Ajay D. Wasan, MD, MSc, MA, Vice Chair for Pain Medicine, Professor of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine and Psychiatry, and Director of our Center for Innovation in Pain Care and Chronic Pain Research Program, has been selected to receive the Presidential Commendation from the American Academy of Pain Medicine (AAPM).
This recognition honors Dr. Wasan’s outstanding service and leadership, particularly his impactful contributions as Chair of the AAPM’s Behavioral Medicine Committee. His dedication to advancing the field of pain medicine has left a lasting mark on the organization and the broader pain medicine community.
Dr. Wasan has a long and distinguished history of service within AAPM. He served as AAPM President from 2020–2021 and was appointed as the organization’s Patient and Legislative Advocate to the U.S. Congress from 2011–2012. Among his numerous accolades, he received the AAPM Distinguished Service Award in 2021 and the AAPM Founder’s Award for Excellence and Innovation in the Field in 2023. Since 2008, he has also served as Section Editor for Pain Medicine, AAPM’s official journal, overseeing the “Psychology, Psychiatry, and Brain Neuroscience” section.
Dr. Wasan will be formally honored at the Gala during PainConnect 2025, AAPM’s Annual Meeting. The award presentation will take place on Saturday, April 5, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. in the Austin Grand Ballroom Foyer (6th Floor) at the Hilton Austin, Texas.
Congratulations to Dr. Wasan on this well-deserved recognition of his exceptional leadership and contributions to pain medicine.