Lisa Stearns, MD Award

Lisa Stearns, MD (1958-2020) was one of the world’s experts in interventional therapy for cancer pain, and the foremost one on intrathecal drug delivery systems for cancer pain.
 
Dr. Stearns sought out to raise awareness that pain management can “build a bridge back to life.” She saw that many chronic pain and cancer patients did not receive the proper care they needed and often felt neglected throughout the treatment process. Dr. Stearns made it her life’s work to improve her patients’ function and overall quality of life, caring not only for her patients but their families and caregivers as well.
 
Dr. Stearns was a valiant warrior in the fight against cancer pain. Courageous, stubbornly committed, and always compassionate, she was one of the heroes in the epidemic of pain and suffering. She was a co-founder and executive committee member of the Cancer Pain Research Consortium, a group of doctors from across the world working to find the latest and best treatments for cancer-related pain.
 
It is truly rare to find someone who was so well regarded in all areas. She was an inspiration, a mentor, and a true hero.
 
The North American Neuromodulation Society and the Women in Neuromodulation (WIN^®) established the Lisa Stearns Award to encourage clinical and scientific work in cancer pain interventional therapies and neuromodulation. The award is given to honor the legacy of Dr. Lisa Stearns and is accompanied by a $1,500 grant, generously provided by Medtronic, Inc.

Qualifications

• Applicants must have expertise in interventional therapy for cancer pain, including neuromodulation
• Applicant needs to have worked 5-20 years in the field of neuromodulation
• Winners cannot be employed by an ACCME-defined ineligible company

NANS encourages all specialists, whether MD, DO, APP, RN, PhD or Engineering, to apply! If you or someone you know meets the qualifications, please submit all application material listed below to Rachel Parks at rparks@neuromodulation.org.

Application

Submissions for the Lisa Stearns Award must include:

• Completed checklist with brief statement delineating the category (clinical, scholarly, educational, administrative) where applicant believes he or she qualifies for the award
• A personal statement delineating clinical, educational, scholarly and administrative accomplishments as well as detailed description of area of expertise
• A curriculum vitae (CV)
• Three letters of recommendation from established neuromodulators and/or physicians with extended experience in interventional cancer pain management
• (Optional) A two-three sentence description of the applicant's potential NANS Mid-Year Meeting presentation if chosen

Winners Receive

• $1,500 grant generously provided by Medtronic, Inc.
• Opportunity to present his or her research on interventional cancer pain management at NANS Mid-Year Meeting
• Free meeting registration
• Non-refundable coach airfare to the Annual Meeting, booked through the NANS selected travel agency
• One night’s stay (room and tax) on Thursday, July 15, 2021

Application materials must be submitted by April 21, 2021. We look forward to receiving your applications and continuing the legacy of Dr. Lisa Stearns!