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Leadership & Governance

IASP relies on the generous donation of time from its volunteer leadership teams to advance the association’s mission. Learn about the variety of leadership roles at IASP, information on our governance, and our various task forces, committees, and working groups that help shape the IASP and move the pain field forward.

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Officers and Councilors

IASP is governed by the Executive Committee and Council, nominated and elected by members and responsible for the governance of the association.

The IASP Council (board of directors) consists of the five executive officers and the councilors. Only officers and councilors have the right to vote.

IASP Officers Councilors Conflict of Interest

Executive Officers

Five executive officers are nominated and elected by the members to serve two-year terms. These officers, who make up the Executive Committee, hold the positions of president, president-elect, immediate past-president, secretary, and treasurer. The Executive Committee is part of the IASP Council. IASP Past Presidents >

Councilors

Fifteen councilors, who together represent IASP’s international and multidisciplinary scope, are nominated and elected by the members to serve six-year terms. The year in parentheses indicates when a councilor's term expires.

Task Forces

Presidental Task Forces

IASP relies on its members to volunteer their time on task forces to address the policy and operating concerns of the association.

Click on a task force name to see that group's role and current members.

Council Task Forces

IASP relies on its members to volunteer their time on task forces to address the policy and operating concerns of the association.

Click on a task force name to see that group's role and current members.

Committees & Working groups

Committees & Working Groups

IASP relies on its members to volunteer their time on various committees and working groups to address the policy and operating concerns of the association. Once every two years, a “Call for Volunteers” asks members for help. The Committee on Committees evaluates all applications and selects each group's members.

If you are interested in volunteering, please watch for an email announcing the call. Occasionally, the Council and/or IASP president may form an ad hoc task force to work on a specific issue. If you are willing to help and have the necessary experience, we may ask you to serve.

Click on a committee name to see that group's role and current members.

IASP Honorary Members

The following members have made outstanding contributions in pain-related fields to advance the mission of the association:

Honorary Memebers

Huda H. Abu-Saad, RN, PhD, Nursing, Lebanon
Allan I. Basbaum, PhD, Neurobiology, USA
Gary J. Bennett, PhD, Anesthesiology, Canada
Michael R. Bond, MD, PhD, Psychiatry/Psychosomatic Medicine, UK
Harald Breivik, MD, DMedSc, FRCA, Anesthesiology, Norway
Karen Berkley, PhD Psychology and Neuroscience, USA
Daniel B. Carr, MD, DABPM, FFPMANZCA (Hon), Anesthesiology, USA
Kenneth L. Casey, Sr., MD
, Neurology, USA
José M. Castro-Lopes, MD, PhD, Neuroscience, Portugal
Fernando Cervero, MD, PhD, DSc Neuroscience, United Kingdom
Pongparadee Chaudakshetrin, MD, Anesthesiology, Thailand
Charles S. Cleeland, MD, PhD, Psychology/Social Science, USA
Michael J. Cousins, MD, DSc, Pain Medicine, Australia
Kenneth Craig, PhD, Psychology, Canada
Marshall Devor, PhD, Neuroscience, Israel
Anthony Dickenson, BSc, PhD, FmedSci, Neuroscience, United Kingdom
Jonathan Dostrovsky, PhD, Neuroscience, Canada
Arthur W. Duggan, MB BS, MD, General Medicine, Australia
Maged El Ansary, MD, Pain Medicine, Egypt
Howard L. Fields, MD PhD, Neuroscience/Neuropharmacology, USA
Maria Fitzgerald, PhD, Neuroscience, United Kingdom
Herta Flor, PhD Psychology/Social Science, Germany
Kathleen Foley, MD, Neurology, USA
Gerald F. Gebhart, PhD, Pharmacology, USA
Ji-Sheng Han, MD, Neuroscience, China
Hermann Handwerker, MD, PhD, Neuroscience, Germany
Mark Jensen, PhD, Psychology, USA
C Celeste Johnston, RN, DEd, Nursing, Canada
Louisa E. Jones, BS, Health Administration, USA
David Julius, PhD, Physiology USA
Eija Anneli Kalso, MD, DMedSci, Anesthesiology, Finland
Jon D. Levine, MD, PhD, Neurobiology, USA
Steven Linton, PhD, Psychology, Sweden
John D. Loeser, MD, Neurosurgery, USA
Chris J. Main, PhD, Psychology/Social Science, UK
Henry McQuay, DM, MA, FRCA, FRCP, Anesthesiology, UK
George Mendelson, MD FRANZCP, Australia
Ann Merriman, MB, BCh, FRCP, Palliative Medicine, Uganda
Harold Merskey, DM FRCP, Psychiatry/Psychosomatic Medicine, Canada
Bjorn A. Meyerson, MD, PhD, Neurosurgery, Sweden
Andrew Moore, DSc, Anesthesiology, UK
Ardem Patapoutian, PhD, Neuroscience USA
Srinivasa Raja M.D, Pain Medicine, USA
M.R. Rajagopal, MD, Pain Medicine, India
Barry J. Sessle, MDS PhD, Neuroscience, Canada
Olaitan Alice Soyannwo, MBBS, MMed, Anesthesiology, Nigeria
Troels Staehelin Jensen, MD, DMSc, Neurology, Denmark
Richard A. Sternbach, PhD, Psychology, USA
Manoel Jacobsen Teixeira, MD, PhD, Professor, Brazil
Masaya Tohyama, MD, DMedSci, Neuroscience, Japan 
Horacio Vanegas, MD, PhD
, Neuroscience, Venezuela
Ramani Vijayan, F.A.N.Z.C.A; F.A.M.M, Anesthesiology, Malaysia
John Christopher (Chris) Wells, MB ChB LRCP MRCS LMCC FRCA FIPP, Pain Medicine, Portugal
Amanda C de C Williams, PhD, Psychology, United Kingdom
Hideo Yamamura, MD, Anesthesiology, Japan
Manfred Zimmermann, Prof Dr, Neuroscience, Germany

