Aug 8: The American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine will honor Samer Narouze, MD, PhD, MMM,with the 2026 John J. Bonica Award, recognizing his pioneering contributions to pain medicine and interventional headache management. He will present the annual lectureship at the 25th Annual Pain Medicine Meeting on November 7, 2026, in Tampa, FL.
Named for John J. Bonica, MD, a champion of multidisciplinary collaboration in the evaluation and treatment of patients with pain, this annual award honors individuals whose careers reflect his legacy through excellence in research, teaching, and clinical practice.
Dr. Narouze is the division chief for pain management at University Hospitals in Cleveland, OH. He is also a professor of anesthesiology at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH; professor of surgery at Northeast Ohio Medical University in Rootstown, OH; and a clinical professor of anesthesiology and pain management at Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine in Athens, OH.
Himself once a headache sufferer, Dr. Narouze said he has always had an interest in interventional headache medicine. Throughout his career, he has worked to bridge the gap between neurologists and pain physicians, fostering collaboration to improve care for patients with complex headache disorders.
In the early 2000s, he founded the Interventional Headache Special Interest Group for the American Headache Society with a goal of raising awareness about intractable headaches and promoting diverse treatment modalities. When the Council of Neurological Subspecialties introduced the inaugural Headache Medicine certification in 2006, he became the first and only anesthesiologist to achieve this distinction.
He continued to advance the field by establishing the Headache Medicine SIG for ASRA Pain Medicine in 2014 to further educate pain physicians about headache medicine. In 2015, he founded the American Interventional Headache Society, where he currently serves on the Executive Board. He also founded and serves on the Executive Board of the International Association of Musculoskeletal Pain.
“Throughout my career, I have worked to bridge the gap between neurologists and pain physicians, encouraging collaboration rather than siloed efforts to address complex headache cases,” Dr. Narouze said.
Dr. Vishal Uppal, associate professor and staff anesthesiologist at Dalhousie University, wrote in his nomination that Dr. Narouze’s “unparalleled contributions to pain and headache medicine, rooted in innovation, collaboration, and education, epitomize the spirit of Dr. Bonica’s multidisciplinary vision.”
“I know that I am just one of many whose careers have been shaped by his guidance, a testament to his dedication to the development of future leaders in pain medicine,” Dr. Uppal wrote.
A devoted mentor and educator, Dr. Narouze is the editor-in-chief of Annals of Headache Medicine, serves as an editor for Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, and serves on the editorial boards of several other peer-reviewed journals. He has also held numerous leadership roles within ASRA Pain Medicine, including serving on committees, as faculty, on the Board, and as president from 2021 to 2023.
His research has focused on migraines, cluster headaches, cervicogenic headaches, and post-dural puncture headaches. Clinically, he has concentrated on the autonomic innervation of the head and neck, including the sphenopalatine ganglion, otic ganglion, and stellate ganglion. His recent research explores the role of the C2 ganglion and the myodural bridges in cervicogenic headache.
Dr. Narouze received his medical degree and a master’s degree in anesthesiology, pain, and intensive care from the College of Medicine, Ain Shams University in Cairo, Egypt, where he also completed his residency and served as a clinical assistant professor and attending physician before coming to Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Cleveland, OH, as an anesthesiology resident and pain medicine fellow. He is board certified in anesthesiology, pain medicine, and headache medicine. He received his PhD degree with “The role of interventional ultrasound in head and neck blocks” from Maastricht University, The Netherlands. In 2023, he earned a master’s in medical management from Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh, PA.
“This award represents more than recognition of my career; it underscores the collective achievements of those who have inspired, mentored, and collaborated with me,” Dr. Narouze said. “I remain steadfast in my dedication to education, innovation, and the ongoing evolution of pain medicine for the benefit of patients and healthcare providers worldwide.”
The John J. Bonica Award is named for the pioneering anesthesiologist regarded as the founding father of pain relief medicine. Dr. Bonica championed the collaboration of specialists from multiple disciplines in the evaluation and treatment of patients with pain. He wrote the first comprehensive textbook devoted to pain management, mentored clinicians and colleagues, and founded the International Association for the Study of Pain. Nominees for this award embody the ideals of John Bonica and his passion for pain medicine as manifested through their contributions to research, teaching, and clinical practice.
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 asra.com/pain.