Faculty Disclosures

Dr Agarwal is a Pediatric Anesthesiologist who went to medical school and completed her anesthesia residency at Baylor College of Medicine, with a fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology at Denver Children's Hospital. Her interests include pediatric pain management, regional anesthesia, ambulatory anesthesia, neuroanesthesia, anesthetic effects on the developing brain, pain and anesthesia management in children who misuse substance, and medical education advocacy, mentorship and sponsorship. She was the Pediatric Anesthesia Program Director at the University of Colorado for 18 years She has served as the Editor for the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia Newsletter, Communication Chair and member of the Board of Directors of the SPA. She has been Chair for the American Academy of Pediatrics: Section on Anesthesiology and Pain Management, and President of the Society of Pediatric Pain Management. She continued to be very active with SPPM and is the Co-Editor for the Question and Poll of the Month. She has completed a certificate program in health care leadership and in evidence based coaching and is working on becoming and International Federation of Coaching accredited Coach. She is passionate about advocacy for safer care for patients undergoing dental anesthesia, and appropriate pain management for all children,

Dr. Vipin Bansal is a pediatric anesthesiologist at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. He studied engineering at Cornell University and completed his anesthesiology residency and fellowship at Cleveland Clinic Foundation. He did his first TAP block in a pediatric patient back in 2007 as fellow at CCF and has been in love with nerve blocks since then. His main clinical focus is utilizing nerve blocks in pediatric perioperative care to keep kids comfortable in the OR as well as the floor. For his efforts, he has won numerous awards such as the distinguished Humanitarian Award by his hospital, TOP DOCTOR by Atlanta Magazine, and even Palliative Care Champion by his children’s hospital. He has pioneered the use of peripheral nerve neuromodulation to control phantom pain in an amputation patient and this work was featured in Today.com and Atlanta-Journal Constitution (AJC). He is looking for new ways to teach students at workshops, even using AI and VR. He now wants your help to develop a free online handbook for trainees and professionals, with all the components of pediatric pain from different nerve blocks, dosing of pediatric spinals and epidurals, to the mechanism and dosing of different pain medications as well as coagulation issues specifically for peds.

Katherine Bentley is an assistant professor at Rutgers Medical School. She is the section chief of physiatry at Children's Specialized Hospital. She is the director of the pediatric chronic pain management program.

Dr. Amber Borucki is an anesthesiologist and pain medicine specialist whose focus is chronic pain management in children and adolescents/young adults and reducing or managing pain from chronic conditions or pain that occurs after surgery. Dr. Borucki completed her medical degree at Rush Medical College in Chicago, IL. She attended anesthesia residency at the University of Chicago. She completed a fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology at Boston Children's Hospital as well as a combined adult/pediatric pain medicine fellowship at Boston Children's Hospital, Brigham Women's Hospital, and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Dr. Borucki worked for one year in private practice in anesthesiology in Reno, Nevada. Dr. Borucki then began her 5-year tenure at UCSF as a pediatric anesthesiologist and pain medicine specialist and was the Director of the Pediatric Anesthesia Service at UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital. She is now a pediatric pain physician and anesthesiologist at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health. She is the Education Director for Pediatric Pain Medicine. Notable accomplishments at UCSF include developing and co-chairing the UCSF Benioff Transbay Pediatric Pain Management Committee, serving on the Bridge to One Bay project to standardize pain care across all UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital locations, and assisting ChildKind designation (a prestigious designation for a hospital indicating that it prioritizes pediatric pain care). Dr. Borucki is a member of the medical advisory council for the Make a Wish Bay Area chapter. She is currently serving on the Board of Directors for the Society for Pediatric Pain Medicine (SPPM) and also will be the program director for the upcoming 12th annual SPPM meeting. Dr. Borucki has also served on several committees through the American Society of Anesthesiologists and California Society of Anesthesiologists. Dr. Borucki served as an editorial board member for Paediatric and Neonatal Pain.

Andrew Braith is an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, Nebraska. He practices pediatric anesthesia at both Children’s Nebraska and the University of Nebraska. He is a dual trained anesthesiologist and pediatrician trained at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota.

Physician-scientist, pain management, Professor

Dr. Laura Chin, MD MPH, is an anesthesiologist at the Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi. Prior to joining Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Dr. Chin worked as an anesthesiologist at Johns Hopkins Hospital holding the rank of assistant professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. She also served as Assistant Director of Ambulatory Regional Anesthesia and Associate Program Director of the ACGME regional anesthesia and acute pain medicine fellowship program. She has served as a formal mentor for fellows in the pediatric anesthesiology fellowship scholarship initiative and directed the annual anatomy and ultrasound workshops for the anesthesia residency program. Dr. Chin received her masters in public health from the University of Hong Kong supported by a Rotary International Ambassadorial Fellowship, and her medical degree from the Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University. She completed her anesthesiology residency at Yale University, a fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology at Children’s National Medical System and a fellowship in regional anesthesia and acute pain medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital in the USA. Dr. Chin has lectured on regional anesthesia techniques at workshops nationwide and internationally.

