Dr. Asokumar Buvanendran

Former American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA Pain Medicine) President Asokumar Buvanendran, MD, has been selected as a recipient of the 2025 Distinguished Service Award (DSA) in recognition of his outstanding contributions to regional anesthesiology and pain medicine.

Dr. Buvanendran is the William Gottschalk Endowed Chair, a professor, and the chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at Rush University in Chicago, IL. He served as president of ASRA Pain Medicine from 2017-2019, during which time the Society hosted the 2018 World Congress on Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine in New York, NY, one of the largest annual meetings. He has served as associate editor and executive editor on the board of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine.

A key advisor on opioid policies, Dr. Buvanendran has reviewed and commented on CDC guidelines and federal pain management initiatives. He is also a prolific researcher and educator and is actively involved with the American Society of Anesthesiologists, currently serving on its board of directors.

A national leader in pain management, he has played a pivotal role in advancing multimodal analgesia protocols (opioid sparing), particularly in orthopedic surgery. His current research, funded by NIH and Department of Defense grants, explores pain mechanisms, alternatives to opioids, and the transition from acute to chronic pain. A key focus is preventing chronic pain after surgery, which helps reduce opioid use in patients.

The DSA celebrates individuals who have made broad contributions to regional anesthesiology and/or pain medicine through scholarly activity, clinical teaching, and service to ASRA Pain Medicine or the scientific and medical specialties practiced by ASRA Pain Medicine members. Dr. Buvanendran will be presented with the award at the 50th Annual Regional Anesthesiology and Acute Pain Medicine Meeting, held May 1-3, in Orlando, FL.