Barry Sessle
MDS, PhD, DSc(hc)
Dr Barry J. Sessle is Professor & Canada Research Chair, Faculties of Dentistry and Medicine, University of Toronto. Dr Sessle was Dean of the Faculty of Dentistry from 1990-2001. He is an elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, a member of the Canadian Academy of Science, and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. He is also Secretary of ACTION Ontario, and Past-President of the Canadian Pain Society, International Association for the Study of Pain, Canadian Association for Dental research, and International Association for Dental Research. He is Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Orofacial Pain, has co-authored/edited 11 books, published over 350 journal articles and book chapters, and delivered over 400 invited lectures in numerous countries. His orofacial pain and neuromuscular research has been continuously supported for 35 years by both the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and US National Institutes of Health.
University:University of Toronto
Principal Faculty:Faculty of Dentistry
Principal Department/Program:Oral Physiology
Principal Hospital Appointment(s):Mount Sinai Hospital (Wasser Pain Clinic)
Telephone:416-979-4921
Fax Number:416-070-4936
E-mail Address:barry.sessle@utoronto.ca
Current Grants:
(1) CIHR MOP4918.Neural Mechanisms of Orofacial Function.
(2) NIH DE04786 Craniofacial Pain: Brainstem Mechanisms
Top Awards:
(1) 1976 Oral Sciences Award of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR).
(2) 1994 The IADR J.J. Pindborg International Prize in Oral Biology.
(3) 1996 Fellow, The Royal Society of Canada and Member, The Canadian Academy of Science.
(4) 1999 Distinguished Career Award, Canadian Pain Society.
(5) 2000 McGill University, D.Sc.(honoris causa).
(6) 2001 Canada Research Chair (Tier 1), Government of Canada; renewed.
(7) 2008 -2004 American Academy of Orofacial Pain Award.
(8) 2005 CIHR Institute of Musculoskeletal Health and Arthritis Quality of Life Research Award.
(9) 2005 Honorary Member, International Association for the Study of Pain.
(10) 2005 Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences.
(11) 2007 Honorary Member, American Academy of Orofacial Pain.
(12) 2008 Aalborg University (Denmark), D.Sc. (honoris causa).
(13) 2009 Honorary Member, Academy of Dentistry
Key Publications:
(1) Chiang, C.Y., Wang, J., Xie, Y. F., Zhang, S., Hu, J. W., Dostrovsky, J. O. & Sessle, B. J. (2007). Astroglial glutamate-glutamine shuttle is involved in central sensitization of nociceptive neurons in rat medullary dorsal horn. J. Neuroscience, 27, 9068-9076. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17715343
(2) Okada-Ogawa, A., Suzuki, I., Sessle, B. J., et al. (2009). Astroglia in medullary dorsal horn (trigeminal spinal subnucleus caudalis) are involved in trigeminal neuropathic pain mechanisms. J. Neuroscience, 29, 11161-11171. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19741123
(3) Boudreau, S., Hennings, K., Svensson, P., Sessle, B. & Arendt-Nielsen, L. (2010). The effects of training time, sensory loss and pain on human motor learning. J. Oral Rehab., 37, 704-718. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20492438
(4) Avivi-Arber, L., Martin, R., Lee, J. C. & Sessle, B. J. (2011). Face sensorimotor cortex role and neuroplasticity related to orofacial motor functions. Archs. Oral Biol., 56, 1440-1465. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21550585
(5) Chiang, C. Y., Dostrovsky, J. O., Iwata, K. & Sessle, B. J. (2011). Role of glia in orofacial pain. The Neuroscientist, 17, 303-320. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21512131