Sean Mackey MD PhD

Pain Medicine, Regional Anesthesiology

Chief of the Division of Pain Medicine and Redlich Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Neurosciences and Neurology at Stanford University

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450 Broadway StRedwood City, CA 94063
Phone+1 650-723-6238
Fax+1 650-721-3414

Summary

Sean Mackey, MD, PhD is the Redlich Professor and Chief of the Division of Pain Medicine at Stanford University, where he leads the Stanford Pain Management Center, one of the nation’s premier programs for comprehensive, multidisciplinary pain care. A physician-scientist, Dr. Mackey leads research at the intersection of pain, neuroscience, and technology, with a focus on developing innovative approaches to assess and treat chronic pain. His work spans from real-world data science to biomarker discovery, leveraging AI and learning health systems to optimize patient care. Dr. Mackey is the author of over 300 journal articles and book chapters in addition to numerous national and international lectures. He has served as past president of the American Academy of Pain Medicine and has advised federal agencies on national pain policy. He was Co-Chair of the HHS/NIH National Pain Strategy (NPS), an effort to establish a national health strategy for pain care, education and research. For more information: https://drseanmackey.com

Education & Training

Stanford Health Care-Sponsored Stanford UniversityResidency, Anesthesiology, 1995 - 1998
University of Arizona College of MedicineClass of 1994
University of ArizonaPh.D., Electrical Engineering , 1994
University of PennsylvaniaB.S.E, Bioengineering, 1986
University of PennsylvaniaM.S.E, Bioengineering, 1986

Certifications & Licensure

CA State Medical License 1995 - 2027
American Board of Anesthesiology Anesthesiology
American Board of Anesthesiology Pain Medicine

Awards, Honors, & Recognition

America's Top Doctors Castle Connolly, 2010-2017
Top 1% Pain Medicine Physicians in America US News & World Report Guide to Top Doctors, 2012
CMS Meaningful Use Stage 1 Certification EpicCare Ambulatory EMR, Epic Systems Corporation, 2011-2013
Presidential Commendation Institute of Medicine Committee on Advancing Pain Research, Care, and Education, American Academy of Pain Medicine, 2011
Ellis Cohen Achievement Award Stanford Department of Anesthesia, 2010
Clinical Center of Excellence Award American Pain Society, 2008, 2012
Top Anesthesiologists in America published in “Guide to Top Doctors”, 2006
Teacher of the Month, March Stanford Department of Anesthesia, 2003
Stanford Department of Anesthesia Research Award, 2003-2006, 2008, 2010
Top Doctors in America published in “Guide to Top Doctors”, 2002, 2004-2005, 2008, 2010
1st Place Medical Student Research Competition AHSC, 1994
Honors and Awards Committee Research Award AHSC, 1994
Superstar Award Upjohn Medical Student Research, 1994
Van Winkle Award for Excellence in Surgical Research 1994
MD/PhD Academic Scholarship University of Arizona, 1994
Medical Student Award American Federation for Clinical Research, 1994
Young Investigator Award Yuma Friends of Arizona Health Sciences Center, 1992, 1994
Electrical Engineering Scholarship GTE, 1987
Mildred P. Coitner Academic Scholarship 1981
Super Doctor SuperDoctors.com
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Clinical Trials

Imaging Study of Chronic Low Back Pain in Patients Taking Pain Medication Start of enrollment: 2006 Sep 01
Completed
Not Applicable
Effect of Ondansetron for Withdrawal Symptoms Start of enrollment: 2008 May 01
Completed
Not Applicable
Subcutaneous Botulinum Toxin for Cutaneous Allodynia Start of enrollment: 2007 Dec 01
Completed
Not Applicable
Effect of IV Lidocaine Infusions on Pain Start of enrollment: 2008 Sep 01
Completed
Not Applicable
Subcutaneous Botulinum Toxin for Cutaneous Allodynia - Enriched Responder Trial Start of enrollment: 2009 Jan 01
Terminated
Not Applicable
Low Dose Naltrexone for the Treatment of Juvenile Primary Fibromyalgia Syndrome Start of enrollment: 2010 Aug 01
Withdrawn
Not Applicable
Stanford Accelerated Recovery Trial (START) Start of enrollment: 2010 May 01
Terminated
Phase 3
Chronic Pelvic Pain Study of Individuals With Diagnoses or Symptoms of Interstitial Cystitis and/ or Chronic Prostatitis Start of enrollment: 2009 Dec 01
Completed
Observational Study of Control Participants for the MAPP Research Network Start of enrollment: 2009 Dec 01
Completed
Applications of Realtime Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI ) Start of enrollment: 2014 Jan 01
Completed
Not Applicable
Acupuncture and Pain Processing Start of enrollment: 2010 Apr 01
Completed
Not Applicable
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation for Low Back Pain Start of enrollment: 2014 Jan 01
Withdrawn
Not Applicable
Stanford Center for Back Pain
ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
NA
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Publications & Presentations

