2019 John and Emma Bonica Public Service Award
David A. Thomas, PhD
Dr. Thomas began his pre-doctoral and post-doctoral research careers at the National Institute of Dental Research (now NIDCR), where he spent 10 years studying opioids, pain, analgesia and opioid-induce pruritus. In 1993, he moved to the University of Chicago where he continued to study opioids, pain, analgesia and opioid-induce pruritus in rat models. In 1995, Dr. Thomas joined the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), where he has managed and coordinated much of NIDA’s pain and opioid research efforts. He participated in the development of the National Pain Strategy (NPS), and is currently Co-Chair of the NPS Provider Education Implementation Committee. He also represents NIDA at the Interagency Pain Research Coordination Committee. Dr. Thomas served as the NIH liaison to the CDC in the development of the CDC guideline on opioid prescribing for chronic pain. He currently is co-chair of the NIDA Prescription Opioids and Pain workgroup, which fosters pain and opioid research and education. He is also a founding member of the National Institutes of Health Pain Consortium, which promotes and pain research across the NIH. Further, Dr. Thomas leads the NIH Pain Consortium Centers of Excellence in Pain Education which is promoting pain education in medical, dental, nursing, pharmacy and other professional schools. Lastly, Dr. Thomas is actively participating in the NIH Helping to End Addiction Long-Term (HEAL) Initiatives, working to reduce opioid addiction and improve pain treatment.
The John and Emma Bonica Public Service Award honors outstanding contributions by an individual or an organization to the field of pain through public education, dissemination of information, public service, or other efforts to further knowledge about pain. The award is named for John Bonica, a leading force in the development of the pain treatment movement, and his wife, Emma.
