Dr. Tony L. Yaksh obtained his Ph.D. degree from Purdue University (1971). He served in the U.S. Army in the Biomedical Laboratory at Edgewood Arsenal, MD (Cpt/CMLC) (1971-73), was a research scientist in the School of Pharmacy, University of Wisconsin (1973-76) and an Associate Research Scientist in Anatomy at University College London with Pat Wall (1976-77). He worked at the Mayo Clinic with Dr. Frederick Kerr in Rochester, MN in Pharmacology and Neurosurgery (1977-1988), where he rose to the rank of Consultant and Professor. Dr. Yaksh joined UCSD in 1988 as Professor and Vice Chairman for Research in the Department of Anesthesiology and Professor in the Department of Pharmacology. His research has been on the biology of pain processing. His studies have provided a basis for understanding the pharmacology of the spinal gating of pain. He is an expert in spinal drug kinetics and evaluation of spinal drug safety. He has published more than 870 papers and edited 7 texts. His work has garnered over 56,000 citations in over 34,000 papers and an H index of 115. He has been a mentor to more than 160 postgraduate fellows and trainees. He has been funded consistently by NIH since 1977 and has twice been a Javitz Award recipient. Dr. Yaksh has received several honors, including the Kerr Award (American Pain Society), the Seldon Memorial Lecturer award (Anesthesia Research Society), Excellence in Research Award (American Society of Anesthesiologists), the Torsten Gordh lecturer award (Swedish Society of Medicine), the Bonica Award (International Association for Study of Pain), Lifetime achievement award (North American Neuromodulation Society), the Heavener lectureship and Trail Blazer Award (World Institute of Pain).
