AER remains our specialty’s primary means of promoting the generation of new knowledge in anesthesiology that advances patient care and fosters development of anesthesiologists dedicated to research and education in perioperative, critical care and pain medicine. In the case of FAER’s Pain Research Council, established in 2004, our mission is to focus FAER’s support in pain medicine research and education. We are made up of 11 members and two FAER staff who seek even wider involvement of anesthesiologists and others interested in pain medicine advances.

Looking back over the la
st decade, FAER has funded 22 grants related to pain medicine. This number is not surprising given the advances in pain medicine that our specialty is bringing forward. Most recently, in 2007, FAER provided support for two projects related to pain from our February 15 application deadline:

W. Michael Hooten, M.D., Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, “Temporal Changes in Pain Threshold and Tolerance Among Chronic Pain Patients Following Opioid Withdrawal.” Mentor: Michael J. Joyner, M.D.

Denise M. Wilkes, M.D., Ph.D., University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, “Viral Transfer of the Micro-Opioid Receptor Gene to the Peripheral Nervous System: A Genetic Approach to the Treatment of Pain.” Mentor: Li-Yen Mae Huang, Ph.D.

A third submission from the August 15 deadline was:

Tobias Moeller-Bertram, M.D., University of California, San Diego, “Pain Perception in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.” Mentor: Piyush M. Patel, M.D.

FAER’s involvement in pain topics goes beyond the board of director’s past commitment to provide grant funding. At the ASA 2007 Annual Meeting in San Francisco, the FAER Pain Research Council hosted a dinner for council members, prior FAER award winners and corporate members with an interest in supporting pain medicine research. During this evening, James P. Rathmell, M.D., presented an overview on why FAER has been important to his career and important to research advances. Some new relationships were established during that evening, and we are hopeful that they will lead to even more opportunities for FAER in its mission of education and research.

The next day at the FAER/Abbott-Volwiler and Tabern Resident Scholar Program orientation, Timothy J. Brennan, M.D., Ph.D., presented “his story,” titled “Postsurgical Pain — Why Does It Hurt?” His storytelling was a most interesting and exciting testimonial to the benefits FAER can provide as well as an outline for the kind of rewarding career those in attendance could build for themselves in pain medicine.

FAER is proud of its efforts in pain research. However, FAER’s ultimate aim is to provide the tools anesthesiologists need to render the best possible care for their patients. Pursuing such an ambitious goal doesn’t allow for resting on your laurels. Moving forward, the FAER Pain Research Council will host another group of physicians and corporate members during the ASA 2008 Annual Meeting in Orlando - this time as the focus of the annual FAER Luncheon on Saturday, October 18. We have four FAER award recipients who have gone on to develop outstanding careers in academic medicine and who are adding new knowledge to our research efforts for our patients and society. The program will be worthwhile to anyone with an interest in pain medicine, and I encourage your attendance. Those presenting brief overviews of pain medicine advances in their areas of expertise during this luncheon meeting include:

Timothy J. Brennan, M.D., Ph.D., University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, “Molecular Imaging — Acute Pain.”

Sean C. Mackey, M.D., Ph.D., Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, “Chronic Pain — Imaging.”

Brian D. Sites, M.D., Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire, “Regional Ultrasound Imaging.”

Allen W. Burton, M.D., University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, “Interventional Pain —Imaging.”

Pamela P. Palmer, M.D., Ph.D., University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, “Molecular Pain — Image of an Entrepreneurial Spirit.”

It is our hope that your interest in FAER, and more specifically the Pain Council of FAER, will encourage your support of our mission. We want you to be aware of an ongoing request for proposals by our Pain Council. It can be found at www.faer.org/programs/grants/options.html.

David L. Brown, M.D., is Edward Rotan Distinguished Professor and Chair, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Texas - M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas.

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