Dr. Alaa Abd-Elsayed

Dr. Alaa Abd-Elsayed provides chronic pain medicine services as part of the Interventional Pain Management Program at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. He was appointed to serve on the Wisconsin Medical Examining Board to combat the state's opioid epidemic.

He graduated from medical school in Egypt in 2000 and was hired as a member of the faculty at Egypt's public health department, where he finished his master's degree. He moved to the U.S. in 2008 and worked at the Cleveland Clinic as a research fellow in the department of anesthesiology.

Between 2009 and 2013, Dr. Abd-Elsayed performed his anesthesiology residency at the University of Cincinnati. Later, he joined Cincinnati's program for pain fellowship and finally the UW School of Medicine and Public Health. He is an assistant professor in the UW Department of Anesthesiology.

In addition to his work as a pain specialist, Dr. Abd-Elsayed is an active clinical investigator. Current studies include the use of opioids, genetic variations leading to different individual response to opioids, and the use of neuromodulation and peripheral nerve stimulators for the management of neuropathic pain. He also has research interests in fibromyalgia, complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and headaches, and is leading a study called "CREATE" to help CRPS patients. Over the course of his career, he has received numerous research grants, published more than 70 peer-reviewed manuscripts and authored several editorials and book chapters. He has presented at more than 60 international and national conferences and has earned more than 15 awards at the state and national levels. In addition, he has served as a reviewer for more than 20 journals and as an editor to several journals.

He is a member of the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians (ASIPP) and the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA). He was named among the Leading Physicians of the World and America's Best Physicians in 2016.

Dr. Abd-Elsayed also serves as medical director of the UW Pain Clinic and Pain Services Department. He is the author of Chronic Pain – The Patient and Family Journey, and has published more than 100 presentations, 80 peer-reviewed articles, 10 book chapters and several editorials. He is a member of the editorial board for a number of medical journals and regularly reviews content related to pain management.