IASP - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Marketing Specialist
- Senior Marketing Specialist
Akilah Hill is a Marketing Specialist for IASP. She skillfully aids the Marketing department in working on IASP communications, social media strategy, newsletters, graphic designs, and website operations. Additionally, Akilah skillfully oversees IASP's Special Interest Groups (SIG s) to provide valuable support to the Membership department. She also acts as a liaison for the Membership and Chapters Committee, whose goal is to enhance member satisfaction by addressing its members' evolving needs and interests and promoting all types of memberships and participation. Akilah has a Bachelor of Science in Health Science, where she concentrated on Community Health, from Towson University. She is currently pursuing a master's degree in digital media and storytelling from American University.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director of Marketing
Job Titles:
- Coordinator of Global Programs
Benjamin has served as the Coordinator of Global Programs for IASP since 2022. He works as a staff liaison to IASP's Global Year, Fellowships, Grants, and Awards Working Group, GAPPA, Developing Countries Working Group, and the IASP Prize Committee.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at Yale University
Dr. Paulsen is Assistant Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, USA. She has been in the pain field for 7 years and has been an IASP member for 2 years. She received an IASP Early Career Research Grant in 2018 for her project "Uncovering the regulation of TRPA1 by irritants and proteins." Here, IASP talked with her about her research and her thoughts about the pain field. To find out more about her research, visit her website.
Job Titles:
- President
- Member of Committee
Dario I. Gray is an Education Coordinator who believes in IASP's mission of Working Together for Pain Relief Throughout the World. He began his journey in educational programs with Non-Profit Community Based Organizations in Western New York, and now dreams of opening his own school.
Job Titles:
- Director at Hunter Pain Specialists in Australia
Dr. Marc Russo, MD, is the Director at Hunter Pain Specialists in Australia. His specialty is pain medicine and he has been in the pain field for 22 years. Marc has been an IASP member for the last 21 years and has attended seven World Congresses.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director of Publications
Gregory Carbonetti, PhD, Associate Director of Publications, achieved his PhD, in molecular and cellular biology, with a concentration in immunology and pathology, from Stony Brook University on Long Island, New York. Working in the laboratories of Martin Kaczocha and Dale Deutsch, Greg conducted research on fatty acid-binding proteins and the role of the endocannabinoid system in both pain relief and prostate cancer metastasis. More recently, Greg worked at the Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science as the Alda Civic Science Fellow in Chronic Pain within the Rita Allen Foundation's Civic Science Fellows Program. The goal of Greg's fellowship was to increase chronic pain awareness, engagement, and advocacy among the American public.
Heather Hodge, M.Ed, has been working in education at medical specialty societies for close to 20 years. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Telecommunications from Indiana University and a Master of Education in Adult Education and Training from Colorado State University.
She stumbled upon the field of medical education and medical specialty societies early in her career after working in a conference center. She was fascinated by the large gatherings of like-minded individuals who were focused on improving their patients' lives and moving their specialties forward.
She worked for close to half of her career with neurosurgeons, including helping to develop the scientific program for the 2009 World Congress of Neurosurgery. In addition, she has worked in education with orthopedic sports medicine surgeons, anesthesiologists, pathologists, and occupational medicine physicians. She served for close to two years as the co-chair of the Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions Medical Specialty Society Section.
While not a clinical expert, Heather's areas of expertise include the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of effective educational activities with innovative formats. She is also skilled in strategy, budget development and tracking, mentoring, and developing staff.
Job Titles:
- Business Development Coordinator
Kayla is IASP's Business Development Coordinator. She assists the Business Development department in the general support for sales and implementation of industry participation for the biennial World Congress of Pain, as well as the coordination and oversight of logistics for IASP partner-driven initiatives derived from grants and cross-collaborations with other organizations. She also assumes responsibility for the management and oversight of specific Congress-related business development and sales and grant-related business development projects.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Member of Committee
Job Titles:
- Director of Leadership and Governance
Lauren Atlas, PhD, is a Clinical Investigator at the National Institutes of Health (NCCIH, NIMH, NIDA) in the United States. Her specialty is pain neuroimaging, psychology, and placebo analgesia and has been in the pain field for 14 years. Lauren has been an IASP member for the last two years and has attended one World Congress.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Member of Committee
Job Titles:
- Associate Professor at the University of Queensland
Melissa Day, PhD, is an Associate Professor at The University of Queensland, in Australia. Her specialty is Clinical Health Psychology and she has been in the pain field for 12 years. Melissa has been an IASP member for six years and has attended one World Congress.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Member of Committee
Job Titles:
- Senior Marketing Specialist
- Education and Events / Education and Events
- Senior Specialist in Marketing
Nicholas Starr is a Senior Specialist in Marketing, creating and managing digital content and strategy at IASP. Nicholas believes that for a global organization like IASP, digital spaces are often the first and only point of contact people must seek the resources and help they need. To that end, Nicholas applies over ten years of digital marketing experience to create beautiful and user-friendly websites for initiatives like the World Congress on Pain, social media spaces, and newsletters. He has also worked on IASP's social media strategy, digital advertising, and graphic design. Nicholas holds a Master of Arts in Communications from Johns Hopkins University.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director of Membership
Job Titles:
- Managing Editor of PAIN and PAIN Reports
Job Titles:
- Director of Global Business Development and Healthcare Compliance
Job Titles:
- Head of the Neurology / Neurophysiology Department at Santa Maria Maddalena Hospital
Dr. Vigneri is the head of the Neurology/Neurophysiology department at Santa Maria Maddalena Hospital in Bologna, Italy. He has been in the pain field for 10 years and has been an IASP member for 6 years. He has attended 2 World Congresses.
Job Titles:
- Executive
- Office Coordinator
Traci Butler is the Executive Office Coordinator for IASP. Traci administers the Executive Office - the CEO, the COO, and the Director of Leadership and Governance with administrative support. Traci prioritizes and manages multiple projects simultaneously and follows through on tasks in an efficient and timely manner, that is observant of crucial deadlines. She also assists with travel coordination, recording the minutes of meetings for the Executive Office, expense reporting, calendar management of the Executive Director, and onboarding new employees. Traci assists in liaising with several committees throughout IASP (e.g., Executive Committee, Council, PAIN Section Editors, and more). In February 2022, she started to handle the internal accounting responsibility for the organization (e.g., reimbursements, invoices, payments, and coding). Traci is a highly motivated, detail-oriented professional with a solid background providing analytical and administrative support across various functional areas, including human resources. Traci graduated from Bowie State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.