Showcase your research and stand a chance to win! ASEAPS 2025 recognizes outstanding contributions with the following awards:
Poster Presentation
1st Prize: SGD 100
2nd Prize: SGD 50
Infographic Presentation
Best Presentation (1 Winner): SGD 150
2-4 MAY 2025 | SINGAPORE EXPO
30 APR – 1 MAY 2025 | PRE-CONGRESS WORKSHOPS
Key Visual photo credit: Ivan Ong @ iophotoastro
Kenes MP Asia Pte Ltd
Mah Chou Liang
Adjunct Assistant Professor Mah is the Head of Department of Anaesthesia and Surgical Intensive Care of Changi General Hospital. Though he had completed his Critical Care Medicine Fellowship with University of Toronto, he has grown interest in Perioperative Care Medicine and was a member of the Regional Anaesthesia Core group of Changi General Hosptial, also known as RAPID. He was also the Assistant Program Director of the Singhealth Anaesthesiology Residency Program and has a keen interest in developing the next generation of Specialist Anaesthesiologist.
Lucy Davies
Dr. Lucy Davies is a Consultant in the Department of Paediatric Anaesthesia at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital. Her clinical expertise encompasses perioperative care and pain management, with a particular focus on both acute and chronic pain.
Since 2023, Dr. Davies has been appointed as a member of KKH’s Pain Committee and also served as a member of the hospital’s Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee. She is also actively involved in regional pain management initiatives, contributing to the organising committee of the 10th Association of Southeast Asian Pain Societies (ASEAPS) Pain Congress 2025 as part of the Publicity Subcommittee. Additionally, she serves as faculty for the 7th IASP-Southeast Asian Pain Management Camp 2025.
Driven by a commitment to excellence in patient care, medical education, and clinician wellness, Dr. Davies strives to make a meaningful impact on both her patients and the wider medical community.
Ho Yang
Ms. Ho Yang is a registered clinical psychologist with the Singapore Psychological Society and the Singapore Register of Psychologists. Specializing in the mental health and emotional well-being of children, adolescents, and women, Ms. Ho works at KK Hospital, providing therapy for conditions like anxiety, depression and behavioral issues.
As part of the Children’s Pain Management Clinic, Ms. Ho offers specialized psychological interventions for patients managing chronic pain, helping both children and families cope with the emotional aspects of long-term health conditions.
Ms. Ho is trained in evidence-based therapy modalities, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), which are tailored to meet the unique needs of each patient.
By taking a holistic, patient-centered approach, Ms. Ho collaborates with multidisciplinary teams to provide comprehensive care, empowering patients with effective coping strategies and emotional resilience for a better quality of life.
Uma Shridhar Iyer
Dr. Uma completed her basic medical education and MD in Anaesthesia at Grant Medical College, Mumbai. Following her graduation, she worked at Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, India’s premier cancer hospital. However, her true passion has always been Regional Anaesthesia.
In 2003, she moved to Singapore, where she had the privilege of working under Dr. Low Tut Choon. Together with a dedicated team of colleagues, they explored anatomical variations, refined nerve block techniques, and pioneered ultrasound-guided (USG) regional anaesthesia. Their collaborative efforts led to the development of anatomy and regional anaesthesia workshops, as well as the publication of a manual on basic USG-guided regional anaesthesia.
To further specialize, Dr. Uma pursued a fellowship in Regional Anaesthesia at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, UK. She was the first in Singapore to obtain the European Diploma in Regional Anaesthesia (EDRA). Upon her return, she played a pivotal role in establishing Singapore’s first dedicated Regional Anaesthesia unit, mentoring fellows such as Dr. Amjad Maniar, who has since become a key opinion leader in the field. Under her guidance, the team also set up a block room dedicated to advancing regional anaesthesia techniques.
Dr. Uma remains an active advocate for Regional Anaesthesia, delivering lectures, live demonstrations, and training sessions at various professional forums. Since transitioning to private practice in 2014, she continues to integrate regional anaesthesia techniques into her daily clinical work while seeking new opportunities to contribute to the field.
Terence Quek
Dr Terence Quek is an anaesthesiologist with a special interest in pain management. Dr Quek received his medical degree from Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine in 2008, and went on to complete his Masters in Anaesthesiology in 2014. He completed his Residency in Anaesthesiology in 2017, serving as Chief Resident in his final year.
Dr Quek pursued further training in pain management thereafter, completing an International Diploma in Interventional Pain Management in Seoul in 2019, conducted by University of Montpellier. Dr Quek received the Healthcare Manpower Development Plan (HDMP) Award to further develop his expertise in interventional pain management for cancer pain, and completed a fellowship at the National University of Taipei in 2021, with a focus on cancer pain intervention. He currently serves as Director of the Pain Management Clinic at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore.
Dr Quek’s special interests lie in chronic pain management, regional anaesthesia, palliative care, musculoskeletal pain intervention and ultrasound-guided intervention. He is committed to providing the high–quality care to his patients, and is dedicated to staying up-to-date with the latest developments in his field. He is a proponent of the multi-disciplinary management of patients with chronic pain, and believes that early procedural intervention in advanced cancer pain in conjunction with multi-faceted care can help to optimise pain control, reduce systemic medication side effects, and improve quality of life.
Phyu Phyu Lay
Prof Dr Phyu Phyu Lay is currently working as a Professor/Head and Senior Consultant Neurologist of Department of Neurology, Yangon General Hospital and the Chair of the Academic Board of Dr. Med. Sc (Neurology) post- graduate training course at the University of Medicine 1, Yangon, Myanmar. She received her MBBS (Ygn) in 1987,M. Med. Sc (Internal Medicine) in 1997,Dr.Med. Sc (Neurology) in 2007, Dip. Med. Ed in 2018, Fellowships of the Royal College of Physicians: F.R.C.P (Edin) in 2016, F.RC.P ( Glasg) in 2020, F.RC.P( London) in 2021. She did fellowship training in Clinical Stroke at Singapore General Hospital in 2001 and in Neurophysiology at University of Malaya Medical Centre in 2012.
She currently is the President of the Myanmar Neurological Society and the Myanmar Society for the Study of Pain and the Vice-President of Association of South East Asian Pain Societies. She is a Council Member of ASEAN Neurological Association and Asia Pacific Stroke Organization. She is also a member of International Association for the Study of Pain since 2014. She is invited as a Chair person in multiple stroke and neurology meetings both locally and internationally. Her area of special interest and research is Neuropathic pain and Stroke.
Matthew Tay
Dr Matthew Tay is a rehabilitation physician from Tan Tock Seng Hospital. His interests are in diagnostic ultrasound and image-guided interventions in musculoskeletal medicine, and he has undergone fellowship training in Canada in these areas. He is actively involved in research investigating the impact of neuromusculoskeletal health on human function. This includes the non-surgical management of musculoskeletal pain, ultrasound imaging of muscle health in rehabilitation and improving functional health in cancer survivors. He has presented his research work at numerous conferences, and has published in local, regional and international journals.
Margaretha Barbara Breebaart
Margaretha Barbara Breebaart is working as an anesthesiologist in the University Hospital Antwerp. She has a special interest in regional anesthesia, education and communication. She has been board a member of the BARA since 2011 of which she fulfilled the position of president from 2018-2021.
In 2015 Dr Breebaart finalized her PhD on spinal anesthesia in ambulatory surgery.
She participated in regional anesthesia ultrasound and cadaver workshops in Belgium and Europe and gave several lectures at international and national ongresses on this topic. Since 2020 she became board member of the EDRA (European Diploma of Regional anesthesia and pain medicine).
She published several papers on the field of regional anesthesia in the form of original research or guidelines/consensus papers.
Dr Breebaart is a certified Comfort talk trainer, has a certificate in medical hypnotic communication and teaches communication skills at the University of Antwerp in the Department of health sciences. She currently follows a premaster at the open University of Antwerp in the field of Lifespan Psychology. Her newest projects are communication during invasive techniques and implementing improvisational theatre as a teaching tool in the medical curriculum.
In her free time she is a mother of three, likes cycling and running and does Improvisational Theatre.
Lee Shu Ying
Dr Lee Shu Ying is a paediatric anaesthetist at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Singapore. She is also a Clinical lecturer at YLL School of Medicine, Duke’s/NUS Clinical Adjunct Assist Professor and SingHealth Residency Clinical Physician Faculty.
She completed her paediatric anaesthesia fellowship, with a focus on ultrasound-guided blocks at Alderhey Children’s Hospital, UK, and obtained the European Diploma in Regional Anaesthesia & Pain Therapy in 2012.
She is an advocate for and teaches ultrasound-guided regional blocks in children.
Jacklyn Yek
Dr Jacklyn Yek is an Anaesthesiologist and Pain Physician practising at Singapore General Hospital. She has a special clinical interest in high-risk Obstetrics Anaesthesia.
Dr Yek completed her M.B.B.S at the National University of Singapore, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine in 2013. She became a member of the Royal College of Surgeons (Edinburgh) in 2014. She then completed her Anaesthesiology residency training in SingHealth, and obtained her Masters of Medicine (Anaesthesiology) in 2019. During her residency training, she served as Chief Resident from 2020 to 2022 and attended the Singapore Chief Residency Program.
Farah Khalid
Farah Khalid is a paediatrician from Malaysia with expertise in paediatric palliative care and pain management. She earned her MBBS from the International Medical University, Malaysia, in 2004 and a Master’s in Paediatrics from the University of Malaya in 2012. In 2016, she obtained a Graduate Certificate in Palliative Medicine from Cardiff University, Wales. Her interest in paediatric pain led to a 1-year fellowship in paediatric pain medicine at the Sydney Children’s Hospital, Australia. Dr. Khalid is currently a clinical lecturer in paediatrics at the University of Malaya and is a consultant in the Paediatric Pain and Palliative Care Unit, University Malaya Medical Centre. Dr. Khalid has contributed to numerous publications focusing on paediatric palliative care, compassionate healthcare, and pain management. She has also co-authored chapters in textbooks and contributed to the Paediatric Pain Management Guidelines 2023 published by the Ministry of Health, Malaysia. Her dedication to advancing paediatric pain and palliative care is reflected in her involvement with several research grants and her participation in numerous invited lectures. Dr. Khalid holds memberships in various professional associations, including the Malaysian Paediatric Association and the International Association for the Study of Pain. Her leadership roles include chairing the Palliative Care Subcommittee of the Malaysian Paediatric Association. She is also the co-founder of MyStarfish, a charity based organisation that helps support the multidimensional needs of children with serious illnesses and their families.
