Lascelles wins AAVMC research honor for pain science

The American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges has named Dr. B. Duncan X. Lascelles of NC State University the recipient of its 2026 Excellence in Research Award, recognizing a career that has helped change how veterinary medicine understands, measures, and treats pain in companion animals. Lascelles, a professor of Translational Research in Pain and Surgery and the Dr. J. McNeely and Lynne K. DuBose Distinguished Professor of Musculoskeletal Health, leads NC State’s Translational Research in Pain program. NC State said his work has focused on the neurobiology of pain, better pain measurement tools, and improved pain control in dogs and cats, with implications for human analgesic development as well. (news.cvm.ncsu.edu)

For veterinary professionals, the award highlights a body of work that’s had direct clinical impact, not just academic recognition. Lascelles’ research has helped push pain assessment from a subjective challenge toward more structured measurement, including contributions to feline pain tools such as the Feline Grimace Scale and owner-reported musculoskeletal pain instruments used in osteoarthritis research and care. That matters in everyday practice, where chronic pain in cats and dogs can still be underrecognized, and where better assessment supports better treatment decisions, client communication, and quality-of-life monitoring. (nature.com)

What to watch: Lascelles is set to receive the award at AAVMC’s Catalyze 2026 meeting in Washington, D.C., and his translational pain research will likely keep shaping both companion-animal pain management and future analgesic development. (news.cvm.ncsu.edu)