on their overall quality of life. Each of these encounters fuels Dr. Taylor's unwavering dedication and aspiration to enhance pain outcomes for marginalized groups, particularly middle-aged and older adults from underrepresented backgrounds such as African Americans and individuals with disabilities. Consequently, her career and research mission are centered on addressing the historical inequities faced by these groups concerning pain-related outcomes.

Monica Gremillion, PhD, is a pediatric psychologist who collaborates within interdisciplinary pain treatment teams in both outpatient clinics and intensive pain treatment programs. Committed to enhancing the health and quality of life for patients with chronic pain, Dr. Gremillion's clinical work and research prioritize elevating patient voices and fostering partnerships in pain care. Her clinical research specifically targets reducing perceptions of pain dismissal. Alongside their clinical practice, Dr. Gremillion serves as the Associate Director of the Pediatric Psychology Practicum Program, where she oversees the training of graduate-level psychology students, provides supervision, contributes to curriculum development for didactics, and leads program evaluation efforts. She has spearheaded a workgroup dedicated to developing a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiative for psychology residents, with the goal of integrating awareness of individual and cultural differences into professional settings. Dr. Gremillion finds mentoring trainees to be profoundly rewarding within the realm of academic medicine, recognizing its importance in cultivating a new generation of pain scholars.

Alfonso Romero-Sandoval, MD PhD received a medical degree from Centro Universitario de Occidente, Quetzaltenango (Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala) in 1999 and a Ph.D. degree in Neuroscience from Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, Spain, in 2003. Currently, Dr. Romero-Sandoval is a Professor of Anesthesiology and Social Sciences and Health Policy at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston Salem, NC (U.S.). His laboratory explores neuroimmune interactions in surgical and neuropathic pain and neuropathies induced by trauma, diabetes, or chemotherapy. Additionally, Dr. Romero-Sandoval studies the endocannabinoid system in the context of pain, cannabis pharmacology, and how the cannabis market in the U.S. is shaped and could affect pain patients.