At the Congress, IASP bestows two of its highest honors by awarding two long-time association members the opportunity to give a distinguished lecture.

John J. Bonica Distinguished Lecture Award

Clifford Woolf The association has awarded the John J. Bonica Distinguished Lecture Award to Clifford J. Woolf, founder of the Neural Plasticity Research Group at Massachusetts General Hospital, a multidisciplinary research group devoted to studying pain. The Bonica Award, named in honor of the founder of IASP, is presented at each Congress to a person who has made a major contribution to pain research or pain therapy.

“Clifford Woolf’s work in dissecting the physiological and biochemical mechanisms of central sensitization has had an enormous impact on the study of pain,” said G.F. Gebhart, IASP president. “This will be a tremendous opportunity for our Congress delegates to learn more about pain and plasticity.”

Woolf, who in February will become the director of the F.M. Kirby Neurobiology Center at Children’s Hospital Boston and professor of neurology and neurobiology at Harvard Medical School, entitled his lecture “Central Sensitization: How Plasticity Produces Pain.” He is scheduled to speak at 08:15 on Wednesday, September 1.

John D. Loeser Distinguished Lecture Award

The John D. Loeser Distinguished Lecture Award recognizes work that gives new perspectives to understanding the experiences of pain and that opens the door to future reductions in suffering. Recognizing her work in the field of cancer pain, IASP has named Kathleen Foley as the Loeser award winner.

Foley is an attending neurologist in the Pain and Palliative Care Service at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. She is professor of neurology, neuroscience, and clinical pharmacology at Weill Medical College of Cornell University, and holds the chair of the Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Pain Research.

“Kathy’s focus on assessing and treating patients with cancer pain has been inspirational and well respected. I anticipate that her words will have a tremendous impact when she shares her thoughts with our delegates,” said Gebhart.

Foley’s topic will be “Advancing Pain and Palliative Care Globally: Challenges and Opportunities.” She is scheduled to speak at 13:45 on Tuesday, August 31.