PubMed

Development and preliminary testing of a comprehensive Ecological Momentary Assessment of people with chronic pain.
Doerte U Junghaenel, Roger B Fillingim, Steven D Pratscher, Sarah Goldstein, Sean Mackey
The Journal of Pain. 2025-04-01
Clinician and researcher responses to the term pain catastrophizing and whether new terminology is needed: Content analysis of international, cross-sectional, qualitat...
Hannah Boyd, Dokyoung S You, Angela Nguyen, Laura Connoy, Devdeep Ahuja
The Journal of Pain. 2025-04-01
Zoom-Delivered Empowered Relief for Chronic Pain: Observational Longitudinal Pilot Study Exploring Feasibility and Pain-Related Outcomes in Patients on Long-Term Opioids.
Karlyn A Edwards, Troy C Dildine, Dokyoung S You, Ashley M Herrick, Beth D Darnall
JMIR Formative Research. 2025-03-11

Journal Articles

Effect of Electroacupuncture vs Sham Treatment on Change in Pain Severity Among Adults with Chronic Low Back Pain
Jiang-Ti Kong, Sean Mackey, JAMA Network Open
Mackey S, American New Report, 5/1/2012
Mackey S, Becker’s ASC Review, 5/1/2012
Mackey S, Palo Alto Patch, 4/1/2012
Mackey S, Stanford School of Medicine, 3/1/2012
Mackey S, Family Practice News, 3/1/2012
Mackey S, The Bay Citizen, 3/1/2012
Mackey S, KVIE TV, 2/1/2012
Mackey S, Scientific American, 2/1/2012
Mackey S, Stanford Scope Blog, 2/1/2012
Mackey S, The Bay Citizen, 2/1/2012
Mackey S, Carroll I, Birol E, Murphy T, Whalen E, Dumenci L, Journal of Pain, 1/1/2012
Chapin H, Bagarinao E, Mackey S, Neurosci Lett, 1/1/2012
Carroll I, Barelka P, Wang C, Wang B, Gillespie M, McCue R, Younger J, Trafton J, Humphreys K, Goodman S, Dirbas F, Whyte R, Donington J, Cannon W, Mackey S, Anesth Analg. Epub ahead of print., 1/1/2012
Mackey S, Digital Journal, 12/1/2011
Mackey S, Blogcritics, 12/1/2011
Mackey S, US News, 12/1/2011
Mackey S, Wall Street Journal, 11/1/2011
Mackey S, Prohealth, 11/1/2011
Mackey S, Healthy Imagination, 10/1/2011
Mackey S, Express, 10/1/2011
Mackey S, Stanford Daily, 10/1/2011
Mackey S, Montreal Gazette, 10/1/2011
Mackey S, Outpatient Surgery Magazine, 10/1/2011
Mackey S, Vancouver Sun, 10/1/2011
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Books/Book Chapters

IOM (Institute of Medicine)The National Academies Press, Washington, DC2011
Chapter: Continuum: Lifelong Learning
Barad, Greicius, Mackey S2009
Chapter: Perioperative Pain Management
Mackey, SEditors: Jaffe and Samuels.Edition 4th ,2009
Feinberg S, Mackey SAmerican Chronic Pain Association, Rocklin, CA2008
Chapter: Pain.
Younger J, Watcha D, Mackey SEditors: Yawei Zhang.Sage2008
Chapter: Low Back Pain: Management Across a Spectrum of Presentations
Mackey, SEditors: Carr and Reuben Eds.http://www.tuftspainmanagement.org2004
Chapter: Peripheral Nerve Blocks and Continuous Catheters
Amador, ER, Mackey, SEditors: Wallace and Staats.2004
Chapter: Perioperative Pain Management
Mackey, S. Gaeta, REditors: Jaffe and Samuels.Edition 3rd ,2003
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Abstracts/Posters

