John D. Loeser, M.D.
Professor

Dr. Loeser holds professorships in both the Department of Neurosurgery and the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He is an attending neurosurgeon at the University, at Harborview Medical Center, and at the VA.  He was an attending pediatric neurosurgeon at Children's Hospital Regional Medical Center from 1974-2003.

After receiving his undergraduate degree at Harvard, Dr. Loeser obtained his medical degree at New York University Medical School in 1961, going on to complete a surgery internship at UCSF and a five-year residency in Neurosurgery at the University of Washington Medical School in Seattle. Dr. Loeser went on to serve as a surgeon in the military, and as Assistant Professor at University of California, Irvine, after which he was appointed to the faculty in the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Washington.

He is internationally known for his work in the management of pain, with numerous book and journal publications to his credit.  Dr. Loeser has been recognized as one of the “Best Doctors in America.”

Patient Care
Dr. Loeser’s clinical interests focus upon health care for low back pain and the management of pains related to injuries of the nervous system. He is particularly interested in multidisciplinary pain management and the development of rational strategies for the treatment of patients with chronic pain. He was the Director of the Multidisciplinary Pain Center at the University of Washington from 1983-1997.

Research
Dr. Loeser’s research interests have encompassed the development of the human nervous system and the mechanisms underlying neuropathic pain. He has also studied health care delivery for low back pain.

Education and Training
1957 BA, Social Relations, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA

1961 MD, New York University Medical School, New York, NY

1961-62 Internship, Department of Surgery, University of California Medical Center, San Francisco, CA

1962-67 Residency, Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Honors and Awards
Dr. Loeser has two separate distinguished lectureships named after him in tribute to his lifelong contributions in the field of neurosurgical pain management. In 2006, the American Association of Neurological Surgeons established the “John Loeser Lectureship in Neuromodulation”, a lecture supported by the Joint Section on Pain of the AANS/CNS (American Association of Neurological Surgeons/Congress of Neurological Surgeons) in honor of his lifelong contributions in the field of neuromodulation and neurosurgical pain management.  In 2005, the “John D. Loeser Distinguished Lecture” was established by the International Association for the Study of Pain.

2002 Best Doctors in America

1999 International Association for the Study of Pain, Honorary Member

1995 Honorary Fellow, Faculty of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Royal College of Physicians, Australia

1995 American Society for Regional Anesthesia, Honorary Member

1994 Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science

1994 Romanian Association for the Study of Pain, Honorary Member

1994 Israel Pain Society, Honorary Member

1993-96 International Association for Study of Pain

1989 Pain Society of the Philippines, Honorary Member

1989-90 Fulbright Senior Scholar, Australia

1986-87 President Pain Society

1986 Distinguished Service Award, American Pain Society

1985 University of Washington Medical School Award for Teaching Excellence

1961 Alpha Omega Alpha

1957 Phi Beta Kappa

Selected Publications
Books:

1. Lemire RJ, Loeser JD, Alvord EC Jr, Leech RW: Normal and Abnormal Development of the Human Nervous System. Harper and Row, New York. 1975.
   
   
2. Loeser JD, Egan K: Managing the Chronic Pain Patient: Theory and Practice at the University of Washington Pain Clinic. Raven Press, New York. 1989.
   
   
3. Chapman CR, Loeser JD: Pain Measurement. Raven Press, New York. 1989.
   
   
4. Loeser JD: Low Back Pain. Neurosurgery Clinics of North America, Vol. 2, W.B. Saunders, Philadelphia. 1991.
   
   
5. Loeser JD: (Ed) Bonica's Management of Pain, 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins. 2000.
   
   
6. Carr DB, Loeser JD, Morris D (Eds). Narrative, Pain and Suffering. IASP Press, Seattle 2005
   
   
7. Merskey H, Loeser JD, Dubner R (Eds). The Paths of Pain 1975-2005. IASP Press, Seattle, 2005.

Manuscripts:

1. Grant GA, Avellino AM, Loeser JD, Ellenbogen RG, Berger MS, Roberts TS: Management of Intrinsic Gliomas of the Tectal Plate in Children. Pediatr Neurosurg 1999, 31:170-176. PubMed abstract
   
   
2. Loeser JD, Melzack R: Pain: an overview. The Lancet. 1999; 353:1607-1609.
   
   
3. Loeser JD: Pain and Suffering. The Clinical Journal of Pain, 2000, 16:S2-S6.
   
   
4. Loeser JD: The future: Will pain be abolished or just pain management specialists? IASP, Pain Clinical Updates, VIII, 6, 2000.
   
   
5. Goldberg HI, Deyo RA, Taylor VM, Cheadle AD, Conrad DA, Loeser JD, Heagerty PJ, Diehr P: Can evidence engender change in back surgery practice patterns? A randomized controlled trial of community-based educational interviews. Eff Clin Pract, 2001, 4(3):95-104. PubMed abstract
   
   
6. Lande SD, Loeser JD: The Future of Pain Management in Managed Care. Managed Care Interface, 2001, 14:69-75.
   
   
7. Mesiwala AH, Loeser JD: Bilateral Globus Pallidus Infarction Secondary to Disulfiram Ingestion. Pediatr Neurosurg, 2001, 34: 224.
   
   
8. Loeser JD: Tic douloureux. Pain Res Manage, 2001, 6(3): 156-165. PubMed abstract
   
   
9. Turner JA, Loeser JD, Deyo RA, Sanders SB. Spinal cord stimulation for patients withfailed back surgery syndrome or complex regional pain syndrome: A systematic review of effectiveness and complications. Pain, 2004, 108: 137-147.
   
   
10. Loeser, JD: Management of Refractory Neuropathic Pain: Other surgical interventions. Pain Practice: Special Issue. 2006, 6 (1): 58-62.