Asha Clarke is a pediatric anesthesiologist at Boston Children's Hospital. She enjoys a mixed practice of main OR and regional anesthesia.

Genevieve D'souza, MD FASA is the Clinical Director of Pediatric Pain Management at Stanford Medicine Children's Health and is the Director of the Pediatric Anesthesia Resource Center. Dr D'souza is also a clinical professor at Department of Anesthesia, Perioperative and Pain Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. D'souza is a board-certified Pediatric Anesthesiologist, she has completed a Pediatric Pain Fellowship and also certified in Acupuncture. Her research includes work in Pediatric Erythromelalgia, CRPS, interventions etc. In her free time, she loves to travel especially exploring new places.

Dr. Davis has focused her career on treating people with chronic pain conditions. She developed and managed the rehabilitation program for the Brooks Rehabilitation Comprehensive Pain Rehabilitation Program for 30 years. Dr. Davis is also part of an interdisciplinary team at Nemours Jacksonville assessing and treating pediatrics with chronic pain. She has presented at local and national conferences on issues related to chronic pain evaluation and treatment and psychologically informed practice. Academically, she graduated from the Medical College of Georgia in 1985 and completed a transitional doctorate in 2009. She also serves as chair on the Healthcare Provider subcommittee for the Rare Disease Advisory Council under the Florida Department of Health and manages a support group for individuals with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.

My clinical work, research, and teaching focuses on Multidisciplinary pain management with a special emphasis on minimally invasive interventional pain techniques in both children and adults. I direct the Pediatric Interventional Pain Program at Boston Children's Hospital and run its outcomes research projects. I am an Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology at the Harvard Medical School. My background includes training in Neurology / Child Neurology at Johns Hopkins Hospital and Pain Medicine at the Harvard Combined Pain Fellowship through the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston Children’s Hospital and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. I have a Master’s in business administration (M.B.A) through the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T) Sloan School of Management.

Dr. Lisa Einhorn is an Associate Professor and physician-scientist at Duke University, where she completed her residency in anesthesiology and fellowship in pediatric anesthesiology. Dr. Einhorn serves as the Director of the Pediatric Pain and Analgesic Trials Laboratory and the Clinical Director of Pediatric Pain in the Duke Department of Anesthesiology. Her research focuses on developing innovative strategies to reduce perioperative pain and opioid use in children and adolescents across a variety of surgical populations with the goal of improving functional outcomes after surgery. Dr. Einhorn serves as the principal investigator for multiple prospective interventional and observational trials and is supported by funding from NICHD/NIH, the Organization for Autism Research, the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia, the Gerber Foundation, and the Society of Thoracic Surgery.

Mgbechi Ugonna Erondu, MD MFA is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatric Anesthesiology and Pediatric Palliative Medicine in the Department of Anesthesia, Perioperative and Pain Medicine and in the Division of Quality of Life and Pediatric Palliative Care at Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital/Stanford School of Medicine.

Mo Esfahanian, MD is a clinical assistant professor of pediatric anesthesiology at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford. He is board certified in pediatrics, anesthesiology, and pediatric anesthesiology and practice as a pediatric regional anesthesiologist. His major interest is in utilizing regional techniques to enhance postoperative recovery and has presented nationally on the effectiveness of head and neck blocks, particularly for cleft palate repair.

I am a board-certified Anesthesiologist with additional board certifications in Pediatric Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine. My postgraduate training includes residency at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, followed by fellowships at USC – Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and Harvard Medical School, where I trained at Boston Children’s Hospital, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital. Throughout my career, I have developed expertise in anesthesia and chronic pain management for both adults and children, with a special focus on regional anesthesia and interventional pain management for cancer-associated pain syndromes in pediatric populations. I served as Chief of Pain Medicine at Phoenix Children’s Hospital from January 2019 until July 1st, 2025, when I stepped down to pursue other interests. During my tenure, I led initiatives that improved acute pediatric pain management protocols and expanded access to innovative therapies for children suffering from chronic pain conditions. I continue to practice as a member of the Division of Anesthesiology at Phoenix Children’s Hospital. My diverse training background informs my patient-centered approach and facilitates effective collaboration with multidisciplinary teams.

Dr. Wendy Gaultney is a pediatric pain psychologist at Children’s Hospital of Colorado. She also practices pain psychology with youth in Alaska. Her research and clinical interests include chronic pain prevention in youth and promoting equity in pain research and treatment. Dr. Gaultney also has lived experienced with chronic pain and is committed to engaging patient partners in research and clinical program development.

Ken Goldschneider is Professor or Clinical Anesthesia and Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children's Hospital and the founding Director of the Pain Managment Center at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. Many years ago, he postulated that Charlie Brown had functional abdominal pain. And so he now joins his most able colleagues to present this workshop on the Assessment, Conceptualization and Treatment abdominal pain. Good grief!

