Simon Haroutounian, PhD, joined the faculty of the Department of Anesthesiology at Washington University School of Medicine in 2014 after completing his PhD in Pharmaceutical Science at The Hebrew University, Jerusalem, and postdoctoral training under Troels Jensen at Aarhus University and the Danish Pain Research Center. Dr. Haroutounian’s research interests are in the area of neuropathic pain, and understanding individual predictors of pain development and response to treatment. He is recognized as an international leader in the field of clinical pain research.
The Director of the Washington University Pain Center, Dr. Robert Gereau, announced the appointment on February 4, and had the following comments about Dr. Haroutounian: “Since Simon’s arrival, clinical research in our Pain Center has been dramatically invigorated. Simon’s expertise and leadership will help us identify the best available treatments for individual patients, and guide us in testing innovative new therapies for treating the millions of patients who suffer from debilitating pain. We are excited to have him join our leadership team to guide us as we continue to build our program and bring the best treatments to our patients.” Dr. Haroutounian commented that “it is such a privilege to be selected for this position. The Department of Anesthesiology has an incredible basic research program and provides outstanding care to pain patients, and I am excited for this unique opportunity to further improve patient care through clinical pain research.” Dr. Haroutounian’s appointment is effective January 1, 2016.
The Washington University Pain Center comprises a group of over twenty faculty members, with the shared mission to alleviate human suffering from pain through advancements in clinical and basic pain research, pain education and clinical pain management. The Pain Center is under the Direction of Dr. Robert Gereau, Pain Center Director and Chief of Basic Pain Research, with shared leadership by Dr. Simon Haroutounian (Chief of Clinical Pain Research), and Dr. Robert Swarm (Chief of Clinical Pain Management). You can learn more about the Washington University Pain Center, our multiple clinical sites, our diverse and cutting edge research, and our educational programs for scientists and physicians at https://pain.wustl.edu.