Carroll I, Barelka P, Wang C, Wang B, Gillespie M, McCue R, Younger J, Trafton J, Humphreys K, Goodman S, Dirbas F, Whyte R, Donington J, Cannon W, Mackey S, American Pain Society 31st Annual Meeting, Austin, 5/1/2012
Huynh H, Jastrzab L, Tieu M, McCue R, Gandhi V, Mackey S, American Pain Society 31st Annual Meeting, Austin, 5/1/2012
Chapin H, Bagarinao E, Hubbard E, Wiley K, Ung H, Glover G, Mackey S, American Pain Society 31st Annual Meeting, Austin, 5/1/2012
Gorraiz G, Nash P, Mackey S, American Pain Society 31st Annual Meeting, Austin, 5/1/2012
Bagarinao E, Chapin H, Ung H, Hubbard E, Wiley K, Glover G, Mackey S, American Pain Society 31st Annual Meeting, Austin, 5/1/2012
Kong J, Johnson K, Balise R, Mackey S, American Pain Society 31st Annual Meeting, Austin, 5/1/2012
Jastrzab L, Mackey S, Chu L, Stringer E, Younger J, American Pain Society 31st Annual Meeting, Austin, 5/1/2012
Nash P, Wiley K, Mackey S, American Pain Society 31st Annual Meeting, Austin, 5/1/2012
Noor N, Gandhi V, McCue R, Younger J, Mackey S, American Pain Society 30th Annual Meeting, Austin, 5/1/2011
Ung H, Mackey S, Chatterjee N, Tieu M, Moericke R, Carroll I, American Pain Society 30th Annual Meeting, Austin, 5/1/2011
Nash P, Brown J, Mackey S, American Pain Society 30th Annual Meeting, Austin, 5/1/2011
Sohlberg E, Kong JT, Schwarz D, Johnson K, Mackey S, American Pain Society 30th Annual Meeting, Austin, 5/1/2011
Johnson K, Chatterjee N, Noor N, Crowell A, McCue R, Mackey S, American Pain Society 30th Annual Meeting, Austin, 5/1/2011
Ung H, Brown J, Johnson K, Mackey S, American Academy of Pain Medicine 27th Annual Meeting, Washington DC, 3/1/2011
Brown J, Chatterjee N, Mackey S, Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting, San Diego, 11/1/2010
Younger J, Chu L, D’Arcy N, Trott K, Mackey S, International Association for the Study of Pain 13th World Congress on Pain, Montreal, 8/1/2010
Brown J, Chatterjee N, Mackey S, International Association for the Study of Pain 13th World Congress on Pain, Montreal, 8/1/2010
McCue R, Lawrence J, Sohlberg E, Knutson B, Mackey S, International Association for the Study of Pain 13th World Congress on Pain, Montreal, 8/1/2010
Wang C, Hah J, Mackey S, Carroll I, American Pain Society 29th Annual Meeting, Baltimore, 5/1/2010
Ung H, Brown J, Mackey S, American Pain Society 29th Annual Meeting, Baltimore, 5/1/2010
Chatterjee N, Noor N, Crowell A, Mackey S, American Pain Society 29th Annual Meeting, Baltimore, 5/1/2010
Noor N, Chao L, Sinskey J, Gandhi V, Peltz G, Carroll I, Mackey S, American Pain Society 29th Annual Meeting, Baltimore, 5/1/2010
Barad M, Brown J, Sherman E, Chatterjee N, Mackey S, American Academy of Neurology 62nd Annual Meeting, Toronto, 4/1/2010
Brown J, Chatterjee N, Mackey S., American Academy of Pain Medicine 26th Annual Meeting, San Antonio, 2/1/2010
Boveroux P, Boly M, Menon V, Mackey S, Dixit R, Laureys S, Greicius M, Organization for Human Brain Mapping (OHBM) 15th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, 6/1/2009
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Lectures

Clinical Scientist Summer Symposium, Berlin, Germany - 6/1/2012
California Society of Industrial Medicine & Surgery Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA - 6/1/2012
American Pain Society Annual Meeting, Honolulu, HI - 5/1/2012
American Pain Society Annual Meeting, Honolulu, HI - 5/1/2012
Oscher Center for Integrative Medicine, San Francisco, CA - 5/1/2012
FDA Chronic Pain Wokshop, Washington, DC - 5/1/2012
University of Texas Arlington, Arlington, TX - 2/1/2012
World Institute of Pain Annual Meeting, Miami, FL - 2/1/2012
American Association of Orthopedic Surgeons, San Francisco, CA - 2/1/2012
Nevada Psychiatric Association 17th Annual Psychopharmacology Conference, Las Vegas, NV - 2/1/2012
American Academy of Pain Medicine Annual Meeting, Palm Springs, CA - 2/1/2012
American Academy of Pain Medicine Annual Meeting, Palm Springs, CA - 2/1/2012
American Academy of Pain Medicine Annual Meeting, Palm Springs, CA - 2/1/2012
American Academy of Pain Medicine Annual Meeting, Palm Springs, CA - 2/1/2012
North American Neuromodulation Society Annual Meeting, Las Vegas, NV - 12/1/2011
University of California San Francisco Pain Group, San Francisco, CA - 12/1/2011
National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine Distinguished Lecture, Washington, DC - 11/1/2011
Breakthrough In Neurologic Therapies Conference, San Francisco, CA - 10/1/2011
Shenzhen, China - 10/1/2011
Arizona Pain Society Annual Meeting, Paradise Valley, AZ - 9/1/2011
PAINWeek Conference, Las Vegas, NV - 9/1/2011
PAINWeek Conference, Las Vegas, NV - 9/1/2011
Western Occupational Health Conference, Las Vegas, NV - 9/1/2011
Napa, CA - 9/1/2011
National Naval Medical Center Pain Symposium, Washington, DC - 9/1/2011
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Other

Younger J, Mackey S
1/1/2007
Mackey, S., Carroll, I, Clarke, D
Applied America and PTC (Patent) - 1/1/2004
Mackey, S, USO5837001
11/1/1998
Mackey, S
Ph.D. Dissertation, University of Arizona, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering - 12/1/1994
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Press Mentions

Chronic Pain Can Cause a Kind of Madness. I Know This Personally.January 7th, 2025
Chronic Pain Is Rising, and It's Not Clear WhyNovember 27th, 2024
October Member Focus: Meredith Barad, MDOctober 7th, 2024
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