Babita Ghai
Dr. Babita Ghai is Professor of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care at PGIMER, Chandigarh, where she coordinates the Pain Medicine Fellowship program. With 25 years of post-MD teaching and research experience, she has a keen interest in chronic pain management, education, research, and policy development.
Dr Ghai holds numerous prominent executive roles in global and national organizations including IASP. She serves on the “IASP Presidential Task Force on Interdisciplinary Pain Treatment”, is “DCWG Co-Chair”, treasurer of Pain education SIG, editor of Acute Pain SIG and Task force member of Global year 2025 of IASP. She is also the board member of William Harvey European Executive Program in Neuromodulation (EEPIN). Nationally, she is a Specialist Board Member for Pain Medicine under India’s DNB Board.
An award-winning academic, she has received the “Presidential Award for Academic Excellence” (ISA 2021) and a Commonwealth Fellowship at Queen Mary University, London (2012) and Ted talk speaker for “her journey of becoming Pain Physician” in 2015.
She is keenly involved in Pain research. Her research has garnered over $100,000 (~₹85,00,000) in funding, with contributions to 10 funded and 30 unfunded projects in chronic pain.
She has over 150 indexed publications, authored multiple book chapters, and edited two books on low back pain. Her H index is 33, i10 index is 70 and total Citations are 3050 as of Jan 2025. Her recent work has been cited in NICE guidelines and global
systematic reviews.
Dr. Ghai is a sought-after international speaker at global conferences including various World Congresses Pain at Japan, Bueno Aries and Boston; European federation on Pain (EFIC) congress at Denmark, two “Association of South East Asian Pain Society (ASEAPS) conference” at Myanmar and Malaysia and New York School of Regional Anesthesia World Anesthesia Congress (NWAC), Dubai. She is recently invited as Keynote speaker by Neurosciences Research Australia (NeuRA) at 17th Back amd Neck Forum Nov 2021.
Amjad Maniar
Dr. Amjad Maniar is a Consultant Anesthesiologist from Bangalore, India and has a special interest in regional anesthesia. He has attended and presented at over 75 national and international conferences, including the Academy of Regional Anesthesia (AORA) annual conferences, the World Congress of Regional Anesthesia, and various postgraduate training courses across India, the Philippines, and Europe. His expertise is frequently sought after as an invited speaker, particularly on ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia techniques.
Dr. Maniar has contributed to medical literature with publications in esteemed journals such as the British Journal of Anaesthesia and Anaesthesia Reports. His research covers topics including peripheral nerve blocks, perioperative pain management, and sterility protocols in regional anesthesia. Additionally, he has co-authored textbook chapters for Oxford University Press and Wolters Kluwer.
He is the current serving National President of the Academy of Regional Anaesthesia (India). He has also chaired and co-chaired multiple scientific committees for AORA and other conferences. Heading AORA, he plays a key role in advancing regional anesthesia education, fellowships and research across India.
Beyond anesthesia, Dr Maniar is an avid 3D printing enthusiast and is currently researching ways to implement the technology in to everyday medical use.
Amit Verma
Dr. Amit Verma is a Consultant Anesthesiologist at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi and a Clinical Assistant Professor at Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine. Holding esteemed qualifications including M.D., D.N.B., F.I.P.P., and E.D.P.M., Dr. Verma brings extensive expertise in the field of anesthesia and pain management.
With a strong specialization in chronic pain management, he has a keen interest in ultrasound-guided pain interventions, implantable therapies for pain management, and transitional pain services. His dedication to advancing pain management techniques ensures improved patient outcomes and quality of life.
Dr. Verma continues to contribute to the field through clinical practice, education, and research, making a significant impact on the advancement of pain management strategies.
Myint Thaung
Professor Myint Thaung is an Emeritus Professor of Orthopaedics at the University of Medicine 1, Yangon, and a former Head of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery. With over four decades of expertise, he has earned multiple qualifications, including an MBBS, M.Med.Sc (Orthopaedics), Dr. Med.Sc (Orthopaedics), and a Diploma in Medical Education. Prof. Myint Thaung has held numerous prestigious roles, including President of the ASEAN Orthopaedic and Arthroplasty Associations and Technical Advisor in Orthopaedics for Myanmar’s Ministry of Health. He is currently the Chair of the Board of Orthopaedics in Myanmar and President of the Myanmar Wound Care Society. An accomplished academic, he has published 50 research articles and serves on various international boards, contributing significantly to orthopaedic education and practice across the Asia-Pacific region.
Aye Mya Min Aye
Dr. Aye Mya Min Aye is a Consultant Paediatric Neurologist at Yangon Children Hospital in Myanmar, with extensive experience in child neurology since 2011. She holds an M.B.B.S., an M.Med.Sc in Paediatrics, and has completed a fellowship in Paediatric Neurology at the University of Malaya. Her expertise includes managing diverse neurological conditions, leading outreach clinics, and implementing paediatric teleneurology services in remote areas. Dr. Aye is actively involved in teaching, research, and international collaborations, with numerous presentations, publications, and awards, including the Bernard D’Souza International Fellowship. She is a dedicated advocate for improving paediatric neurology care and education in Myanmar.
Wan Kai Rui
Dr Wan Kai Rui is a Neurosurgical Consultant based at the National Neuroscience Institute. Her subspeciality interests are in Functional Neurosurgery, particularly in the realm of invasive and non-invasive forms of neuromodulation, as well as in Neuro-Oncology. She also has a keen interest in harnessing AI applications to deepen understanding and manipulate neural networks to augment and revolutionize the delivery of neurological healthcare and research. In the words of Zadie Smith: “Progress is never permanent… It must always be redoubled, restated and reimagined if it is to survive.”
Yacine Hadjiat
Dr Yacine Hadjiat holds medical degree with a specialization in Pain Management (from both Paris Medical University and McGill University), a PhD in Public Health as well as an MBA in Healthcare Management.
He has also completed several training courses and specializations in addiction, paediatric pain management, clinical research, health economics health technology and Artificial Intelligence for Healthcare.
Throughout his career, he has covered several senior leadership positions in the life-science industry, innovation, education as well as clinical practice and academic medical research in Europe, US and Asia.
Along with his career in the Life Science ecosystem, Dr Yacine HADJIAT had several years of clinical practice in pain and cancer care management including NGO work with Pain Without
Borders especially in Africa and Asia and also fundamental and clinical research experience in the US at the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Dr Yacine HADJIAT is also Lecturer in both Medical universities (Paris V Medical University) and Business Schools (ESCP, EMA) on Innovation and Digital Health.
He is part of the French Health Institute (INSERM) in Public health research program and Chief Editor of Digital Health in Pain Management Journal.
He is currently leading innovation & Digital Health and A/Prof of innovation and health technology at Dubai Health – UAE.
Suresh Paranjothy
Dr Suresh practices as a senior consultant in anaesthesia with a special interest in cardiothoracic anaesthesia at the National University Hospital, Singapore. His interests include point of care ultrasound (POCUS), perioperative TEE and medical education. He has organised the perioperative pocus workshop at the recent World Congress of Anaesthesiologists in 2024, and regularly organises local POCUS and critical care ultrasound workshops.
Quyen Van Than
Quyen Van Than is an IASP-WFSA Pain Fellow at Siriraj Hospital (Bangkok, Thailand) who graduated in 2020. He is currently the Chief of the Pain Clinic, Department of Anesthesiology Hospital 199 Da Nang, Vietnam.
He has been actively involving in the development of pain management in Vietnam. He is one of the members of the advocacy group for the establishment of the Vietnam Association for the Study of Pain. He contributed greatly to the success of the Essential Pain Management (EPM) program and the IASP Toolkit training in Vietnam. Quyen and his team have organized 11 EPM workshops throughout Vietnam since 2021.
He established the first acute pain service and the first multidisciplinary pain clinic in the middle region of Vietnam
Nantthasorn Zinboonyahgoon
Dr. Nantthasorn Zinboonyahgoon completed his anesthesia residency training from the Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, followed by a fellowship in Pain Medicine at the Oregon Health and Science University, USA. He is currently the director of Siriraj Clinical Pain Management Training Center, which is the WFSA-IASP’s international pain fellowship training site. His teaching experiences also include lectures and cadaveric workshops in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
He is an associate professor at Mahidol University, Thailand. He is active in pain research and has many publications in many journals including PAIN, British Journal of Anaesthesia, Pain Physician, and Neuromodulation, with an H index of 11. He also works with the WFSA, the IASP, the Thai Association for the Study of Pain, and the Royal Colleague of Anesthesiologists of Thailand to represent and promote pain management in Thailand and Southeast Asia.
Aimee Barrion
Dr. Aimee Flor A. Barrion is an accomplished anaesthesiologist and pain management specialist with extensive experience and qualifications. She earned her Physician’s Licensure in 2005 and achieved Diplomate status from the Philippine Board of Anaesthesiology in 2010 and the Philippine Board of Pain Medicine in 2012. She holds a Graduate Diploma in Regional Anaesthesia and Analgesia and a Master’s degree in Hospital Management, and she was recently certified as a Specialist in Regional Anaesthesia in 2023.
Dr. Barrion has held numerous leadership roles, including Training Officer for the Pain Management Fellowship Program at Asian Hospital and Medical Centre since 2017 and Section Head of Pain and Regional Anaesthesia at Batangas Medical Centre since 2018. She has been a Board Member and Secretary of the Pain Society of the Philippines and a faculty member for the ASEAPS Pain Camp in 2019 and 2025. She also serves as a Board Member of the Regional Anaesthesia Society of the Philippines.