Dr. Golianu specializes in pediatric pain management and integrative medicine

Dr. Diane Gordon is an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology at the University of Colorado, and Pediatric Anesthesiologist practicing at Children's Hospital Colorado. She trained at University of Utah and then Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. She serves as the Sustainability Liaison for her department at Children's Colorado, she chairs the SPA Special Interest Group for Sustainability in Anesthesia and serves on the ASA's Committee on Environmental Health. She is in constant pursuit of ways to decrease the environmental impact of anesthesia, increase awareness of individual practitioner responsibility and motivate colleagues to take a leadership role in this arena in their home institutions.

Dr. Groenewald is Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine at Stanford University. He conducts clinical research that crosses several areas related to pediatric pain, including epidemiology, health services research, sleep, and opioid use behaviors. His research is funded by the National Institutes of Health. His work on pediatric pain has been published in JAMA Pediatrics, Pediatrics, PAIN, Journal of Pain, SLEEP, and JAMA Psychiatry. Dr. Groenewald holds national leadership positions in the United States Association for the Study of Pain, including being elected as inaugural Chair of the Pediatric Special Interest Group in 2020 and co-chair of the Advocacy committee in 2022. He serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Pain and Pain Medicine.

Dr. Hainsworth earned a PhD in research psychology. For the past 20 years, she has served as the Research Director for the acute and chronic pain research program at Children's Wisconsin. Her own research focuses on the intersection of chronic pain and obesity in children and adolescents. She is also the Research Director of the newly established Anesthesiology Clinomics Research program for the Dept. of Anesthesiology at the Medical College of Wisconsin.

Kathryn (Katie) Handlogten is a dual-fellowship (RAAPM and pediatrics) trained anesthesiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. She is passionate about pediatric regional anesthesia, ultrasound use, clinical immersive technologies, implementation science, and practice integration. She has developed a keen interest in immersive technology use in pediatric anesthesia and anesthesia training in recent years. As a byproduct of this passion, she established the DREAMS (Digital Reality Experiences Augmented for Medical Support) Initiative at her institution in 2023. This is a multidisciplinary group of champions from multiple pediatric procedural and medical subspecialties that formed to enhance access to and implementation of various forms of immersive technologies in clinical practice. She has also initiated partnerships and pilots to integrate artificial intelligence into regional anesthesia residency and fellowship training, assessing it both as a teaching and a learning tool. She has served as the Director of the Inpatient Pediatric Pain Service and Regional Anesthesia program for her group since 2022, and as the associate chair of her department's innovation and transformation committee since 2024. She is active in clinical research and quality improvement endeavors and is developing a focus in pediatric regional academia and clinical immersive technologies.

Dr. Cheryl Hartzell is a pediatric anesthesiologist and chronic and interventional pain physician at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Associate Professor at University of Cincinnati School of Medicine. She completed both pediatric anesthesia and pediatric pain medicine fellowships at Cincinnati Children’s. Her clinical passion includes forming partnerships with surgical specialties to identify patients who have chronic pain and functional disability and may be surgical candidates, engaging them early in the evaluation process with the multidisciplinary pain approach to optimize perioperative and functional outcomes. She has led the collaboration to form the Thoracic Outlet Multidisciplinary Clinic at Cincinnati Children's, developing novel pain interventional procedures in the pediatric population to prevent surgical need and improve functional outcomes. She works with the CCHMC Pancreas Care Center as one of the pain physicians evaluating patients with recurrent and chronic pancreatitis. She is also one of the lead investigators with the Pancreas Care Center examining pain and quality of life outcomes following Total Pancreatectomy and Islet Auto-transplantation. Her other research interests include utilizing mindfulness techniques in the perioperative population to improve post-operative functional outcomes, in which she was awarded the SPA Young Investigator Award. Being from Wisconsin, she is a die-hard Packers fan (even though she married a Chicago Bears fan), and an avid ultra-endurance cyclist.

Kareem Hassan, MD, is a pediatric surgeon specializing in plastic and reconstructive surgery. He provides expertise in congenital hand and microvascular surgery, including surgery of the lymphatic system and peripheral nerve surgery. He also has specific interests in reconstructive surgery following trauma and limb salvage surgery. Dr. Hassan came to Phoenix Children's for the opportunity to bring innovative treatments to children in the area where he grew up. He loves how his reconstructive and microvascular surgery work at Phoenix Children's can restore function and give children the ability to interact with the world in a way they weren't able to before. After earning his Bachelor of Arts and medical degrees from the University of Arizona, Dr. Hassan completed a plastic and reconstructive surgery residency at the University of Chicago Medical Center. He received advanced clinical experience and training in upper extremity and microsurgery at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, including training in congenital differences of the hand at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Dr. Hassan is board certified in plastic surgery and hand surgery by the American Board of Plastic Surgery. He's also a member of the American Society of Surgery of the Hand and the American Association for Hand Surgery. Dr. Hassan has continued to advance his field through research and peer-reviewed articles in the Journal of Hand Surgery, the Journal of Plastic Surgery and Hand Surgery and the Annals of Plastic Surgery. He also frequently presents at the American Society for Plastic Surgeons, the American Society for Reconstructive Microsurgery, the American Society for Surgery of the Hand and the American Association for Hand Surgery. When it comes to treatment, Dr. Hassan imagines what he would want for himself or a family member. After talking to patients and their families, sometimes avoiding surgery is the best option for an individual. However, when surgery is the best option to help them back to doing the things they love, a smooth recovery with as little pain as possible, is important. When he's not working, Dr. Hassan enjoys cooking, rock climbing and hiking with his wife and two dogs. He and his wife also love traveling and experiencing new cultures and foods.

