Aug 8: The American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine has selected Oscar de Leon-Casasola, MD, to receive the 2026 Distinguished Service Award. He will be honored during the 25th Annual Pain Medicine Meeting on November 7, 2026, in Tampa, FL.
The Distinguished Service Award recognizes individuals who have made broad, lasting contributions to regional anesthesiology and pain medicine through scholarly achievement, clinical teaching, leadership, and service to ASRA Pain Medicine and the specialty.
Dr. de Leon-Casasola is the senior vice chair and professor of anesthesiology in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University at Buffalo’s Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. He is also chair of the Division of Pain Medicine and Symptom Management and professor of oncology at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center in Buffalo, NY.
Over the course of his career, Dr. de Leon-Casasola has helped advance pain medicine through leadership, education, research, and mentorship. A past president of ASRA Pain Medicine, he has also served the society as faculty, author, and committee member. In 2021, he received the society’s John J. Bonica Award, recognizing his outstanding contributions to the development, teaching, and practice of pain medicine.
“Thirty-six years ago, when I began my professional career at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, I never imagined getting the Distinguished Service Award from the Society,” de Leon-Casasola said. “This is the culmination of a collaborative work with the anesthesiology department, the clinic staff, and the administration of the hospital that supported me to develop a program that prioritizes patient care and gave me the ability to address through research unanswered questions, but equally important, unquestioned answers pertinent to their daily care with the sole intention to improve their quality of life.”
Dr. de Leon-Casasola also thanked his the chair of the department, Dr. Mark Lema, and his wife and family for their unwavering support.
“Likewise, I must acknowledge the members of ASRA board and the administrative staff of the Society that helped me to complete numerous tasks for the benefit of our members. I would be remise if I did not highlight the efforts of Dr. David Provenzano, Dr. Samer Narouze, Dr. Asokumar Buvanendrun, and Dr. Eugene Viscusi, as well as Angie Stengel in this regard. I was extremely lucky to work with them and have their support.”
A prolific scholar, Dr. de Leon-Casasola has published more than 100 articles in major medical journals and authored or coauthored chapters in 36 books. He edited Cancer Pain – Pharmacological, Interventional, and Palliative Care Approaches (Elsevier, 2006) and coauthored Acute Pain Management (Cambridge University Press, 2009), Interventional Techniques for the Treatment of Chronic Pain (Editorial Glosa, 2011), and The Basic Science of Pain: An Illustrated and Clinically Orientated Guide.
His influence extends well beyond his own research. He has held editorial appointments with 17 publications and editorial boards, served as a guest reviewer for leading anesthesiology journals, and is an internationally invited speaker on pain management. He has also been recognized repeatedly for excellence in clinical care, including being named to Castle Connolly’s America’s Top Doctors and the Buffalo Spree Top Docs list for 16 consecutive years, as well as The American Registry’s America’s Most Honored Professionals – Top 1%.
Dr. de Leon-Casasola earned his medical degree from the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala in Guatemala City. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in music with a specialty in piano from the National Conservatory of Music in Guatemala City. His postgraduate medical training included internship and residency training in general surgery, anesthesiology, critical care, and pain medicine in Guatemala and the United States. He is board certified in anesthesiology, critical care, and pain medicine.
The Excellence in ASRA Pain Medicine Awards & Recognition will be held on Saturday, November 7, from 10:45 am-12:15 pm at the JW Marriott Tampa Water Street in Tampa, FL. View the full Annual Pain Medicine Meeting program and registration on the meeting site at www.asra.com/pain.