Recognised for her contributions, Dr. Barrion received the Leadership Award from Asian Hospital and Medical Centre in 2022. She is affiliated with Batangas Medical Centre and Asian Hospital and Medical Centre, where she continues to advance pain management practices in the Philippines.
Ahmad Afifi Mohd Arshad
Dr. Afifi serves as a Consultant Anaesthesiologist and Pain Specialist at Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah in Northern Malaysia. He holds a Master’s degree in Anaesthesiology & Critical Care and has specialized in Pain Medicine, training under notable mentors such as Dr. Mary Cardosa, Professor Stephan Schug, and Professor Philip Finch.
He is a member and trainer for the Special Interest Group in Regional Anaesthesia, a chapter of the College of Anaesthesiology and a POCUS trainer for the Malaysian Society for Critical Care and Emergency Sonography (SUCCES), a chapter of International WINFOCUS network. He is also a trainer for the Pain Medicine Subspecialty under the Ministry of Health Malaysia.
He manages pain intervention for advanced refractory cancer within a team led by a palliative care physician in his hospital. The service ranges from peripheral and plexus nerve blocks to neurolysis and home-based intrathecal drug delivery systems.
G. P. Dureja
Dr. (Prof) G.P. Dureja is a prominent figure in the field of pain management in India. He embarked on his pioneering journey by initiating Pain Management Services at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in 1986, establishing a foundation that would meet and exceed international standards. With a dedicated career spanning over 20 years at AIIMS, he has made significant contributions to the field until 2005.
In recognition of his expertise and dedication, Dr. Dureja was appointed as a Fellow of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), a prestigious position that highlights his commitment to advancing pain management globally. He is also an active member of the World Institute of Pain (WIP) and the Indian Society for the Study of Pain (ISSP), further underscoring his role in shaping the discourse and practice of pain management.
Dr. Dureja’s impact extends beyond clinical practice to academia and research. He has been a prolific author, contributing 6 books and over 240 papers on pain management, sharing his knowledge and insights with both the medical community and the public. His role as a thought leader in the field is also evidenced by his frequent invitations to speak at international conferences over the last two decades, where he has shared the platform with other experts to discuss advances and challenges in the field.
In 2005, Dr. Dureja expanded his contributions to the field by establishing the Delhi Pain Management Centre, a facility dedicated to providing state-of-the-art pain management services. This institution serves as a beacon for patients suffering from chronic pain, offering them the latest in pain management therapies and technologies.
Dr. Dureja’s pioneering work has not only transformed pain management in India but has also set a benchmark for excellence globally, making him a revered figure in the medical community.
Sasikaan Nimmaanrat
Dr. Sasikaan Nimmaanrat is an Associate Professor of Anesthesiology at the Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Thailand. She completed her pain fellowship training at the Pain Management Research Centre, Royal North Shore Hospital, University of Sydney, Australia. Since then, she has been dedicated to advancing pain management through patient care, teaching undergraduates and postgraduates, and conducting research.
Her primary areas of interest include acute postoperative and post-traumatic pain, cancer pain, and chronic non-cancer pain. Dr. Nimmaanrat also serves as the Chairperson of the Local Arrangements Committee (LAC) for the IASP World Congress on Pain 2026.
Preeshaa Adithan
Dr Preesha is a dedicated physiotherapist with over a decade of experience in the field. She graduated with a Diploma in Physiotherapy in 2009 and later pursued her Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Applied Rehabilitation (Physiotherapy), completing it in 2019.
Currently attached to Hospital Selayang, Dr Preesha joined the hospital’s Multidisciplinary Pain Team in 2017. Since then, she has been actively involved in treating and managing chronic pain patients at the pain clinic. Her expertise has been integral to the MENANG PROGRAM, a chronic pain management initiative, where she has served as the physiotherapist in charge on multiple occasions.
To stay abreast of advancements in pain management, Dr Preesha recently attended the 6th IASP-Southeast Asian Pain Management Camp and the 9th ASEAPS Congress organised by TASP in Bangkok, Thailand, in 2023. These events enriched her knowledge and broadened her professional network within the field of pain management.
Dr Preesha has also contributed significantly to the education and training of healthcare professionals. She has assisted in organising and facilitating several chronic pain management workshops, focusing on strategies, treatment options, and patient care techniques. Her notable contributions include her role in the inaugural 1st National Malaysian Pain Camp held in Kuala Lumpur in 2024.
With her wealth of experience and passion for improving chronic pain management, Dr Preesha continues to make impactful contributions to the field.
Shawn Lee Ji Kwan
Shawn Lee is a practicing Clinical Psychologist, specialising in using cognitive behavioural therapy and clinical hypnosis to manage depression, anxiety and pain.
Shawn is a senior lecturer at Monash University Malaysia. He is the Chief Clinical Pychologist of MuHeal, a digital health technology company based in China. In addition, Shawn is a visiting psychologist at Hospital Selayang’s Pain Clinic. He also runs a private psychological services centre, Psycle Consultancy and Training, where he sees selected clients, as well as providing supervision and training to clinical psychologists in training.
Shawn completed his PhD at Universiti Putra Malaysia, on psychological techniques to manage chronic pain. He earned his Master in Clinical Psychology from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
Shawn’s professional affiliations are with the Malaysian Society of Clinical Psychology, Malaysian Association for the Study of Pain, American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, and International Association for the Study of Pain.
Ozlan Izma Bin Muhamed Kamil
Dr. Ozlan earned his medical degree from the Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia in 1993. He specialized in Orthopaedic Surgery, completing his Masters in Surgery (Orthopedics) from the same university in 2000. Dr. Ozlan pursued further training in Orthopaedic trauma, Arthroplasty, Arthroscopy, and Spine Surgery at various prestigious institutions, including Flinders Medical Centre in Australia, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Thailand, and Auckland City Hospital in New Zealand.
Dr. Ozlan further expanded his expertise in pain management and interventional pain procedures. He is a Fellow of Interventional Pain Practice (FIPP) and a Certified Interventional Pain Sonologist (CIPS), both designations awarded by the World Institute of Pain, USA. Dr. Ozlan played a key role in developing the first Malaysian Low Back Pain Guidelines in 2009.
He is a member of several professional organizations, including the Malaysian Orthopaedic Association, the Malaysian Spine Society, the Malaysian Society for Interventional Pain Physicians, and the College of Surgeons, Academy of Medicine Malaysia. He is an active participant in the field, frequently speaking at international and national conferences and conducting training seminars in pain management, spine surgery, and interventional pain procedures.
Before entering private practice in 2010, Dr. Ozlan served as a Consultant Orthopaedic and Spine Surgeon at Hospital Kuala Lumpur, the largest hospital in
Malaysia. His clinical practice focuses on pain management, musculoskeletal interventional pain procedures, and spinal surgery, particularly for degenerative spine Conditions.
Manojit Sinha
Dr Sinha is the Clinical Lead and Consultant in Spine and Pain Medicine at King’s College Hospital, London. He has received clinical excellence awards for his dedicated services and offers private consultations in London and Essex.
Dr Sinha is a highly trained and skilled Pain medicine specialist who received his training at King’s College, Guy’s & St Thomas’ Hospital. He has been awarded Fellowships in Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine and is Chair of the British Pain Society’s Interventional Pain Medicine Special interest group. Additionally, he is an elected council member of the British Pain Society and Royal Society of Medicine, Pain Medicine section.
Dr Sinha meticulously assesses patients’ medical histories, utilises advanced diagnostic techniques, and creates customised treatment plans. He is highly skilled in administering pain injections, managing complex cases, and delivering expert reports.
Dr Sinha teaches medical students and pain trainees, presents papers, and leads workshops nationally and internationally. He also developed an innovative injection technique for managing disabling back pain.
Lui Yit Shiang
Dr Lui obtained his medical degree from the National University of Singapore (NUS) and qualified as a specialist in Psychiatry. He has been a Member of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (RC Psych). He is certified as a substance abuse & gambling addiction counsellor by the Association of Professionals Specialising in Addiction Counselling (APSAC).
He obtained the Master of Science in Addiction Studies at King’s College London with distinction and best research when National University Hospital (NUH) awarded him the academic medicine development opportunity (AMDA). He is also conferred Associate of King’s College (AKC) and was an associate member of the Academy of Consultation Liaison Psychiatry (ACLP) in the US.
He was appointed as an assessor for Vulnerable Adults by Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF). He was also a sub-committee member in the workgroup contributing to the Opioid Prescribing Guidelines released by Ministry of Health (MOH) recently. He had published on several topics in mental health and addiction, and authored articles on alcohol and gambling in the media.
Dr Lui was a Senior Consultant Psychiatrist with the Department of Psychological Medicine at NUH. Dr Lui left public service in 2022 to set aside time to contribute to disability medicine in the community while embarking on private practice. He was with MINDS Developmental Disability Medicine Clinic and performed assessment as certificate issuer for mental capacity. He has an outpatient service at Katong i12. Dr Lui’s vision for Otium Mindhealth is to provide holistic and patient-centric care for anyone struggling with psychological distress using an evidence-based approach in a personalized manner.
Huang Fang
Dr Huang is an Advanced Practice Nurse, specialized in Gynecological oncology. She has been taking care and managing gynecological cancer patients together with medical and nursing teams in both inpatient and outpatient settings since 2009, following her certification as an Advanced Practice Nurse. She obtained her Master of Nursing from the National University of Singapore and her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Duke University School of Nursing.
She is a certified Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) physician, having obtained her Diploma in TCM and Acupuncture from Singapore Colleague of Traditional Chines Medicine in 2011. Dr Huang is a member of both the Singapore Chinese Physicians’ Association and the Singapore Chinese Medical Union. She has volunteered as a TCM physician for years and has been invited to give talks on her nursing expertise to TCM physicians and to share her TCM knowledge with healthcare professionals at various platforms, particularly in the TCM approach to pain management.