Stephen Robert Hays, MS, MD, FAAP (he/they) is Professor of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine and Pediatrics at University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry (URSMD), Director of Resident Scholarship and Associate Vice-Chair for Faculty Development in the URSMD Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, and Director of Pediatric Pain Medicine at University of Rochester Medicine Golisano Children's Hospital. A native of Syracuse, NY and Presidential Scholar, Dr. Hays earned simultaneous B.S. / M.S. in Molecular Biophysics & Biochemistry summa cum laude with Distinction in the Major from Yale University, New Haven, CT where they were elected to membership in Phi Beta Kappa. They earned their M.D. from The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD where they remained for Internship & Residency in Pediatrics, Residency in Anesthesiology & Critical Care Medicine, and Fellowships in Pediatric Anesthesia & Pediatric Critical Care Medicine. Dr. Hays is Board-Certified in Pediatrics, Anesthesiology, Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Hospice & Palliative Medicine, and Pediatric Anesthesiology. Dr. Hays was appointed Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology & Pediatrics at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN in 1999, and promoted to Associate Professor in 2006. They developed the Vanderbilt Pediatric Pain Service and subsequently the Vanderbilt Pediatric Pain Clinic, and served as Director of Pediatric Pain Services at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt (MCJCHV). Dr. Hays received a 2004-2005 Vanderbilt Department of Anesthesiology Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching, as well as the 2011 Sandidge Pediatric Pain Management Award in Recognition of Outstanding Contributions to Pediatric Pain Management at MCJCHV. Dr. Hays moved to the University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA as Clinical Professor of Anesthesia & Pediatrics and Director of Pediatric Pain Services at University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital in 2019, and served as Vice-Chair for Faculty Affairs & Development in the Department of Anesthesia of the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. They moved to URSMD in 2024. Dr. Hays is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and a member of the AAP including its Sections on Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine (SOAPM), Critical Care Medicine, and Hospice & Palliative Medicine (SOHPM). They serve on the AAP SOHPM Membership & Internal Communications Work Group, and have served on the AAP SOAPM Executive Committee. They are a member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), and have served on the ASA Committees on Pediatric Anesthesiology and Hospice & Palliative Medicine. A Full Examiner for the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA), they serve on the ABA Objective Standardized Clinical Examination Committee and as the ABA representative to the American Board of Internal Medicine Hospice & Palliative Medicine Advisory Committee, and have served on the ABA Standardized Oral Exam (SOE) Committee. Dr. Hays is a member of the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia (SPA), and was in 2025 was elected President of the Society for Pediatric Pain Medicine (SPPM), having previously served on the SPPM Board of Directors and then as SPPM Secretary-Treasurer and then Vice President. Dr. Hays' clinical practice focuses on perioperative care of children of all ages, with particular interests in pediatric regional anesthesia, pediatric pain management, and pediatric palliative care. Their clinical time is divided among the pediatric operating room, the inpatient pediatric pain & palliative care services, and various pediatric outpatient clinics. Their research interests have included industry-funded pharmaceutical licensing studies of analgesic agents in children, as well as multi-institutional studies of potential pediatric anesthetic neurotoxicity. Dr. Hays regularly presents at local, regional, and national meetings, and has been a named author on numerous peer-reviewed manuscripts, textbook chapters, and online enduring educational content. Dr. Hays and their wife Deborah have two adult sons.

Alyson Hermé is a Pediatric Psychologist at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Division of Anesthesiology in the Division of Pain and Palliative Medicine. She received her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Loma Linda University. She specializes in treating a variety of chronic pain patients across several domains including inpatient, inpatient rehabilitation programs, outpatient pain clinic, and pain focused psychotherapy. She works alongside medical providers conducting evaluations for patients with pediatric chronic pain (initial assessments as well as follow up appointments). She also providers pain focused psychotherapy to patients. She provides psychological consultations for inpatient’s who are having a difficult time managing pain as part of the Inpatient Pain Medicine Service. Consultations can include hospitalized chronic pain patients experiencing acute on chronic pain, post-surgical patients having a difficult time managing pain, as well as patients presenting with new onset pain. Additionally, she is also a member of the Inpatient Pain Rehabilitation team and acts as a primary therapist for patients engaged in the program. Through her work across various settings Dr. Hermé has been able to garner a knowledge of what barriers can impact engaging in treatment recommendations across levels of care. Dr. Herme’s research interests include pediatric pain, chronic illness, anxiety, disordered eating, evidence-based treatments, and health disparities.

