American Pain Society Selects Tonya Palermo, PhD Treasurer and Three New Directors
CHICAGO, June 26, 2018 – The American Pain Society today announced its selections of clinical psychologist Tonya Palermo, Ph.D. as Treasurer and three new members of the Board of Directors: John Markman, M.D., Jamie Rhudy, Ph.D. and David Tauben, M.D.
Palermo previously served a three-year term as an APS Director and is professor of anesthesiology and pain medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She also serves as associate director, Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development, Seattle Children’s Hospital. Her major research interests are psychological, behavioral and family treatments for pediatric chronic pain management and technology innovations for pain assessment and intervention.
“As Treasurer, my priority is to focus on the financial health of the society to allow APS to continue to invest in research, advocacy and educational strategies to reduce the burden of pain,” said Palermo.
Markman is professor, neurosurgery and neurology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, director of the Neuromedicine Pain Management Center and director of the Translational Pain Management Program. His research interests center on developing more effective and safer treatments for neuropathic and chronic low back pain syndromes, which include oral analgesic therapies, neuromodulation technologies and innovative approaches to pain assessment in clinical practice.
“My focus as an APS Board member is to ensure that patients across America with acute and chronic pain have access to the most effective and safest pain treatments available,” Markman stated. “I am committed to speeding the development of novel pain treatments that reduce pain and improve function with the lowest possible risk.”
Rhudy is professor of clinical psychology at the University of Tulsa. His main research interests are using psychological and psychophysiological techniques to identify mechanisms that contribute to chronic pain conditions and developing non-invasive methods for assessing individuals at risk for developing chronic pain. His laboratory is known for studying the interface of emotions and pain.
“It is important to me that APS continue to be America’s premier society where clinicians, researchers and patients gather to learn, educate and fight the burden of pain,” said Rhudy. “I plan to be an active team player in these endeavors and help bring the next generation of pain researchers into the society.”
Tauben is chief of pain medicine at University of Washington (UW) Medicine and director of medical student education in pain medicine for UW TelePain. He is a board-certified physician in internal medicine and pain medicine. His research interests are linked with his role as a multi-year principle investigator for UW’s prestigious NIH Center of Excellence in Pain Education.
“I believe The American Pain Society’s goals of improving pain research, education, treatment, and advocacy can appreciate that each person’s medical condition is a unique experience, so each and every advance must consider the ‘who’ in addition to the ‘where and when’ of an individual’s disease,” Tauben said.
About the American Pain Society
Based in Chicago, the American Pain Society (APS) is a multidisciplinary community that brings together a diverse group of scientists, clinicians and other professionals to increase the knowledge of pain and transform public policy and clinical practice to reduce pain-related suffering. APS is the professional home for investigators involved in all aspects of pain research including basic, translational, clinical and health services research to obtain the support and inspiration they need to flourish professionally. APS strongly advocates expansion of high quality pain research to help advance science to achieve effective and responsible pain relief. For more information on APS, visit www.americanpainsociety.org.