Bryan Tan
Dr Bryan Tan is currently a Consultant in Orthopaedic Surgery, Woodlands Health, NHG. He has experience practicing both locally and overseas having done several fellowships internationally. He has served as the Singapore Orthopaedic Trainee Committee (SOTC) President and has represented the Singapore Orthopaedic Association (SOA) as its Junior Ambassador.
He is very active in the research scene and has completed his PhD post specialist training with a focus on health service research, implementation science and health economics in the area of knee osteoarthritis. He has more than 40 publications and has presented at multiple international conference. He currently holds several grants with total quantum exceeding S$9 million. He has been recognized for his research achievements through awards such as the Singapore Young Investigator Award, Health Services Research (Gold) in 2019, INEX-OSCAR by the College of Clinician-Scientist in 2022, Public Sector Transformation Exemplary Innovator Award in 2023 and the NHG Young Achiever Award in 2024. He is currently an Assistant Professor at LKCMedicine and Deputy Director at the Rehabilitation Research Institute of Singapore (RRIS) spearheading the Musculoskeletal Pillar.
In addition to his training as an Orthopaedic surgeon and researcher, he has a strong interest in administration, policy making and public health and applies a public health, system lens to musculoskeletal problems. He currently sits on several hospital and national workgroups to deliver new models of care for musculoskeletal health.
He is passionate about combining his interests in research, public health and administration as a surgeon-scientist to develop the niche area in health services research and implementation science using a grounded, evidence based, data-driven approach to guide policy making and transform the care of musculoskeletal patients.
Sara Ho
Dr Sara Ho is a Consultant in the Division of Palliative Care at the National University Cancer Institute, Singapore (NCIS). She obtained her medical degrees from King’s College London and Royal College of Physicians UK before completing specialty training in Advanced Internal Medicine and Palliative Medicine.
Gunawan Kurniadi
Dr. Gunawan Kurniadi is a physiatrist with a distinguished career in physical medicine and rehabilitation (PMR). He earned his medical degree from Atma Jaya University Faculty of Medicine and initially worked in the pharmaceutical industry for two years.
From 1993 to 1996, Dr. Kurniadi served as a non-permanent employee at a Public Health Center in the rural village of Kedungwuni, Pekalongan, Central Java, providing essential healthcare services to the community.
In 1997, he pursued specialist training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of Indonesia and Cipto Mangunkusumo Central General Hospital, completing the program in 2002. Upon graduation, he joined Kelapa Gading Mitra Keluarga Hospital, where he has practiced as a PMR specialist and pain physician since then.
Dr. Kurniadi has been actively involved in advancing the field of PMR. He contributed to the Jakarta/Jaya branch of the PMR organisation by initiating a special interest group focused on musculoskeletal pain rehabilitation.
In 2014, Dr. Kurniadi undertook a fellowship with Dr. Gautam Das, specialising in fluoroscopy-guided pain interventions. He later expanded his expertise in musculoskeletal ultrasound and developed skills in ultrasound-guided pain interventions.
As part of a national initiative, he participated in the Indonesian Medical College’s working group to draft a “White Paper on Multidisciplinary Pain Intervention Management”, which was completed in mid-2018.
Dr. Kurniadi was among the first group to take the PMR college’s board exams for pain intervention management. He passed the exams for ultrasound-guided pain intervention management in 2017 and fluoroscopy-guided pain intervention management in 2018.
In 2022, he was invited by the PMR college to mentor fellows in ultrasound-guided pain intervention management, reflecting his commitment to education and the advancement of pain management techniques in Indonesia.
Tan Hee Hon
Dr Tan Hee Hon graduated from National University of Singapore in 1989, and had his graduate training in Prosthodontics under the sponsorship of Health Manpower Development Program and completed his residency program in 1995. Under another sponsorship of Health Manpower Development Program for the Study of Orofacial Pain in 1999 – 2000, he worked at the Oral Medicine Department, School of Dentistry, University of Washington.
Dr. Tan maintains his passion for education. His lectures on topics including implant dentistry, advanced restorative dentistry, and orofacial pain/temporomandibular disorder. In 2004, he had a private practice at Mount Elizabeth Medical Center. He is the Consultant Prosthodontist for Tan Hee Hon Prosthodontics and Orofacial Pain Clinic. He and his team of staff was also involved in public education for Oral Health – “To put a Healthy Smile on your Face”.
In 2014, he joined his alma mater, Faculty of Dentistry, NUS as a full-time academia to teach Prosthodontics and Orofacial Pain. He maintained his clinical practice for the management of Orofacial Pain at National University Hospital’s University Dental Cluster which in 2019, began operating at National University Centre for Oral Health, Singapore (NUCOHS).
Roneil M. Nogoy
Dr. Roneil M. Nogoy is a highly accomplished anesthesiologist and pain management specialist with extensive expertise in regional anesthesia. He earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from FEU-NRMF in 1997 and completed his residency training in Anesthesiology at The Medical City from 2000 to 2003.
Driven by a passion for pain management, Dr. Nogoy pursued a Pain Management Fellowship at the University of the Philippines – Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH) from 2004 to 2006. He further honed his skills by completing a Diploma Course in Ultrasound-Guided Regional Anesthesia at the University of Montpellier in collaboration with the Dubai Health Authority from 2013 to 2014.
Since 2007, Dr. Nogoy has been an active consultant in the Department of Anesthesiology at The Medical City. His dedication to advancing anesthesia practices is reflected in his leadership roles: he serves as the Section Head of Regional Anesthesia and the Assistant Training Officer of the Pain Management Section.
Dr. Nogoy’s comprehensive training and commitment to patient care have made him a respected figure
Thanarat Suansanae
After earning a Bachelor of Pharmacy degree from Mahidol University in 1999, he became a Lecturer at Faculty of Pharmacy, Srinakharinwirot University. Then, he earned a Master of Pharmacy degree in clinical pharmacy from Mahidol University in 2002. Since that time he has practiced and taught in psychiatric and neurologic pharmacy. In 2009, he has been a full-time faculty member with Division of Clinical Pharmacy, Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy, Mahidol University. He had an opportunity to be a visitor scholar in neurology and neurosurgery at the University of Kentucky’s College of Pharmacy, Lexington, Kentucky in 2010. Later on, he received an American Board Certified Psychiatric Pharmacist and Board Certified Geriatric Pharmacist.
He teaches pharmacy students in both didactic course work and pharmacy practice experiences in internal medicine. Additionally, he has taught pharmacy residents and medical residents and fellows about pharmacology and pharmacotherapy of pain, neurology, psychiatry, and geriatrics. He has authored more than 100 research articles, reviews, and book chapters in these areas, both in Thai and English.
He is currently served as a congress facility of the Thai Society for the Study of Pain. In addition, he is a vice president of the Association of Hospital Pharmacy (Thailand).
Philippe Macaire
Since 2017, Prof Dr Philippe Macaire has served as the Director of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at Vinmec Healthcare in Vietnam, a non-profit private organization comprising eight international hospitals.
In addition to this role, Prof Dr Philippe Macaire is a Professor at VinUniversity’s College of Health Sciences and Co-Director of two international university diploma programs: the Diploma of Regional Anesthesia and Analgesia and the Diploma of Interventional Pain Medicine, both offered by the French University of Montpellier.
A passionate advocate for advancing anesthesia practices, Prof Dr Philippe Macaire is the past Chairman and co-founder of the non-profit foundation ALR Francophone. Over the years, Prof Dr Philippe Macaire has authored 20 original research articles and several books on regional anesthesia, contributing significantly to the field’s knowledge base.
Prof Dr Philippe Macaire continues to champion innovation, education, and excellence in anesthesiology and pain medicine on a global scale.
Athmaja Thottungal
Nicholas Chua
Dr Nicholas Chua is the immediate Past-President of the Pain Association of Singapore. He currently runs his own private practice, the Specialist Pain International Clinic in Mt Elizabeth Novena Hospital. Dr Nicholas Chua completed his Advanced Pain Fellowship with a special focus on Pain Diagnostics and Interventional Pain Management in the University Medical Centre of Nijmegen, Netherlands. His PhD thesis focuses on Chronic Neck Pain and the development of Cervicogenic Headache. Dr Chua has served on the Examination Board of the Fellowship of Interventional Pain Physicians (WIP) since 2016 and he specializes in Interventional Pain Management for chronic cancer and non-cancer pain.
Peter Svensson
I am a passionate clinical scientist focused on orofacial pain research, teaching and clinic for +30 years.
• DDS (1987), Ph.D. (1993), Dr.Odont. (2000), Odont.Dr. (h.c.) (2013).
My innovative and collaborative research has focused on peripheral and central orofacial pain mechanisms, neuroplasticity, trigeminal motor physiology, bruxism, advanced quantitative sensory testing, electrophysiology, brain imaging and temporomandibular disorders promoting the field of orofacial neurosciences in order to improve patient health and wellbeing.
• > 600 original research papers, reviews and book chapters.
• H-index = 75
I am proud to have contributed to new international pain, headache and orofacial pain and bruxism classifications and guidelines. I am ranked #1 in the world lifetime for orofacial pain (ScholarGPS) and #3 in the field of facial pain research (Expertscape).
I have lectured and disseminated research findings across the world linking assessment of orofacial pain to clinical management.
• + 300 lectures, seminars and courses
My clinical activities helping patients with various types of orofacial pain and dysfunction keep me reminded of the continued need to integrate research and teaching with clinical care.
Yang Su-Yin
Dr Yang heads the Department of Psychology Service at Woodlands Health. She completed her PhD in Academic Studies (Health Psychology) at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London in 2016 under MOH RF sponsorhsip. In the same year, she was also accepted as a Chartered Health Psychologist by the British Psychological Society (BPS) and as a member of the Division of Academics, Researchers, and Teachers in Psychology. Dr Yang is a registered psychologist and an approved clinical supervisor by the Singapore Psychological Society (SPS).