Kendra J. Homan, Ph.D. is a pediatric clinical psychologist specializing in the assessment and treatment of pediatric chronic pain and the association between pediatric chronic pain and comorbid disordered eating. Dr. Homan is the Clinical Director of the Functional Independence Restoration Program (FIRST), an inpatient chronic pain rehabilitation program. Her research agenda focuses on the psychosocial functioning of patients presenting for intensive interdisci-plinary pain treatment, identifying variables that impact the trajectory of change after pain treatment, parenting practices in pediatric chronic pain, and the impact of disordered eating on outcome among pediatric patients with chronic pain.

Dr. Henry Huang is triple board-certified in Anesthesiology, Pediatric Anesthesiology, and Pediatric Pain Medicine. A Texas native of Taiwanese origin, Dr. Huang completed his undergraduate studies at Washington University in St. Louis, followed by medical school and residency training in Anesthesiology at Baylor College of Medicine. He pursued a fellowship in Pediatric Anesthesiology at Seattle Children’s Hospital – University of Washington, and subsequently completed a combined adult and pediatric pain fellowship at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. For the past five years, Dr. Huang has led a multidisciplinary pediatric pain clinic, where his practice integrates cutting-edge interventional pain techniques with holistic, team-based care to help children and families restore their quality of life. His expertise spans anesthesiology, regional anesthesia, acute and chronic pain management, interventional pain therapies, and neuromodulation. As the Director of Interventional Pain and Neuromodulation at Texas Children's Hospital, Dr. Huang is passionate about expanding access to innovative pain therapies and fostering community outreach through patient education and engagement initiatives. He is equally committed to advancing the field through teaching and mentorship, inspiring the next generation of pediatric pain specialists. Outside of medicine, Dr. Huang enjoys salsa dancing and celebrating his cultural roots through travel and the arts.

Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesia at McMaster University. Program Director for the Pediatric Anesthesia Fellowship, overseeing curriculum development, trainee mentorship, and program quality. Her clinical and research expertise includes pediatric anesthesia, regional anesthesia, pediatric pain management, and simulation-based education. As site lead for undergraduate anesthesia education at McMaster Children’s Hospital, Dr. Jaramillo is engaged in teaching across multiple levels of training.

Dr. Jamie Kitzman is an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Pediatrics in Emory University. She is the Medical Director of the Preoperative Clinic and Pediatric Anesthesiologist at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA). She is the Co-Director of the Medical Acupuncture Service at CHOA. She currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Society for Pediatric Pain Medicine. She has lectured nationally on Preoperative preparation of pediatric patients, Substance use disorders in the perioperative setting, and Non-pharmacologic options for pain management. She has a special interest in medical acupuncture in pain management and treatment of mental health disorders.

Dr Lazar is a pediatric anesthesiologist at Anne and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago where she serves as a co-director of resident education for pediatric anesthesia and is actively involved in creating and running educational workshops and new curricula. She is also a member of the regional anesthesia and pain management service and co-leads the Spinal Anesthesia Program. Her interests are regional anesthesia and pain management, thoracic anesthesia and education.

Dr. Lee is an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Pediatrics at the Emory University School of Medicine and the Emory Pediatric Institute. He is a board certified in Pediatric Anesthesiology and Pediatric Palliative Medicine. He has an interest in pediatric chronic pain medicine, pediatric regional anesthesia, global health, and in patient safety and quality improvement.

Galaxy Li is a pediatric anesthesiologist and chief of pain medicine at Nemours Children’s Health Jacksonville. His clinical and research interests span from pediatric acute to chronic pain to environmental sustainability in medicine. As a graduate of the University of North Carolina, he acquired his bachelor’s degrees with honors distinction in chemistry and piano performance. Li earned his medical degree at Wake Forest University School of Medicine and completed a residency in anesthesiology at the University of Florida College of Medicine. He continued his training with two fellowships – pediatric anesthesiology with Emory University at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and pain medicine with Harvard Medical School at Children’s Hospital Boston. Dr. Li is certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology with subspecialty certifications in pediatric anesthesiology and pain medicine. He serves on faculty at Mayo Clinic School of Medicine, on the board of directors for the Society of Pediatric Pain Medicine, on the board of directors for the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia Improvement Network, and as editor of SPPM Newsletter.

Senior Associate in Anesthesia and Pain Medicine Children's Hospital Boston Associate Professor of Anaesthesia and Pediatrics Harvard Medical School

Dr. Renee Manworren is a board-certified pediatric clinical nurse specialist and pain management nurse who vowed to improve children's pain assessment and management after her daughter had cardiac surgery without analgesia because "infants can't feel pain." Now funded by the NSF and NIH, Dr. Manworren is advancing methods to develop a Pain Recognition AI Monitoring System, using consumer wearables to remotely identify surgical complications up to 3 days before children report symptoms, and modeling genetic and NIH HEAL data to identify adolescents with sickle cell disease at greatest risk of frequent hospitalization for acute pain and predict age of chronic pain development.

Melissa Masaracchia, M.D. is an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology at the Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell Health and program director for the pediatric anesthesia fellowship at Cohen Children’s Medical Center. She obtained her medical degree at New York Medical College in 2011, completed residency at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in 2015 and went on to complete fellowship training both in adult regional anesthesia and acute pain management and in pediatric anesthesiology in 2016 and 2018, respectively. She serves on the editorial board for the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia’s Question of the Week Program and is a Vice Chair of the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine Pediatric SIG.

