Newswise — Charles E. Inturrisi, PhD, professor of pharmacology at Weill Cornell Medical College, has begun a two-year term as president of the American Pain Society. He succeeds Judith Paice, PhD, RN in the organization's top leadership role.
Previously, Inturrisi was a member of the APS Board of Directors and served on several committees. He was elected to the Board in 2004 and became president-elect last year.
"It has been an exciting time for APS because of what we've accomplished in strategic planning," he said. "I'm excited about our vision to turn research into pain relief and our plan to move APS forward in becoming the preeminent pain organization for research, treatment, education and advocacy," Inturrisi said.
Looking ahead, Inturrisi said he wants APS to become more active in its advocacy role. "There are several important issues we will address on behalf of the pain community, such as abuse of prescription medications, opposition to limits on prescribing opioids, the crisis in funding for pain research, and the never-ending fight for better reimbursement for chronic-pain care," he said.
Inturrisi added he will continue to encourage more APS members to become actively involved. "The Board has benefited greatly from input we have received from our committees and special interest groups, and I hope we can expand member participation to further increase information sharing."
At Weill Cornell, Inturrisi's current research interests are focused on molecular genetics to identify new pain-signaling genes. "The overall goal is to find new and more precise pain targets beyond the opioid receptors we already know about. We are exploring ways to modify pain signals that have a therapeutic benefit and help develop new analgesics with fewer side effects than opioid medications," he said.
Inturrisi has been a faculty member at Weill Cornell since 1969 and resides in New York City.
About the American Pain SocietyBased in Glenview, Ill., 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 was founded in 1978 with 510 charter members. From the outset, the group was conceived as a multidisciplinary organization. APS has enjoyed solid growth since its early days and today has approximately 3,200 members. The Board of Directors includes physicians, nurses, psychologists, basic scientists, pharmacists, policy analysts and others.
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