Two Faculty Members Among 2024-2025 Winners of the Mayday Pain and Society Fellowship

The Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine congratulates Drs. Lisa Isaac and Karim Ladha, who were recently selected as Fellows of The Mayday Pain & Society Fellowship: Communicating Science & Improving Care by the Mayday Fund.

The pair were chosen from a competitive pool of 46 applicants from across the United States and Canada. They are among 12 experts in pain science, including anesthesiology and psychology, selected for the 2024-2025 iteration.

“These 12 fellows are advancing the study of pain for people across the lifespan and through basic science, clinical practice, and social and psychological support,” said Christina Spellman, the Mayday Fund’s executive director. “The Mayday Fellowship will expand their strategic communication skills to broaden their impact and to make changes in the science and care of pain.”

During a workshop in Washington, D.C., from October 6–9, Fellows will learn skills to effectively communicate and advocate for the translation of scientific research and evidence-based best practices in pain care and management. Following the workshop, the Fellows will receive individualized, follow-up coaching to help them pursue their strategic advocacy goals.

Drs. Isaac and Ladha will join more than 107 experts from the earlier classes of The Mayday Pain & Society Fellowship, which operated from 2004 through 2015 and relaunched in 2018.

“The Mayday Fund Board of Directors congratulates the newest class of Fellows,” said Caroline N. Sidnam, a director. “These leaders from the fields of basic science, medicine, psychology and beyond are already making it possible for us to advance care for many who experience pain every day. We trust that from the Fellowship training they will receive skills to spread accurate, articulate information to their peers as well as to the public.”

The 2024-2025 Fellows are:

• Mark Bicket, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan; Co-Director, Overdose Prevention Engagement Network
• Rachael Bosma, PhD, Co-Director, University of Toronto Centre for the Study of Pain, Research Lead, Women’s College Hospital; Chair of the Board of Directors, Pain Ontario
• Michael Burton, PhD, Eugene McDermott Distinguished Associate Professor, The University of Texas at Dallas
• Beth Darnall, PhD, Professor, Stanford University School of Medicine; Director, Stanford Pain Relief Innovations Lab
• Salman Hirani, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Division of Pain Medicine; Director of Innovation and Board of Directors, American Academy of Pain Medicine
• Lisa Isaac, MD, Staff Anesthesiologist, Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Hospital for Sick Children; Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto
• Abirami Kandasamy, PhD, C. Psych, MA, Co-Lead, Pediatric Pain Program; Adjunct Clinical Professor Children’s Hospital, London Health Sciences, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University
• Rajesh Khanna, PhD, MSc, Richard and Thelma O.C. Barney Term Professor of Pharmacology & Therapeutics; Director, Pain and Addiction Therapeutics (PATH) Collaboratory, University of Florida
• Karim Ladha, MD, MSc, Evelyn Bateman Recipe Chair in Ambulatory Anesthesia and Women’s Health, Women’s College Hospital; Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, University of Toronto
• Laura Simons, PhD, Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine (Pediatric), Stanford University Medical School
• Jaris Swidrovich, BSP, PharmD, PhD, Assistant Professor and Indigenous Engagement Lead, Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto
• Zina Trost, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Texas A & M University

This write-up was adapted from a media release provided by the Mayday Fund. Read the original release.