I am an assistant professor and the program director of the pediatric pain medicine fellowship at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

Megan Nash-Mozer is an assistant professor at the University of Colorado and works at the Children's Hospital of Colorado. She completed her medical training at Touro University - California, her residency at McLaren Oakland Hospital in Pontiac, MI, her fellowship at the Children's Hospital of Michigan and her Qualify and Improvement and Patient Safety advanced fellowship at Children's Hospital of Colorado.

Cecelia Nelson is an assistant professor and pediatric psychologist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. Dr. Nelson completed her doctoral training at West Virginia University, followed by a behavioral medicine residency and clinical pain research fellowship both completed at Cincinnati Children's. She treats patients with chronic pain and somatic symptoms in her capacity as an outpatient pain psychologist and inpatient pain psychologist with the FIRST program. Dr. Nelson's research interests lie in the understanding and management of pain and somatic concerns in neurodivergent youth.

Sarah Nelson, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and an Attending Psychologist in the Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH, Boston, USA). Her research has guided the pediatric pain field on the study of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) in pediatric chronic pain populations and on the neurobiological mechanisms of stress, including allostatic load, in pediatric chronic pain. In addition to several foundation awards, she is the recipient of a BCH Faculty Development Career Development Award and a five-year K23 award from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), which is the first clinical trial to examine the neurobiological mechanisms of stress and mind-body interventions in youth with chronic widespread pain. More recently, her work has focused on optimizing trauma-informed care, studying how to mitigate the neurobiological impact of trauma on treatment response, and elucidating pain disparities and the unique experience of minoritized youth in their experience of toxic stress, ACEs, and pain in healthcare settings.

Associate Professor of Clinical Anesthesia at Indiana University School of Medicine and Pediatric Anesthesiologist at Riley Hospital for Children, with special interest in pediatric perioperative pain management and transplant anesthesia. Research interest includes personalized pain management using opioid pharmacogenetics and pupillometry.

Dr. Shreela Palit is an Assistant Research Scientist and Clinical Psychologist at Nemours Children’s Health, and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science in Jacksonville, FL. Dr. Palit obtained her PhD in Clinical Psychology from the University of Tulsa after completing her clinical residency in Behavioral Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine. She then completed her postdoctoral training at the University of Florida prior to beginning her faculty appointment at Nemours Children's Health. Dr. Palit’s research interests include investigation of biopsychosocial determinants of pain across the lifespan. Her lab is currently examining factors that contribute to resilience in adolescents and young adults (AYAs) with chronic pain as they navigate the transition to adulthood. Dr. Palit plans to extend her work to the development of novel psychological intervention or prevention strategies to improve pain management and quality of life in AYAs.

Stephanie Pan, MD, is a Clinical Associate Professor at the Stanford University School of Medicine and a pediatric and regional anesthesiologist at the Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital. She is the Associate Clinical Director for the pediatric anesthesiology division at Stanford. She is a Local Mentor for the ASA Diagnostic POCUS Certificate Program and recipient of the ASRA Early-Stage Investigator Grant. Her clinical interests include methadone, pediatric regional anesthesia, pediatric POCUS, and pediatric orthopedic spine surgeries.

Jennifer Pfieffer brings over 20 years of pediatric experience spanning emergency medicine, clinical administration, and diabetes care. She currently serves as an Advanced Practice Nurse/Clinical Nurse Specialist at Nemours Children’s Health, where she leads innovative programs that integrate evidence-based practice with holistic approaches to improve patient outcomes. Jennifer is the founder of ADAPT (Assisted Dog and Pony Therapy), a pioneering initiative that incorporates equine and canine assisted interventions to support children living with chronic conditions. ADAPT focuses on experiential learning, emotional resilience, and pain management strategies through structured animal-assisted activities, learning and therapy. She holds certifications in Equine-Assisted Services (ESMHL) and has extensive experience in developing and implementing therapeutic curricula, training horse handlers, and partnering with community organizations to expand access to animal-assisted programs. Her work emphasizes the clinical application of animal therapy to reduce pain, stress, and anxiety while promoting behavioral health and quality of life. She currently has 3 Pet Partners Registered therapy animals including a mini horse named Gypsy, a Great Dane named Asher, and a Golden Retriever named Charlie! Animal-Assisted Therapy Expertise: Certified in Equine-Assisted Services (ESMHL) through PATH International Founder and program lead for ADAPT, integrating animal-assisted therapy into pediatric care Developed therapeutic curricula for pain and stress management using equine-assisted activities Trained and mentored horse handlers for safe and effective therapy sessions Advocates for interdisciplinary collaboration to incorporate animal therapy into clinical practice As a guest lecturer, Jennifer shares evidence-based strategies for integrating animal-assisted therapy into pain management, highlighting its impact on coping mechanisms, emotional well-being, and patient engagement.

Dr. Sal Ratliff is a pediatric anesthesiologist at Children's Hospital Colorado with clinical and academic interests in providing inclusive care, and care of children with complex medical needs. He is dedicated to advancing pediatric perioperative safety through education, collaboration, and evidence-based practice.

