My current appointments and place of work
My current appointments
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Endowed Professor for Medical Education and Research, University of Washington
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Director of the Interventional Pain Program, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine
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Core Faculty, Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center (HIPRC)
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Core Faculty, CLEAR Center for Musculoskeletal Disorders
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Adjunct Professor, University of Aalborg, Denmark
Where I work
The University of Washington plays a prominent role in the history of pain medicine. It is the site of the first multidisciplinary pain clinic and the first acute pain service, which provided guidance to shaping thousands of pain clinics worldwide.
The former Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology, Dr. John Bonica, was the pioneer and initiator of pain medicine. Check out his fascinating story here.
Honors
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Honorary Doctorate for the distinguished efforts in the field of medical research, University of Aalborg, Denmark
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Honorary Member of the Swiss Pain Society
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Top Seattle Doctor in Pain Medicine as nominated by peers for 5 consecutive years (2019-2023)
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John Joseph Bonica Ambassador Award
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Prizes for research at national and international scientific meetings
Certification and Licensure
Europe
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Board Certification for Medical Practice, University of Messina, Italy
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Italian Board Certification in Anesthesiology and Reanimation
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Swiss Board Certification in Anesthesiology and Reanimation
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European Diploma in Anesthesiology and Intensive Care
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Board Certification in Interventional Pain Management, Swiss Society for Interventional Pain Management
USA
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Physician and surgeon teaching research license, Washington State Department of Health
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Pain and Musculoskeletal Interventional Ultrasound Certificate, American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA)
How I have learned to treat pain
I have had the luck and privilege to start my training with one of the pioneers of the field, Dr. Giuseppe Maggio in Lugano, Switzerland. Dr. Maggio was a close friend of John Bonica, the founder of Pain Medicine and Chair at the University of Washington. The 4-years' experience with Dr. Maggio has been of fundamental importance to me. First consultations lasted about two hours, and covered all aspects of patient's life. At follow-up visits, there was always time to listen to patient's concerns, even outside the pain problem. This way, I have learned from the very beginning of my career that the treatment of pain requires an insight into the patient's suffering and life, and therefore goes well beyond prescribing medications or performing procedures.
After moving to the University of Bern, I was fortunate to be offered a junior supporting role to Prof. Harald Breivik for building of the Acute Pain Service. Harald Breivik was Professor and Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Oslo, Norway. He has contributed to the creation of the specialty of Pain Medicine, and has covered many leading roles in clinical and academic pain medicine in Europe and worldwide. Prof. Breivik was appointed visiting Professor during one academic year at the University of Bern, where he implemented the Acute Pain Service and started the outpatient pain clinic. He has been an exceptional mentor, not only during his stay in Switzerland, but also for the following years.
I have learned advanced spine procedures with Prof. Nikolai Bogduk from Newcastle, Australia. Prof. Bogduk is one of the founders of the Spine Intervention Society (SIS) and has published seminal work to establish the evidence base of spine procedures. His work has brought an unprecedented scientific rigor to the field of interventional pain management, and has inspired a generation of clinicians worldwide. I am deeply grateful to Prof. Bogduk for his teaching and guidance. From him I have learned how to apply rigorously the best available evidence to the practice of interventional pain treatment, based on a profound study of the clinical and radiological anatomy.