Imperial Professor President of International Association for the Study of Pain

Professor Andrew Rice becomes 20th President of the International Association for the Study of Pain.

Professor Andrew Rice, from Imperial's Department of Surgery and Cancer, took up the role as the 20^th President of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) at the 2024 World Congress on Pain, the largest gathering of pain professionals in the world. He will serve as the first English based president in IASP’s 50-year history.

"After nearly 40 years in pain research and practice, I am naturally thrilled to have been elected as IASP’s first English-based president in our 50-year history." Professor Andrew Rice Professor of Pain Research

Professor Rice is a clinical academic active in translational research in neuropathic pain. He is Professor of Pain Research in the Division of Anaesthetics, Pain Medicine and Intensive Care (APMIC) and Hon. Consultant in Pain Medicine at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

He leads an interdisciplinary research group which focusses on translational research in neuropathic pain in the context of infectious disease (HIV, leprosy, HTLV-1 and herpes zoster), diabetes, military conflict-related trauma and non-freezing cold injury. Having been active in pre-clinical pain research, he now works on improving the experimental rigour and external validity of animal models and innovating pre-clinical evidence synthesis. 

The International Association for the study of Pain is the leading international professional association dedicated to study of pain and to translate the knowledge into improving pain relief, with 6,500 members around the world, 24 Special Interest Groups, and 98 national Chapters. For 50 years, IASP has been a leading global authority on pain and continues to be the largest multidisciplinary association in the field of pain. 

Professor Rice was elected by IASP members to serve as President-Elect from 2022 for a two-year term, and the successful candidate automatically becomes IASP President. He has also had the privilege of serving as liaison to IASP’s chapters in Southeast and South Asia, Chair of IASP’s task force on cannabinoids and pain relief and as Chair of the 2020 World Congress Scientific Programme Committee. During their term, the President-Elect serves as an important voice on the IASP Executive Council, the managing body of the association. Over the last two years, IASP staff had the opportunity to work closely with Professor Rice as he developed the priorities for his Presidency.

Speaking about his appointment, Professor Rice said: “After nearly 40 years in pain research and practice, I am naturally thrilled to have been elected as IASP’s first English-based president in our 50-year history. I am today launching initiatives which relate to some of the priorities for my presidency: taskforces on revising our guidelines for the use of laboratory animals in pain research and on addressing the environmental sustainability of pain research, education and management."

IASP CEO, Steve Gardner said: “Andrew has been a great part of IASP’s Council and various committees for many years and his presidency comes and a critical time for IASP. He’s a great partner and leader for the organization and I’m personally looking forward to working with him."

Outgoing IASP President, M. Catherine Bushnell, remarked: “I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the next President of IASP, Andrew Rice. It has been an immense pleasure working with Andrew for the last two years, watching him develop a set of outstanding initiatives that he will now be able to implement. I look forward to continuing working with Andrew as he shapes a new dynamic future for IASP.”

This article is based on materials from the IASP.