Dr Yang’s main clinical and research areas focus on improving the lives of people with chronic pain and chronic disease through interdisciplinary collaborative models of care. In the area of clinical education, Dr Yang holds a content expert and clinical facilitator position at Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine in her specialist area of Pain Psychology and Adjunct Research Scientist position at the Rehabilitation Institute of Singapore (RRIS), Nanyang Technological Institute of Singapore.
Dr Yang has published articles in both health magazines and international journals and has peer reviewed articles for journal publication. She has also co-published a book chapter on psychological treatments for painful diabetic neuropathy (PDN). She has a special interest in preventive health and healthcare innovations and has a patent application for a Brain Computer Interface (BCI) to identify and extract Electroencephalogram signals published in Singapore, Chinese, European and US offices.
As a leader, Dr Yang is passionate about the personal and professional growth of her team members. She leads on the principle of, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.
In person, she is a self-professed Foodie, counts Caffeine as a legal addiction with “shots” of single origin needed to kick start her day. She loves all things handmade and semblances of the British weather perks her mood!
Faisal Parlindungan
Faisal Parlindungan is a medical staff in Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia. He is a lecturer of Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia and also working in the university hospital, Universitas Indonesia Hospital, as an internist-rheumatologist. Faisal gained his internist certification from Universitas Sumatera Utara and his rheumatology certification from Universitas Indonesia. He was interested in the field of pain, particulary chronic pain, and was a recipient of ASEAPS young scholar grant in 2019. He is a member of Indonesian Pain Society in the Chronic Pain SIG, and he strives for a better pain medicine education and health services in Indonesia.
Herdiani Sulistyo Putri
Dr. Herdiani Sulistyo Putri graduated as an anesthesiologist from Airlangga University in 2014 and completed a fellowship in Interventional Pain Management in 2016. During her fellowship, she received formal training in Emergency Medicine and Advanced Critical Care at Okayama University Hospital in Japan. Since then, she has dedicated her career to pain management and palliative care.
Since 2018, Dr. Herdiani has served as the Chief of the Pain Management Team at Airlangga University Hospital in Surabaya and as the Educational Coordinator for medical students in the Department of Anesthesiology at the Faculty of Medicine, Airlangga University. As of 2020, she also holds the position of Head of the Anesthesiology Department at Airlangga University Hospital.
Dr. Herdiani actively contributes to various medical events as a member of the organizing committees for multiple seminars and has chaired Basic Life Support training for the community. Throughout her career, she has been involved in numerous research projects, primarily focused on integrative pain management. In her free time, she enjoys singing, traveling, and reading.
Iswandi Erwin
Dr Iswandi Erwin graduated MD from Trisakti University at 2011, completing residency at Faculty of Medicine Universitas Sumatera Utara Medan, North Sumatera and became neurologist by training at 2017. After finishing formal education, He has been working as civil servant of Ministry of Health, Republic of Indonesia, at National Brain Center Hospital Mahar Mardjono-Jakarta until nowadays. He was alumni of IASP-ASEAPS’s 2021 Essentials Pain Management and Multidisciplinary Pain Management Toolkit Course, also Bangkok’s Pain Camp in 2023. Try to broaden his horizon, he applied for headache medicine fellowship to learn under supervision of Prof. Min Kyung Chu and Dr. Woo Seok Ha at Yonsei University -Severance Hospital, Republic of Korea at 2024. Also following his senior/supervisor steps from Indonesia – Dr. Jimmy Barus,Ph.D, he aim to challenge himself to solve the puzzling problem of chronic headache and pain cases (also palliative care) of the patients. Up until now, with help from IASP and ASEAPS’s senior, as physician he is still learning also searching for every gap and insight available to facilitate one in chronic pain in order to help themself free from suffering by any means possible.
Lester E. Jones
Dr Jones is an experienced educator and APA-titled Pain Physiotherapist. He has had academic positions in the United Kingdom, Australia and now Singapore (since 2018), where he is a Senior Lecturer at Singapore Institute of Technology. His work is informed by a unique educational experience, graduating from schools of Psychology, Physiotherapy, Medicine (Master’s in pain) and Nursing and Midwifery (PhD). This has cultivated a broad interest in pain and a curiosity for applying pain science to new contexts and working in a trauma-informed way. Much of his scholarly work has been exploring pain as a multidimensional experience and includes the application of the Pain and Movement Reasoning Model which he co-created. He was the first physiotherapist awarded MScMed(PainMgt), the inaugural chair of APA National Pain Group and was the lead tutor on pain topics for La Trobe University’s Masters programs for Sports Physiotherapy and Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy. He is currently completing his third term on the Pain Association of Singapore Council, he is the Secretary of the International for the Association of Pain (IASP) SIG Pain and Trauma (formerly Pain related to Torture, Organised Violence and War) and since September 2022, he is an elected member of the IASP Council.
Madonna Damayanthie Datu
Dr. Madonna Damayanthie Datu, SpAn, FCPM, FIPM-KMN, is a specialist in anesthesiology and pain management. She completed her medical degree at Hasanuddin University (UNHAS) in 2001 and pursued her specialization in anesthesiology at the same institution, graduating in 2008. Further honing her expertise, Dr. Datu completed a fellowship in clinical and pain management at Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University in 2018, followed by a fellowship in interventional and pain management at KATI, UNHAS in 2019. She became a certified consultant in anesthesiology and pain management in 2021.
Dr. Datu begin her professional career background as a general practitioner with the Disaster Response Brigade at RSUP Dr. Wahidin Sudirohusodo from 2002 to 2007. Since 2013, she has been actively involved in anesthesiology and pain management at the same institution.
In 2023, she took on the role of leading the hospital’s Palliative Care Team, where she continues to make significant contributions to patient care and pain relief.
Narinder P. Singh
Dr. Narinder Singh is an assistant professor in Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of Ottawa and a staff anesthesiologist at The Ottawa Hospital. With fellowship training in chronic pain and obstetric anesthesia, Dr. Singh is dedicated to advancing patient care through a multidisciplinary and patient-centric approach.
Dr. Singh actively engages in clinical and academic research, focusing on improving outcomes for patients experiencing acute and chronic pain. As a principal investigator, he led innovative projects to enhance perioperative and chronic pain management strategies and develop interventions tailored to individual patient needs. He has been publishing regularly in high-impact journals and presenting at leading conferences.
In addition to his research, Dr. Singh is passionate about education, mentoring residents and fellows, and guiding them in the development of research projects in chronic pain and perioperative care. He is committed to fostering collaboration across disciplines, particularly through initiatives such as collaborative rounds with other specialty colleagues to improve care pathways for patient populations. With a passion for research, teaching, and clinical excellence, Dr. Singh is dedicated to improving the field of pain medicine and the quality of life for patients.
Steven Setiono
Dr Steven Setiono is a board-certified Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation specialist with additional expertise in neurorehabiltation. He is based in Jakarta, Indonesia where he practices as a physician and also as a lecturer in PMR Residency program Faculty of Medicine Universitas Indonesia. His main focus is improving the quality of life for patients with physical impairments or disabilities due to neurological conditions. Dr Steven Setiono’s main field of interest is spinal cord injury rehabilitation, neurogenic bladder, and also pain management.
Tan Siok Bee
Dr Tan Siok Bee is the Deputy Director of Nursing at Singapore General Hospital, who has more than 40 years experience as a nurse. She is an advanced practice nurse in charge of a group of Speciality and Advanced Practice Nurses. She has a special interest in hypnotherapy and is a Certified Hypnotherapist from the International Medical and Dental Hypnotherapy Association (IMDHA). She facilitates the TeamTHRIVE workshop and is a mindfulness facilitator for iTHRIVE, organized by Institute for Patient Safety and Quality.
Paulin Koh
Ms Paulin Koh serves as the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO) at Ministry of Health (MOH), Singapore, providing leadership and strategic direction for nursing services at national level. In this role, she collaborates with various healthcare agencies and clusters to shape policies, workforce development, training and education in the nursing profession. Concurrently, she holds the position of Registrar of the Singapore Nursing Board, where she oversees the licencing and regulation of nursing and midwifery practice and education in the country.
Before becoming CNO in July 2020, Ms Koh was holding concurrent appointments as the Chief Nurse of Changi General Hospital (CGH) and Deputy Group Chief Nurse, SingHealth. She played a pivotal role in establishing the Community Nursing service at CGH, a project supported by the MOH via the Regional Health System (RHS)-led Community Nursing pilot programme. As chair of the MOH National Nursing Taskforce (NNT) Community Nursing Subgroup and the Workgroup on Competency Framework (CF) Development, she significantly contributed to the strategic development of Community Nursing in Singapore which involved recommendations on their practice settings, roles and competencies. Her leadership in creating the Community Nursing CF set the stage for further developments, including the Geriatric Nursing and Palliative Care CFs, which were instrumental in addressing the healthcare needs of an ageing population.
Ms. Koh has been a strong advocate for the development of Advanced Practice Nurses (APNs) in Singapore, defining its role and scope of work relevant to the practice settings. She was actively involved in the amendment of the Nurses & Midwives Act in 2003-5, enabling certification of APN practice. She also played a key role in introducing a new track for Paediatric APNs in 2012 and continues to lead the progressive review of APNs and its internship programme. In her previous role at KK Women’s & Children’s Hospital (KKH), where her nursing career had spanned nearly two decades, Ms Koh championed the collaborative role of nurse midwives to provide midwife-led care. She served as nursing champion and lead internal auditor for JCI/ ISO/ BCP certifications and contributed to the strengthening of nursing practices and improvement of patient safety culture and measures at KKH. In 2012, she spearheaded initiatives like the Magnet Nursing Excellence framework and National Database of Nursing Quality Indicators (NDNQI) Data Benchmarking for KKH in 2012.
At the national level, Ms. Koh has been a vocal proponent of policies to advance the nursing profession in Singapore. She has addressed challenges in areas such as nursing education, nursing manpower and professional regulatory matters in Singapore. Her contributions include roles on key committees, including the MOH National Nursing Taskforce (NNT), Future Nursing Career Review Committee (FNCRC), MOH APN Development Committee and the ASEAN Joint Coordinating Committee of Nursing (AJCCN). She also co-chairs the National Nursing Education Committee and Collaborative Prescribing Steering Committee and serves on several Advisory Committees for nursing schools and as Registrar and Board Member of SNB; and Chairperson of SNB APN Accreditation and SNB Registration Committees.
