Andrew S.C. Rice is a clinical academic who for more than 35 years has been intrigued by the conundrum of neuropathic pain. He is Professor of Pain Research at Imperial College and President of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) (https://www.iasp-pain.org/ ).

Andrew qualified in Medicine from St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School and gained his research doctorate at St. Thomas’ Hospital Medical School (Sherrington School of Physiology), where his supervisor was Steve McMahon. After, specialist training at St Thomas’ and in Oxford, he joined Imperial College in 1995 and established the interdisciplinary Pain Research Group, which he continues to lead.

In addition to clinical trials, much of Andrew’s early research was conducted in a laboratory setting, in particular elucidating cannabinoid analgesia, investigating viral neuropathies and improving animal models and outcome measures. He conceived and led the first prospective multicentre validation study of a preclinical pain measure.

His current research embraces pre-clinical and clinical aspects - spanning preclinical evidence and methodological rigour, through “deep phenotyping” of patients on to clinical trials and evidence synthesis. The emphasis is on neuropathic pain in the context of infectious disease (HIV, Herpes Zoster, leprosy and HTLV-1), diabetic neuropathy, non-freezing cold injury and conflict related postamputation pain.

In clinical research, having developed robust deep phenotyping protocols covering the bio-psycho-social spectrum, he focusses on the “deep profiling” of neuropathic pain patient cohorts with a view to identifying risk factors for neuropathic pain and to inform stratified clinical trials. Andrew has participated in, and successfully led, several important clinical trials – including playing a key role in the pre-clinical and preclinical development of a “first in class” angiotensin II type 2 receptor antagonist (EMA401) that was then acquired by Novartis.

His current pre-clinical focus is on improving rigour in the design, conduct, analysis and reporting of in vivo pain research and in developing pre-clinical evidence synthesis.

Andrew enjoys collaborating with historians to uncover historical aspects of neuropathic pain, particularly that arising from 20th century conflicts.

Andrew’s research programme has been funded from many sources including the European Commission, Wellcome Trust and UK Research Councils. He is an enthusiastic advocate of collaborative research: He was a Director of the Wellcome Trust London Pain Consortium, workpackage lead EU Consortia EUROPAIN (innovating animal models) and EQIPD (Enhancing Quality In Preclinical Data). He is currently a workpackage and tissue bank lead in the UKRI/Versus Arthritis Advanced Pain Discovery Platform collaboration PainStorm.

Andrew has authored more than 250 publications (H index 66) many of which are in the leading specialist journal (PAIN). He has published in The Lancet, Brain, Lancet Neurology, Nature Methods, NEJM & BMJ. He conceived and was lead editor for both editions of the four volume “Textbook of Clinical Pain Management”.
Prior to election to the Presidency, Andrew served in a number of IASP leadership roles, including: Councilor, liaison to South-East and South Asian Federations, Chair of the Scientific Programme Committee for the 18th World Congress on Pain and of the Presidential Task Force on Cannabinoid Analgesia. He also held leadership positions in the IASP Special Interest Group on Neuropathic Pain (NeuPSIG).
Until stepping down in 2024 to make space for the IASP Presidency, Andrew sat on the MHRA Neurology, Pain & Psychiatry Expert Advisory Group and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (Varicella/Herpes Zoster sub-committee). He still participates in the Non-Freezing Cold Injury Independent Senior Advisory Committee.

Andrew has been privileged to receive multiple awards including Imperial College’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Excellence in Animal Research, the Patrick Wall Lecturer at the British Pain Society and at the Faculty of Pain Medicine and was Michael Cousins lecturer at the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists.

Until stepping aside from clinical duties to make way for his IASP role, Andrew delivered an NHS diagnostic and treatment clinical service for patients with neuropathic pain, small fibre neuropathy and non-freezing cold injury at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, where he continues to interact with the multi-disciplinary clinical service.