John J. Bonica Award Recipients
Honoring leaders in pain research and care, from 1979 to today.
2020 Steven P. Cohen, MD
Challenges in the Design and Interpretation of Clinical Trials in Interventional Pain Medicine
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2021 Mark Steven Wallace, MD
The Evolution of Medical Cannabis for Pain: 25-Year Experience
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2022 Rami Burstein, MD
The Neurobiology of Migraine - From Pathophysiology to Choice of Treatment
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2023 Jennifer Haythornthwaite, PhD
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2024 Richard North, MD
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2025 Michael Erdek, MD MA
Sympathetic Neurolysis in the Treatment of Advanced Cancer Pain
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* Deceased
2010 Steven D. Passik, PhD
To Pee or not to Pee: The Evolution of Urine Screening and other aspects of Risk Management in Opioid Therapy
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2011 Robert Dworkin, PhD
From Mechanisms to Medicines: the Crisis in Analgesic Drug Development and What Can Be Done About It
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2012 Dennis C. Turk, PhD
Genotyping, Phenotyping, Psychotyping Patients with Chronic Pain: Virtues of Splitting vs. Lumping
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2013 Gary J. Bennett, PhD
Mitochondria – Novel Therapeutic Targets for the Control of Neuropathic Pain
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2014 William K. Schmidt, PhD
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: Innovations in Analgesic Drug Development
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2015 Michael Stanton-Hicks, DMED, MBBS
History of Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)
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2016 Charles Argoff, MD
The Future of Pain Medicine
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2017 Frank Porreca, PhD
Going in Circles with Opioids for Treatment of Pain
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2018 Richard B. Lipton MD
Migraine, a Sometimes Progressive Pain Disorder
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2019 Michael J. Caterina, MD PhD
Mechanisms of Cutaneous Pain Sensation
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* Deceased
2003 Dr. Russell Portenoy​
Long-Term Opioid Treatment for Chronic Pain: A Modern Twist on an Ancient Therapy
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2004 Dr. Daniel B. Carr
Translating Clinical Research to Clinical Practice: A Never Ending Challenge
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2005 Dr. Patrick Mantyh
Mechanisms that Drive Cancer Pain
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2006 Dr. Richard Payne*
What is Compassionate Pain Care in the 21st Century? Is the Good Samaritan an Oxymoron in 21st Century Health Care?
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2007 Dr. James Eisenach
Obstetrics: Pain Fibers (but not pain) Speed Labor And Protect Against Chronic Pain
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2008 Charles S. Cleeland, PhD
The Symptom Complex: What Goes Along with Having Chronic Pain?
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2009 David Joranson, MSSW
Pain and Public Policy – Reflections on the Journey
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* Deceased
2000 Dr. Donald D. Price*
Mechanisms and New Treatments of Persistent Pain
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2001 Dr. Gavril Pasternak*
Molecular Mechanisms of Morphine Action: From the Clinic to the Bench
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2002 Dr. Clifford Woolf
Chipping Away at Pain Mechanisms
1990 Ada G. Rogers, R.N.*
The ABCs of Pediatric Pain
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1991 Dr. B. Berthold Wolff*
The Measurement of Pain: An Odyssey
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1992 Dr. Ulf Lindblom*
Pain and Sensory Dysfunction, Integration and Separation
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1993 Dr. Tony L. Yaksh
The Practical Significance of Processing Bias in Spinal Pain Transmission OR How Tightly Wound is your Patient’s Watch?
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1994 Dr. Charles E. Inturrisi
Molecular Markers of Pain and Analgesic Tolerance
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1995 Dr. Michael J. Cousins
Drug Treatment of Pain by local Anesthetics and other Regionally Applied Drugs: Current and Future Applications.
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1996 Dr. Jes Olesen
Migraine: Diagnosis and Pathophysiology.
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1997 Dr. Abraham Sunshine*
Clinical Analgesic Studies: The Future of the Past.
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1998 Dr. Gerald F. Gebhart
Visceral Pain and its Modulation
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1999 Dr. William T. Beaver
It’s Déjà Vu All Over Again: Reflections of an Analgesiologist
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​* Deceased
1979 Dr. Patrick D. Wall*
On the Relation of Injury to Pain
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1980 Dr. William H. Sweet*
Animal Models of Chronic Pain: Their Possible Validation from Human Experience
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1981 Dr. Raymond W. Houde*
Pain and The Search for the Holy Grail: New Drugs Revisited
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1982 Dr. Ronald Melzack*
The Reality of Labour Pain
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1983 Dr. John C. Liebeskind*
Pain Modulation: Central Mechanisms and Environmental Triggers
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1984 Dr. Avram Goldstein*
Pain and the Endogenous Opioids
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1985 Dr. Wilbert E. Fordyce*
Pain, Freedom of Choice and Accountability
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1986 Dr. Kathleen M. Foley
Cancer Pain: Controversy and Challenges
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1987 Dr. Howard L. Fields
Endogenous Mechanisms of Pain Control
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1988 Dr. Vittorio Ventafridda*
Continuing Care: An Important Issue in Cancer Pain
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1989 Dr. William D. Willis, Jr.*
The Role of Spinothalamic Neurons in Hyperalgesia
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* Deceased