Deceased Honorary Members

Lord Adrian, UK
Denise G. Albe-Fessard, DSc, Neuroscience, France
F.A. Duncan Alexander, MD, USA
Henry K. Beecher, MD, Anesthesiology, USA
Jean-Marie R. Besson, DSc, Neuroscience, France
John J. Bonica, MD, DMedSc, Anesthesiology, USA
David Bowsher, MD ScD, Neurology, UK
Hsiang-Tung Chang, PhD, Neuroscience, China
J. Edmond Charlton, MB BS, Anesthesiology, UK
Vladyimir N. Chernigovsky, Prof, Russia
Derek Denny-Brown, Prof, Neurology, USA
Ronald Dubner, DDS, PhD, Neuroscience, USA
Sergio H. Ferreira, Prof, Neuroscience, Brazil
B. Raymond Fink, MD, FFARCS, Anesthesiology, USA
Wilbert E. Fordyce, PhD, Psychology, USA
Cynthia Goh, MBBS, PhD, Palliative Medicine, Singapore
Jan M. Gybels, MD PhD, Neurosurgery, Belgium
James D. Hardy, Prof, USA
Ernest Hilgard, PhD, USA
Raymond W. Houde, MD, Internal Medicine, USA
Ainsley Iggo, DSc FRS, Neuroscience, UK
Suhayl J. Jabbur, MD PhD, Neuroscience, Lebanon
Cyril A. Keele, MD, FFARCS, UK
Hans W. Kosterlitz, MD, PhD, DSc, FRS, Pharmacology/Physiology, Scotland
Zdenck Kunc, Prof, Czech Republic
Ulf Lindblom, MD DMSc, Neurology, Sweden
Sampson Lipton, MBBCh, MD, FFARCS, OBE, UK
John W. Lloyd, OBE, MD, FFARCS, UK
William Maixner, DDS, PhD, Dentistry, USA
Ronald Melzack, PhD, Psychology, Canada
Bjorn A. Meyerson, MD, PhD, Neurosurgery, Sweden
Stephen Morley, PhD, Psychology/Social Science, UK
Blaine S. Nashold, Jr., MD
, Neurosurgery, USA
Peter Nathan, MD, FRCP, Neurology, UK
William Noordenbos, MB ChB, MD, PhD, The Netherlands
Edward R. Perl, MD, Neuroscience, USA
Issy Pilowsky, MD, Psychiatry/Psychosomatic Medicine, Australia
Donald D. Price, PhD, Prof, Psychology, USA
Paolo Procacci, MD
, Internal Medicine, Italy
Dame Cicely M. Saunders, DBE MD, Palliative Medicine, UK
Robert F. Schmidt, Dr med, Neuroscience, Germany
Sir Sydney Sunderland, MD, DSc, FRACP, Australia
William H. Sweet, MD, DSc, Neurosurgery, USA
Mark Swerdlow, MD, FFARCS, Anesthesiology, UK
Janos Szentagothai, MD, Hungary
Ronald R. Tasker, MD, Neurosurgery, Canada
Ugo Teodori, MD, Italy
Mario Tiengo, MD PhD, Anesthesiology, Italy
Janet G. Travell, MD, DMS, Dsc, USA
Patrick D. Wall, DM, FRS, Neuroscience, UK
James C. White, MD, Neurosurgery, USA
William D. Willis, MD PhD, Neuroscience, USA
Yngve Zotterman, MD, ScD, Sweden

IASP Past Presidents

IASP's past presidents and their terms:

Denise Albe-Fessard France (1975-1978)
John J. Bonica USA (1978-1981)
Ainsley Iggo UK (1981-1984)
Ronald Melzack Canada (1984-1987)
Michael J. Cousins Australia (1987-1990)
Ulf Lindblom Sweden (1990-1993)
John D. Loeser USA (1993-1996)
Jean-Marie Besson, France (1996-1999)
Barry J. Sessle Canada (1999-2002)
Michael R. Bond UK (2002-2005)

Troels S. Jensen Denmark (2005-2008)
Gerald Gebhart USA (2008-2010)
Eija Kalso Finland (2010-2012)
Fernando Cervero UK (2012-2014)
Rolf Detlef Treede Germany (2014-2016)
Judy Turner USA (2016-2018)
Lars Arendt-Nielsen Denmark (2018-2020)
Claudia Sommer Germany (2020-2022)
Catherine Bushnell USA (2022-2024)
Andrew Rice UK (2024-2026)