Dr. Sarah Restock, MD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Management at UT Southwestern Medical Center and serves as Medical Director for Innovation at Children’s Health. In this role, she supports institutional initiatives spanning quality improvement, innovation, information technology, and health equity. Dr. Rebstock earned her medical degree from Johannes Gutenberg Universität in Mainz, Germany, completed anesthesiology residency training at Penn State Hershey Medical Center and College of Medicine, and pursued a pediatric pain with Dr. David Sherry, MD at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Nationally recognized for her pioneering contributions to pediatric pain medicine, Dr. Rebstock founded pain programs at Penn State Children’s Hospital and developed an innovative chronic pain clinic at Children’s National Medical Center, where she served as Director of Pediatric Pain Medicine. Her work integrating simulation-based education, interdisciplinary collaboration, and emerging technologies, including virtual reality and gaming—into pediatric pain care has earned her national awards and media recognition. She has been successful at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center as an associate Professor turning her gaming Innovation into a physical therapy element of standard of care at Children’s Health in Dallas, Texas.

Kelsey attended the University of Notre Dame for her undergraduate education and then returned home to Colorado for her medical training. After graduating from the University of Colorado School of Medicine, she completed her anesthesiology residency at the University of Colorado and pediatric anesthesiology fellowship at the Children's Hospital Colorado. She is now an Assistant Professor at Children's Hospital Colorado.

Dr. Monique Ribeiro is an embedded child psychiatrist at the Pain Division at Boston Children’s Hospital. In her role, Dr. Ribeiro is responsible for providing psychiatric assessment and management to a large group of patients with diverse psychiatric and complex pain needs within the Pain Division, including the Chronic Pain Clinic, the Pediatric and Adult Pain Rehabilitation Programs, the Interventional Pain Program, and the Pediatric Headache and Abdominal Pain Programs. She completed medical training and a Masters of Science in Pharmacology at Universidade Federal do Ceara in Brazil, a Residency in Adult Psychiatry at the University of Texas, and Fellowships in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Pediatric Pain Psychosomatic Medicine at Boston Children's Hospital- Harvard Medical School. Her clinical and research interests include somatic symptom disorders, management of complex medical-psychiatric patients, and optimization of prescription practices in pediatric chronic pain patients focusing on decreasing polypharmacy.

My passion for working with at risk youth and adolescents has remained constant throughout my professional growth, and I continue to focus on ways to improve care for the young adolescent and young adult populations related to chronic pain. My professional efforts center on using a multidisciplinary approach to manage chronic pediatric pain. My specific interests include cancer related, perioperative planning and functional abdominal pain, in children with an incorporation of interventional techniques. As medical liaison to the Comfort Ability Program (CAP) I am collaborating with our pain psychologists to develop specialized programs targeted at the abdominal pain and cancer pain related populations. In 2020, in collaboration with Dana Faber Cancer Institute (DFCI) and Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) Orthopedics departments to work to develop the Clinic of Oncological Pain Excellence (COPE) program, which prioritizes a multidiscipline approach for manage acute and chronic pain management within the solid tumor population. My research interests are focused on the value of interventional that improve on the management of chronic pain. Specific to the oncology population I am interested in identifying interventions that can be incorporated before during and after cancer treatment that will have a long-term positive impact on pain control and outcomes.

Dr. Rosales is the Clinical Psychology Director of the Division of Pain & Palliative Care and Co-Director of the Pain Rehabilitation Program at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. Dr. Rosales’ research interests are centered in investigating and addressing pediatric health disparities including the impact of social determinants and adverse childhood experiences in treating pain. She uses a community-centered approach that recognizes the unique expertise of patients, families, and their communities, and promotes clinical and community collaborations to develop relevant and sustainable interventions. Webpage https://www.chla.org/profile/alvina-rosales-phd

Viviana Ruiz Barros, M.D., is a board-certified pediatric anesthesiologist at Shriners Children’s Northern California in Sacramento, where she specializes in pediatric and regional anesthesia for orthopedic and burn surgeries. She is committed to delivering exceptional, compassionate, and evidence-based anesthesia care and considers it a profound privilege to support children and their families during some of their most vulnerable moments. Dr. Ruiz Barros is proud to uphold the Shriners Children’s mission of delivering high-quality care to every child, regardless of ability to pay. Her professional interests include mentoring and outreach, women in leadership, and professional development. She is fluent in Spanish and conversant in Portuguese.

Gina Russell, MD, is a Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellow at Duke University. She completed her undergraduate and medical degrees at the University of Pennsylvania, followed by her anesthesiology residency at Duke. Her research interests focus on pediatric perioperative pain management and regional anesthesia. She is the recipient of the inaugural Young Investigator Research Award from the Society for Pediatric Pain Medicine.