Jessica Yu
Jessica has been working in Changi General Hospital for the past two decades. She has keen interests in advanced clinical practice, nursing education, nursing research, and evidenced based practice, as well as developing and mentoring nurses for professional development. Currently Jessica works as an advanced practice nurse specialising in pain management, as well as an Assistant Director in Nursing managing inpatient wards. She Attained her Doctor in Nursing Practice in 2020 from Duke University, USA.
Marvin Thepsoparn
I, Dr. Marvin Thepsoparn, am an anesthesiologist at King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, where I’ve held various roles since 2009. Currently, I serve as an attending anesthesiologist and consultant for both acute and chronic pain services. My work extends into pain management education, and I’ve contributed significantly to the Thai medical community through roles on scientific committees, including the Thai Association for the Study of Pain and the Thai Society of Regional Anesthesia.
My expertise covers ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia, cancer pain treatment, and perioperative pain management, areas in which I frequently lecture and conduct workshops. Internationally, I’ve presented at numerous conferences on topics like nerve block techniques, pain intervention, and the integration of emerging technologies in anesthesia.
My commitment to advancing anesthesia practices is reflected in various research publications and my role in training the next generation of anesthesiologists through lectures and workshops. I am dedicated to enhancing patient outcomes through innovative pain management strategies, a focus that underpins my work in anesthesiology and pain medicine.
Suwimon Tangwiwat
Assoc. Prof. Suwimon Tangwiwat is a distinguished anesthesiologist specializing in regional anesthesia and acute pain medicine. She is affiliated with the Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, one of Thailand’s leading medical institutions.
Leadership Roles:
• Vice Chair of Academic Affairs (Since 2017): Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital.
• Chief of Acute Pain Service (APS) (Since 2017): Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital.
• Secretariat General (Since 2019): Asian and Oceanic Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (AOSRA-PM).
• President-Elect (2024–2025): Royal College of Anesthesiologists of Thailand (RCAT).
• President-Elect (2024–2025): Asian and Oceanic Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (AOSRA-PM).
Educational Leadership:
• Co-Director (Since 2021): Cadaver Workshop of Ultrasound-Guided Regional Anesthesia, European Diploma of Regional Anesthesia (EDRA-approved), Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok.
• Chair (Since 2016): Training Curriculum for the Certificate of Medical Proficiency in Regional Anesthesia and Acute Pain Medicine, under the Royal College of Anesthesiologists of Thailand (RCAT).
Education and Training:
• Clinical Fellowship in Neuroanesthesia and Regional Anesthesia (January 2005–June 2006): Toronto Western Hospital, University Health Network, Toronto, Canada.
• Diploma of Thai Board of Anesthesiology (August 2000): The Royal College of Anesthesiologists of Thailand.
• Thai Board of Anesthesiology Certification (June 1999): Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand.
Assoc. Prof. Tangwiwat’s contributions to anesthesiology extend beyond clinical practice. Her leadership roles in prestigious organizations, combined with her efforts in education and training, continue to shape advancements in regional anesthesia and pain medicine across Asia and beyond.
John Tan
John is a Senior Principal Physiotherapist at the Singapore General Hospital (SGH), where he holds the position of deputy chief of education in the Department of Physiotherapy. He has also been serving as the Program Director of the SGH Core Residency in Musculoskeletal Physiotherapy Program since 2018. In addition to his role at SGH, he also serves as the Vice-Chair of Rehabilitation Sciences at the SingHealth College of Allied Health and as secretary at the Singapore Physiotherapy Association. He enjoys working with patients with complex pain presentations.
Joysree Subramaniam
Dr. Subramanian is an experienced pain specialist with expertise in interventional pain management. She manages complex chronic pain cases with a multidisciplinary approach. She utilizes the latest techniques in ultrasound and fluoroscopy and is well versed in spinal cord and peripheral nerve stimulator practices. Dr. Subramanian is board certified in Anesthesiology and Pain Management.
She has held positions of Associate Professor and Director, Pain Medicine at the University of Oklahoma, Assistant Professor Anesthesiology and Pain Management at UT southwestern Medical Center, and Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center.
Her special area of work interests includes adult and pediatric pain, neuromodulation, and cancer pain management.
In her free time, she enjoys travelling, staying active, sewing, cooking, and volunteering. She is an esteemed advisory member and regional volunteer coordinator for Aarogya Seva and a Physician Advisor for Yoga Bharti USA.
Sng Ban Leong
Ban Leong is the Head and Senior Consultant at the Department of Women’s Anaesthesia and Deputy Campus Director of the Digital Integration Medical Innovation and Care Transformation Office at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital. He is a Professor and Academic Vice Chair (Research) in the Anaesthesiology and Perioperative Sciences Academic Clinical Program and Lead Clinician Innovator Mentor in the Singhealth DukeNUS Academic Medical Centre. He is also a core faculty in the Singhealth Anaesthesiology Residency Program with interest in medical education innovation. Ban Leong is a National Level Clinician Scientist with funded research and innovation work. His academic interest includes obstetric anaesthesia and analgesia, pain and psychological vulnerability and closed loop feedback drug delivery systems.
Andrew Rice
Andrew Rice MB BS, MD, FRCP, FFPMRCA, FRCA is Professor of Pain Research at Imperial College, where he leads the Pain Research Group. He is a graduate of St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School and gained his research doctorate at St. Thomas’ Hospital Medical School. He is currently serving as President of the International Association for the Study of Pain.
His research focusses on translational research in neuropathic pain in the context of infection (HIV, leprosy, HTLV-1 & zoster), diabetes, nerve trauma and non-freezing cold injury. Having been active in pre-clinical pain research (esp pathophysiology of HIV neuropathy, animal modelling and cannabinoid pharmacology), he now works on innovating pre-clinical experimental design, validity and evidence synthesis. Andrew’s clinical research includes deep profiling of neuropathic pain patients with a view to elucidating risk and enabling precision medicine, clinical trials and evidence synthesis. He collaborates with historians on aspects of neuropathic pain. Over the years, his research has been funded from many sources, but notably by the European Commission, Wellcome Trust and UKRI (MRC). He was a member of Imperial’s Royal British Legion Centre for Blast Injury Studies.
Andrew has authored ~250 publications (H-index 67), many in the leading specialist journal (PAIN). He has published in other notable journals including: Lancet, Brain, Lancet Neurology, Nature Methods, NEJM & BMJ. He conceived and was lead editor of the 2 edition, 4 volume “Textbook of Clinical Pain Management”.
Andrew was a Director of the Wellcome Trust London Pain Consortium, workpackage lead EU Consortia EUROPAIN (innovating animal models) and EQIPD (Enhancing Quality In Preclinical Data). He is a workpackage and tissue bank lead in the Advanced Pain Discovery Platform collaboration PainStorm.
Andrew has served as a Councillor of the International Association for the Study of Pain was liaison to South-East and is currently South Asia liaison. He was Chair of the Scientific Programme Committee for the 18th World Congress on Pain and of the Taskforce on Cannabinoid Analgesia. He previously held leadership positions in the IASP Special Interest Group on Neuropathic Pain.
Until 2024, Andrew sat on the MHRA Neurology, Pain & Psychiatry Expert Advisory Group and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (Varicella/Herpes Zoster). He participates in the Non-Freezing Cold Injury Independent Senior Advisory Committee.
Andrew has received multiple awards including Imperial College’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Animal Research; the Patrick Wall Lecturer at both the British Pain Society and the Faculty of Pain Medicine and the Michael Cousins lecturer at the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists.
Until recently he delivered an NHS diagnostic and treatment clinical service for patients with neuropathic pain, small fibre neuropathy and non-freezing cold injury.
Philip Peng
Dr. Philip Peng is the professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine of University of Toronto. He is a leader, researcher, educator and pioneer in the application of ultrasound for pain medicine. His contribution of pain education resulted in “Founder” status from Royal College in Pain Medicine, and the Award of Recognition of Education in Pain Medicine by ESRA.
His innovative research led to different new procedures in pain intervention. He received numerous awards including the John J Bonica award from ASRA, Distinguished Service Award from both ESRA-Spain and Canadian Pain Society, Gold Medal Award from Canadian Anesthesiology Society, International Distinguished Career Award from Mexico Pain Society, and Leadership in Advocacy Award from CSF Leak Canada. He is the inaugural fellow to ASRA (FASRA) which recognizes the contribution of prominent member of the field. He has delivered more than 600 lectures and workshops nationally and internationally. He has edited 8 books and published 260 peer-reviewed publications and book chapters.
Tha Tha Oo
Dr Tha Tha Oo is a Senior Consultant Neurologist, Director of Clinical Neurology, Neurologist-in-Charge in Stroke Unit at Asia Royal Hospital, Yangon, Myanmar.
His Subspecialty Interests and Experiences in addition to General Neurology include:
• Migraine and various headache and facial pain disorders
• Acute stroke care with thrombolysis therapy with rt-PA
• Botox therapy for various neurological disorders.
• Tele stroke and telemedicine
• Sport Neurology and concussion
He is the first pioneer chief of Tele-Stroke Program in Southeaster Virginia, Norfolk, Virginia, USA. Concurrently served as Stroke Medical Director: Obici Sentara Hospital, Suffolk, Virginia USA (2012-2014). Concurrently served as Residency Program Director for Neurology Residency Program (2014-2016) and Coordinator of Undergrads Neurology (2012-2016). Concurrently served as Medical Director for Stroke Program (2014-2016) at Eastern Virginia Medical School. Actively practice General Neurology as well as stroke and headache and facial pain subspecialty since 1997.
