IASP is proud to recognize six distinguished pain researchers and clinicians who will deliver Keynote Prize and Award Lectures at the 2026 World Congress on Pain.
These honorees reflect the depth, breadth, and international reach of the pain field, with work spanning basic science, clinical science, translational discovery, mechanism-based care, surgical pain, perceptual science, sex hormones, and neuropathic pain. Their contributions have advanced understanding of pain and strengthened the foundation for improved prevention, assessment, and treatment worldwide.
The 2026 World Congress on Pain will bring these six honorees together to present award- and prize-winning research that has advanced the understanding, assessment, and treatment of pain across the basic, translational, and clinical sciences.
Keynote Prize Lectures
Koichi Noguchi, MD, PhD
John J. Bonica Prize for Distinguished Lifetime Achievement in the Basic Science of Pain
Lecture: “Molecular Histochemical Analysis of Neuroplasticity-Related Gene Expression in Pain Pathway”
Koichi Noguchi, MD, PhD, of Hyogo College of Medicine, Japan, is the recipient of the John J. Bonica Prize for Distinguished Lifetime Achievement in the Basic Science of Pain. The prize recognizes an individual who has made a major contribution to pain research or therapy and honors John J. Bonica, the founder of IASP.
For 40 years, Professor Noguchi has advanced understanding of how pain signals are modulated and maintained under chronic conditions, with research spanning neuropathic, visceral, and musculoskeletal pain. His lecture will present an overview of his pioneering work on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of chronic pain, including neuroplasticity-related gene expression in pain pathways and future directions for understanding nociceptive processing.
Ralf Baron, MD
John D. Loeser Prize for Distinguished Lifetime Achievement in the Clinical Science of Pain
Lecture: “The Neuropathic Chameleon: We are Hot on the Scent”
Ralf Baron, MD, of the University of Kiel, Germany, is the recipient of the John D. Loeser Prize for Distinguished Lifetime Achievement in the Clinical Science of Pain. The prize honors Dr. John D. Loeser for his decades of dedication to the promotion of pain education and research.
Professor Baron has been at the forefront of clinical pain research for more than 30 years, transforming how neuropathic pain is understood, classified, and treated. His lecture will explore advances in sensory profiling, machine learning, and biomarker discovery, and how these innovations are moving the field toward disease-modifying treatments that address neuropathic pain at its source.
Award Lectures
Esther Pogatzki-Zahn, MD, PhD
Ronald Melzack Lecture Award
Lecture: “Prediction and Prevention of Chronic Post-Surgical Pain”
Esther Pogatzki-Zahn, MD, PhD, of University Hospital Muenster, Germany, is the recipient of the Ronald Melzack Lecture Award, which honors IASP Honorary Member Ronald Melzack for his work and contributions to the science of pain.
Dr. Pogatzki-Zahn will discuss strategies to improve pain management for surgical patients, emphasizing the importance of multidisciplinary care in providing effective acute pain relief and reducing the risk of chronic post-surgical pain. Her lecture will also address emerging research on predicting high-risk patients and developing interventions to prevent long-term pain after surgery.
Steve Middleton, PhD
Ronald Dubner Research Prize
Lecture: “Beyond Ion Channels: Metabolic Control of Pain Sensitivity”
Steve Middleton, PhD, of the University of Oxford, UK, is the recipient of the Ronald Dubner Research Prize. This prize honors outstanding clinical or basic science research in the field of pain by a trainee.
Dr. Middleton will discuss how sensory neuron hyperexcitability contributes to chronic pain and why pain research must look beyond ion channels to understand how neuronal excitability is controlled. His lecture will highlight findings identifying SLC45A4 as a novel pain gene and the first neuronal membrane polyamine transporter, with implications for future therapeutic strategies.
Tasha R. Stanton, PhD
Ulf Lindblom Young Investigator Award for Clinical Science
Lecture: “Taking Perceptual Science to the Clinic to Revamp Care for Those in Pain”
Tasha R. Stanton, PhD, of the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Australia, is the recipient of the Ulf Lindblom Young Investigator Award for Clinical Science. This award recognizes an individual who has achieved a high level of independence as an outstanding scholar in the field of pain in clinical science.
Dr. Stanton will discuss how perceptual science can inform and improve care for people living with pain. Her lecture will explore predictive processing, active inference, pain science education, and technologies such as virtual and mediated reality as tools to update perceptions of the body and support clinical care.
Hadas Nahman-Averbuch, PhD
Patrick D. Wall Young Investigator Award for Basic Science
Lecture: “Sex Hormones and Pain Across the Lifespan”
Hadas Nahman-Averbuch, PhD, of Washington University School of Medicine, USA, is the recipient of the Patrick D. Wall Young Investigator Award for Basic Science. This award recognizes an individual who has achieved a high level of independence as an outstanding scholar in the field of pain in basic science.
Dr. Nahman-Averbuch will examine the role of sex hormones in experimental pain sensitivity and chronic pain across the lifespan, with a focus on migraine and endometriosis in adults and adolescents. Her lecture will address how hormone-related changes, puberty, and individual variability may influence pain sensitivity and chronic pain severity.
IASP congratulates these six honorees and looks forward to recognizing their achievements at the 2026 World Congress on Pain.