Professor anesthesia, Pediatric pain doctor

Clinical Assistant Professor Associate Program Director, Pediatric Anesthesiology Fellowship University of Michigan Ann Arbor, MI

Dr. Kim Strupp is a pediatric anesthesiologist from Children’s Hospital Colorado, in Aurora, Colorado where she is an Associate Professor at the University of Colorado. She completed her Residency in Anesthesiology in 2012 and Fellowship in Pediatric Anesthesiology in 2013 at the College of Medicine, Mayo Clinic (Rochester), respectively. She is the Clinical Quality Director in the Division of Pediatric Anesthesia with an interest in quality improvement and patient safety. Additionally, she is the Associate Vice Chair for the Quality and Safety Committee and Co-Chair of the Checklist Subcommittee for the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia, as well as a member of the development team for the PediCrisis app. Some of Dr. Strupp’s most recent publications include using the PediCrisis app as a teaching assessment tool and implementation of a process to provide influenza vaccines under anesthesia.

Pediatric pain medicine physician, pediatric anesthesiologist Medical Director, Functional Independence Restoration (FIRST) Program

Dr. Tassone is Chief of Anesthesia at HCA Florida Palms West Hospital. She serves the Society for Pediatric Pain Medicine as Chair of the Research Committee.

Dr. Cynthia Tung received her medical degree from the University of Iowa College of Medicine. She completed her residency training in anesthesiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center, her pediatric anesthesiology fellowship at Boston Children's Hospital and her Medical Acupuncture training at Harvard. She received her Master in Public Health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She has been practicing pediatric anesthesiology since 2007 and medical acupuncture since 2010.

Dr. Vecchione is an associate professor of pediatric anesthesiology and pain medicine at Johns Hopkins University. She completed an anesthesiology residency at Montefiore Medical Center in NY followed by a pediatric anesthesia fellowship at Texas Children’s Hospital. She then completed a second fellowship in pediatric acute pain management and regional anesthesia at Boston Children’s Hospital. She is the director of the pediatric regional anesthesia and acute pain services as well as the infant spinal program. Dr. Vecchione has also recently started a pediatric transitional pain clinic. In addition, her team has received grant funding to start scrambler therapy for pediatric patients with neuropathic pain. Her research focuses on the role of regional anesthesia and multi-modal pain regimens in pediatric patients to reduce opioid consumption in an era of an opioid epidemic.

Dr Walia is an Associate Professor at the University of Iowa, Carver College of Medicine and shares a joint appointment within the Departments of Anesthesia, Psychiatry and Pediatrics. She is board certified in Psychiatry, Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Interventional Pain Medicine. Her primary academic interest is treating chronic pain in the pediatric population and is the Founder and Director of the Pediatric Comprehensive Pain Clinic where she combines use of her unique board certifications in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Pain Medicine. Besides that, she also provides clinical services in the Child & Adolescent Psychiatry inpatient unit and the Adult Chronic Pain Clinic. She strongly believes that pain control is best achieved by using a combination of therapies- The Multimodal Approach and tries to use that best in treating her patients.

Pediatric anesthesiologist. Professor, Clinical Anesthesia, Department of Anesthesiology. University of Connecticut School of Medicine Research Interests: Acupuncture and related interventions for perioperative issues and pain

Leah Webb, MD, is an Assistant Professor of Pediatric Anesthesiology and the Program Director for the Pediatric Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Medicine Fellowship at Children's Hospital Colorado affiliated with the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Dr. Webb leads innovative simulation-based education initiatives, including the development and validation of a pediatric spine phantom used to teach and assess neuraxial ultrasound skills. She is an active contributor to several multidisciplinary teams, including the Anesthesiology Preoperative Clinic (APOC), and is committed to advancing safe, high-quality perioperative care for children.

Dr. Windsor is an acute and chronic pediatric pain specialist practicing in Greenville, SC. He completed his training in Pediatric and Pain Management at Boston Children's Hospital. He is board-certified in Pediatrics, Headache Medicine, and Medical Acupuncture. He is Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics and adjunct faculty in Anesthesiology and Psychiatry at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville. In 2018, he founded the Pediatric Pain program at Prisma Health, serving patients in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Eastern Tennessee.

Dr. Evan Jonathan Wright is an attending phyisician of pediatric anesthesiology at Children’s Hospital Colorado. A proud native of Houston, Texas, Dr. Wright’s journey into medicine began at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, where he earned his medical degree in 2019 Following medical school, Dr. Wright traveled to Houston to complete his residency in anesthesiology at Baylor College of Medicine. It was there that he discovered a passion for acute pain medicine and pediatric anesthesiology, shaping the path of his dual fellowship training. From 2023 to 2024, he pursued a fellowship in regional anesthesiology and acute pain management at MD Anderson Cancer Center, where he performed cryoanalgesia for acute on chronic pain. During pediatric anesthesia fellowship from 2024 to 2025 at Children’s Hospital Colorado, Dr. Wright applied his technical skills of regional anesthetics in the pediatric population. His professional interests lie at the intersection of pain management, safety, and innovation in pediatric perioperative care.

Karla Wyatt-Thompson serves as the Director of Post-surgical pain and Regional Anesthesia at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center in Cincinnati, OH. Her areas of focus include opioid sparing perioperative analgesia and imploring standardized pain care to reduce healthcare inequities.