His professional membership include:
• Myanmar Medical Association (MMA-lifetime member)
• American Academy of Neurology (AAN) member and fellow
• Myanmar Neurological Society (MNS)
His is currently serving as Chairman, Dementia and Neurodegenerative Diseases Section of Myanmar Neurological Society, Vice Chairman (1), Stroke Section of Myanmar Neurological Society, Member of Advisory Board of Myanmar Neurological Society and Member, Education and Foreign Relation subcommittee of Myanmar Neurological Society.
Jo Nijs
Jo Nijs is fulltime professor at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Brussels, Belgium), physiotherapist/manual therapist at the University Hospital Brussels, holder of a Chair on oncological physiotherapy funded by the Berekuyl Academy, the Netherlands, and Visiting Professor at the University of Gothenburg (Sweden). Jo runs the Pain in Motion international and interdisciplinary research group (www.paininmotion.be). The primary aim of his research is improving care for patients with chronic pain. Twenty years ago, he pioneered in studying central sensitization in a wide variety of pain conditions, including osteoarthritis, cancer, back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, and fibromyalgia. This led to developing and testing innovative interventions (e.g., cognition-targeted exercise therapy, sleep treatment) for various chronic pain conditions, and continued efforts to unravel the chronic pain pathophysiology with a focus on epigenetic mechanisms. At the age of 48, he has (co-)authored >330 peer reviewed publications (including first author papers in The Lancet and The Lancet Rheumatology (2x), and senior author papers in JAMA Neurology and JAMA Network Open), obtained >€19 million grant income, supervised 28 PhD’s to completion and served 390 times as an invited speaker at meetings in 31 countries (including 43 keynotes). He trained 4k clinicians in >100 courses held in 14 countries spread over 4 continents. His work has been cited >13k times (h-index: 65), with 33 citations per article (ISI Web of Knowledge). Jo is ranked 2nd in the world among chronic pain researchers (1st in Europe), and 3rd in the world among musculoskeletal pain researchers (expertscape.com), received the 2017 Excellence in Research Award from the JOSPT (USA), and the 2020 honorary Francqui Collen Chair awarded by the University of Hasselt, Belgium. Website: https://researchportal.vub.be/en/persons/jo-nijs
Michael Nicholas
Dr Michael Nicholas is a Clinical Psychologist and the Director of Pain Education at the Pain Management Research Institute, and Professor in the Faculty of Medicine and Health (Northern) at the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney, where he directs online post-graduate courses in pain management for all health disciplines. He also directs several multidisciplinary pain management programs at the hospital, and he maintains an active clinical role. Since completing his PhD on the evaluation of cognitive-behavioural treatments for chronic low back pain in 1988, followed by 2.5 years as the inaugural director of the Pain Management Program at St Thomas’ Hospital in London, he has established a national and international reputation for his work in interdisciplinary pain management. He served for 10 years as member of the IASP council, including 4 years as secretary. He has participated in many IASP task forces and working groups, including the ICD-11 project, and he chaired the Education Initiatives Working Group for 6 years. He remains an active member of the IASP’s Educational Programs Working Group and Interdisciplinary Pain Treatment Task Force.
Since 2018, he has also played a role in the IASP-supported Southeast Asian Pain Toolkit project aimed at assisting clinicians in Myanmar, Indonesia, and Vietnam to develop interdisciplinary pain management services. In addition to his teaching and clinical work, he has maintained an active research focus, with over 300 publications on pain assessment and management. His current research interests include the self-management of chronic pain in both the adult and older adult populations, teaching health professionals ways of equipping people with chronic pain in pain self-management, and early psychosocial interventions to prevent long-term pain-related disability in injured workers.
Tony Ng
Dr Tony Ng is the Consultant Anaesthetist in Department of Anaesthesia, Boxhill Hospital, Eastern Health, Melbourne, Australia. He is the specialist Pain Medicine Physician, Frankston Pain Management, Melbourne, Australia. Also, an Honorary Consultant Anaesthetist in Department of Anaesthesia and Operating Theatre Services, Tuen Mun Hospital, Hong Kong. He is an Honorary Consultant, Center for Regional Anesthesia and Pain Management, Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University, Taiwan and an Honorary Consultant, Center for Regional Anesthesia and Pain Management, Chung Shan Medical University Hospital, Taiwan.
Samer Narouze
Dr. Narouze is currently the chairman of the Center for Pain Medicine at Western Reserve Hospital in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio. He is considered an expert consultant in Headaches and Pain Medicine and has served as an editor and medical reviewer in several Headache and Pain Medicine journals. He is also a clinical professor of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at OUCOM, and a clinical professor of Neurological Surgery at OSU.is Bradley Distinguished Professor at the University of South Australia. He is a pain scientist, clinician and educator. He has authored over 400 scientific articles and 8 books. He has won prizes from 14 countries for his contributions to our understanding pain neuroscience, innovation of novel interventions that are now considered first line care wherever guidelines exist, and his public outreach and community engagement initiatives. In 2020 he was made an ‘Officer of the Order of Australia’ that country’s second highest civilian honour, for ’services to humanity at large in the fields of pain and its management, education and science communication.’ He lives and works on Kaurna Country in Adelaide, South Australia.
Lorimer Moseley
Lorimer is Bradley Distinguished Professor at the University of South Australia. He is a pain scientist, clinician and educator. He has authored over 400 scientific articles and 8 books. He has won prizes from 14 countries for his contributions to our understanding pain neuroscience, innovation of novel interventions that are now considered first line care wherever guidelines exist, and his public outreach and community engagement initiatives. In 2020 he was made an ‘Officer of the Order of Australia’ that country’s second highest civilian honour, for ’services to humanity at large in the fields of pain and its management, education and science communication.’ He lives and works on Kaurna Country in Adelaide, South Australia.
Ganesh Mohan
Dr. Ganesh Mohan is the son of A. G. Mohan and Indra Mohan, practicing yoga from childhood, and one of the few direct links in the world now to the legendary yogi Sri Krishnamacharya’s teachings. Dr. Mohan is trained in both modern medicine and traditionally in Ayurveda. His work focuses on the application of self-care for health and well-being in chronic health conditions and lifestyle diseases.
Dr. Mohan is the developer of the Svastha Yoga Therapy Program with hundreds of yoga teachers enrolled, including healthcare professionals.
He is an advisor to the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) in the USA, and the Australian Association of Yoga Therapists (AAYT). He has spoken at numerous conferences, including the keynote address at Symposium of Yoga Therapy and Research (annual conference of the IAYT in the USA) and the Yoga Australia Conference, and being guest of honor at the European Union of Yoga conference.
He is the co-author of several books such as Yoga Therapy, Krishnamacharya: His Life and Teachings, Yoga Reminder: Lightened Reflections, Krishnamacharya in His Own Words, and translator of the ancient Sanskrit texts, Yoga Yajnavalkya, and Hatha Yoga Pradipika.
Mark P. Jensen
Mark P. Jensen, PhD, is a Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington. For over 30 years, Dr. Jensen’s research program has had a goal to increase our scientific understanding of pain, pain assessment, and pain management. He has been at the forefront of research to develop and evaluate the efficacy of patient-controlled pain management approaches, including cognitive therapy, activity management, mindfulness, and hypnotic approaches. Dr. Jensen is the author of 12 books, over 40 chapters, and over 650 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals. He has served on numerous editorial boards, having served as a Consulting Editor for the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, Associate Editor for Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and Associate Editor for the Clinical Journal of Pain. He was the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Pain for 12 years, from 2010 to 2022. Dr. Jensen has received funding for his research program from the National Institutes of Health and Department of Education continuously since 1989, and has received numerous awards for his writing and scientific contributions, including the 2004 Roy M. Dorcus award for Best Clinical Paper from the Society of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, the 2009 Clark L. Hull award for Scientific Excellence in Writing from the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, the 2011 Arthur Shapiro Award for Best Book on Hypnosis from the Society of Clinical and Experimental Hypnosis, and the 2012 American Psychological Association Division 30 Award for Distinguished Contributions to Scientific Hypnosis. He also received an honary doctorate from the Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain in 2024. He has served on the Board of Directors for the International Society of Hypnosis for 10 years, and is the immediate past President for this Society.
Sanjeeva Gupta
Dr. Sanjeeva Gupta is a highly respected Consultant in Pain Medicine at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in the United Kingdom. His career spans clinical excellence, academic contributions, and leadership roles in pain medicine at national and international levels.
Leadership and Roles:
• Founder: North England Pain Medicine Group
• Co-Director: Leeds Cadaver Course
• Senior Instructor: International Pain and Spinal Intervention Society, USA
• Elected Board Member (2016–2022): Faculty of Pain Medicine, The Royal College of Anaesthetists
• Member, Professional Standards Committee (2016–2024): Faculty of Pain Medicine, The Royal College of Anaesthetists
• Educational Meetings Advisor (2009–2017): Faculty of Pain Medicine, The Royal College of Anaesthetists
Honours and Awards:
• International Award (2019): Recognized by the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP) for contributions to interventional pain medicine, presented at the ASIPP Annual Meeting in Las Vegas.
• Commendation (2023): Honoured by the Faculty of Pain Medicine of The Royal College of Anaesthetists, presented at its Annual Meeting in London.
• Visiting Professor (2018, 2021): Invited by the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, India—a premier postgraduate medical institute.
• British Medical Association (BMA) Medical Book of the Year Award (2015): Oxford Specialist Handbook in Oncology: Practical Management of Complex Cancer Pain was awarded First Prize in the Oncology category and overall BMA Medical Book of the Year.
Ben Darlow
Ben Darlow is a musculoskeletal physiotherapy specialist practising in Wellington and an Associate Professor in the Department of Primary Health Care and General Practice at the University of Otago Wellington. Ben’s key research interests are the assessment and measurement of health beliefs about common musculoskeletal conditions, understanding how these beliefs have been influenced and the impact that these have on well-being, and designing, testing, and implementing interventions to improve knowledge, health care delivery, and outcomes. Ben has also led research exploring interprofessional education and review of the Otago Medical School pain curriculum.
