The Stephen E. Straus Distinguished Lecture in the Science of Complementary and Alternative Medicine series was established to honor Dr. Straus, the founding director of the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine. This series brings leading figures in science and medicine to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to speak about their perspective on the field of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). The lectures shed light on the evolution of CAM practice and research, and the current use of CAM by the public.

Sean Mackey, M.D., Ph.D. is chief of the Division of Pain Management and associate professor in the Department of Anesthesia and Pain Management at the Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Mackey also serves as director of the Stanford Systems Neuroscience and Pain Lab. Dr. Mackey received his undergraduate and masters degrees in engineering from the University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Computer Science in Philadelphia. He received his Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Arizona School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and his medical degree from the University of Arizona College of Medicine, both in Tucson.

Dr. Mackey’s postdoctoral training includes an internship at the Tucson Hospitals Medical Education Program, and residency and a pain management fellowship in the Department of Anesthesiology at the Stanford University Medical Center. Dr. Mackey’s current research focus includes virtual reality and real-time fMRI, cortical restructuring in patients with chronic pain, cognitive load and perceived pain intensity, and fMRI of the human cervical spine.

Dr. Mackey is a member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, American Pain Society, American Academy of Pain Medicine, and the International Association for the Study of Pain.

For more information, visit: http://nccam.nih.gov/news/events/lectures/