John Bonica

For almost five decades Dr. John Bonica worked to define pain as a clinical field and a worthwhile subject for multidisciplinary neuroscience. He fought successfully for the establishment of an international, multidisciplinary scientific effort directed at pain and for the creative integration of basic neuroscientists and clinicians in the advancement of the field. He was my mentor, my friend, and an altogether extraordinary human being. With the passing of Dr. John Bonica on August 15, 1994, the …

…Dennis Turk, who holds the John and Emma Bonica Chair in Anesthesiology and Pain Research. The establishing of this chair is a tangible part of the legacy that Dr. Bonica left. Curiously, many of the intangible aspects of his legacy have stood the test of time. John Bonica's sense of mission and commitment to pain control are still with me and with all of us who worked closely with him at the University of Washington.