Philip Cheong
Dr. Philip Cheong is currently employed as a Senior Principal Physiotherapist (Clinical) at Singapore General Hospital (SGH). Before joining SGH, he gained valuable experience in public hospital and private practice settings in Perth, Western Australia. Philip is a staunch advocate for person-centric care, emphasizing the importance of inter-professional collaboration, evidence-based practice, patient engagement, and respecting patients’ values and choices in delivering quality health care.
In addition to his clinical work, Philip plays an active role in educating healthcare professionals and is passionate about research and clinical innovation. He has secured SGD$1,098,636.00 (as a PI: SGD$747,892.00 and as a Co-I: SGD$350,744.00) in funding for research and innovation projects to date.
Philip concurrently holds the positions of:
• Director, Allied Health, SingHealth Duke-NUS Pain Centre
• Director, Research, SingHealth Duke-NUS Sport and Exercise Medicine Centre
• Adjunct Assistant Professor, Singapore Institute of Technology.
His professional interests encompass musculoskeletal sciences, sports physiotherapy, risk-stratified care management, chronic pain management, and the integration of technology in healthcare delivery.
Diana Chan
Dr Diana Chan is a Senior Consultant and Head of Department of Pain Medicine in Singapore General Hospital; and Head of SingHealth Duke-NUS Pain Centre. She obtained her specialist accreditation in anaesthesiology in 2013 and also commenced her training for Pain Medicine then. Dr Chan completed her pain fellowship in Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital (SCGH), Perth in 2016 and concurrently did her Masters of Clinical Investigation where she focused on pain research. She also has a Graduate Diploma in Acupuncture, and completed her Fellowship in Interventional Pain Practice (FIPP) in 2023. Dr Chan is well known in the field of anaesthesiology and pain medicine, having spoken at both local and international conferences, faculty at interventional pain and regional anaesthesia workshops, and has established community outreach and use of Patient Reported Outcomes in Pain Medicine.
Mary Cardosa
Dr Mary Suma Cardosa MBBS, MMed (Anaes), FANZCA, FFPMANZCA Dr Mary Suma Cardosa is a Consultant Pain Specialist who retired from Selayang Hospital in 2016 after serving for more than 30 years in the Ministry of Health (MOH). She is currently a visiting consultant pain specialist at Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz UKM. Dr Cardosa has done pioneering work in the field of Pain management in Malaysia – this includes starting the first Acute Pain Service in the MOH in Hospital Kuala Lumpur in 1993, setting up the first multidisciplinary pain clinic in the MOH in Hospital Selayang in 2000, and helping to set up the first inpatient palliative care unit in the MOH in Hospital Selayang in 2002. She was responsible for implementing Pain as the 5th Vital Sign in the MOH in 2008, and went on to spearhead the Pain Free Hospital initiative of the MOH in 2011. Dr Cardosa continues to be actively involved in teaching pain management in Malaysia and in the ASEAN region. She was President of the Malaysian Association for the Study of Pain (MASP) for 10 years and now serves as Advisor to the MASP. She also served as a Council member in the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) for 6 years, followed by two years as the IASP secretary, and is currently the President-Elect of the IASP (2024-2026). Dr Cardosa headed the IASP Multidisciplinary Pain Clinic Toolkit project which produced a manual and conducted training to facilitate the setting up of Multidisciplinary Pain Clinics in Southeast Asia, and has been a faculty member of six IASP-Southeast Asia Pain camps (2011-2023), run by the Association of Southeast Asian Pain Societies (ASEAPS), where she was a founding council member.
Bernard Canlas
Dr. Bernard R. Canlas is a distinguished medical professional specialising in Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine. He is currently serving as a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, Washington. Dr. Canlas also holds the position of attending staff physician at the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System.
Dr. Canlas completed his medical education at the University of Santo Tomas, Manila, Philippines, earning his Bachelor of Science in Psychology in 1987 and his Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) in 1991. He then pursued extensive postgraduate training, including an internship in Internal Medicine at New York Medical College – Cabrini Medical Center, followed by residency in Anesthesiology at the University of Louisville Hospitals. He completed a fellowship in Pain Medicine at Northwestern University-McGaw Medical Center.
Throughout his career, Dr. Canlas has held several faculty positions, including Clinical Assistant and Acting Assistant Professorships at the University of Washington, where he has been a faculty member since 2016. He has also served as a clinical instructor at the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines. Dr. Canlas has been actively involved in pain management services, most notably as the Medical Director of the Pain Medicine Service at the Veterans Administration Puget Sound Health Care System and as the Medical Director of the Functional Restoration Pain Programs.
Dr. Canlas is board-certified by the American Board of Anesthesiology and the American Board of Pain Medicine. He has held active medical licenses in Washington and the Philippines, with previous certifications in Kentucky, California, Guam, and Illinois. His expertise includes chronic pain management, spinal cord stimulation, and advanced neuromodulation techniques.
Over the years, Dr. Canlas has received numerous awards for clinical excellence, including the prestigious HeRO Award for Clinical Team in 2021. He has also been recognised as a Top Doctor in the Metro Area and has received the Patients’ Choice Award multiple times.
Dr. Canlas’ dedication to advancing the field of pain management is reflected in his research efforts and funding, including NIH grants and several quality improvement studies focused on treating veterans suffering from chronic pain. He has served as an international faculty member for the Association of Southeast Asian Pain Societies (ASEAPS) and as a subject matter expert for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
He is an active member of several professional organisations, including the American Academy of Pain Medicine, and has contributed significantly to the field through his teaching, research, and leadership roles. Dr. Canlas is passionate about improving patient care through interdisciplinary approaches and integrated treatments in pain management.
Fiona Blyth
Fiona is Professor of Public Health and Pain Medicine at the University of Sydney. She is a public health physician and pain epidemiologist, and also the Program Director of the Master of Clinical Epidemiology Program at the School of Public Health; She is also a Principal Hospital Scientist (fractional) at the RNSH Pain Management and Research Institute in the Northern Sydney Local Health District. Fiona is currently the Topical reviews Section Editor for the journal PAIN and is also a current member of the IASP Council.
Fiona is internationally recognised for her body of work that positions chronic pain conditions as a major public health problem and contributor to the global burden of disability. She has close collaborative links with local and international groups researching healthy ageing, arthritis/musculoskeletal conditions, and comorbidity/multimorbidity. Fiona also works in health policy areas (global and national pain policy; promoting the use of research evidence in health policy. She has authored or co-authored >270 peer-reviewed articles
Sadiq Bhayani
Sadiq Bhayani, MD MBBS FRCA FFPMRCA EDRA CIPS FIPP is a Staff Physician in the Pain Management in Anaestheisology Institute at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi.
His clinical expertise is in the field of major joint Denervation, regenerative therapies, MSK pain management, cryotherapy & peripheral neuromodulation.
Bharathi Balasundram
Dr Bharathi Balasundram is a senior consultant with the Department of Psychological Medicine at Changi General Hospital (CGH). Her areas of interest includes care of elderly in general hospitals on conditions such as dementia, delirium and depression, patient safety in psychiatry as well as medicolegal aspects in the elderly.
Ashokka Balakrishnan
Dr Ashokka Balakrishnan is a Senior Consultant Anaesthesiologist and Simulation Program Director (anaesthesia division) at National University Hospital Singapore.
He is Clinical A/Prof at National University of Singapore and CenMED Associate at Centre for Medical Education (CenMED). He is the director for Masters in Health Professions Education (MHPE) program for the Maastricht-Singapore Collaboration at the Academy of Medicine, Singapore.
He holds the office of the treasurer for the Asia Oceanic Society of Regional Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine (AOSRA-PM) and Vice President for the Pan Asia Society of Simulation (PASSH).
He is the research lead for the AMEE Patient safety network and SIG
He started his career in Anaesthesia in 2002 and has 18 years of experience in high fidelity simulation based undergraduate, postgraduate medical and allied health acute care teaching. He has a Fellowship of the Australia New Zealand College of Anaesthesiologists (FANZCA) and a Masters in Health professions educations (MHPE) from Maastricht, Netherlands.
His special interests are obstetric and regional anaesthesia, postgraduate exam support, simulation based postgraduate and undergraduate education, Inter professional education through acute care simulation and multidisciplinary team training.
He has conducted international workshops in simulation, airway and crisis management for acute care practitioners, trauma teams, anaesthesiologists and nursing delegates and hosted medical education faculty development programs in USA, Taiwan, Philippines, China, Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia & India.
He is reviewer of Medical education, The Clinical Teacher, BMJ Open, Advances in Health Sciences Education (AHSE), Advances In Simulation, Annals Of Medicine Singapore, The Asia Pacific Scholar (TAPS), Nurse Media and Singapore Medical journal.
Sanjay Bajaj
Dr. Sanjay L. Bajaj is a Senior Consultant Anaesthetist at Woodlands Health Campus, Singapore. He is a highly experienced medical professional with a strong focus on regional anesthesia, acute pain management, and trauma surgery.
Dr. Bajaj has contributed significantly to the field of anesthesiology through his publications. His works include:
Divesh Arora
Dr. Divesh Arora is the Director and Head of Department of Anesthesia and OT Services at Asian Hospital, Faridabad. His achievements include:
• DNB teacher and examiner
• Mentor and examiner for RA fellowship from AORA
• NABH assesssor
• Sixteen national / international publications
• Eleven book chapters
• Past president Haryana ISA State Branch (2016-2017)
• Faculty for various USGRA /ISA /AORA conferences
His special Interest include USGRA, POCUS, Lung Ventilation strategy, Quality and Safety in anesthesia, Perioperative Medicine.
Bernadette Smith
Bernadette is a psychologist and educator within the field of pain management and currently serves as the President-Elect of the Australian Pain Society. She is the Clinical Director of Pain Solutions, a private multidisciplinary pain clinic in regional Tasmania, and co-facilitates the federally funded OPAL NorthWest pain self-management program. Additionally, she is the Director and Co-Director of two private practices, Psychology Plus and Coastal Psychology. Bernadette is deeply committed to improving access to interdisciplinary pain care in regional areas and is a passionate advocate for person-centered pain training for health professionals.
