Dr. Eellan Sivanesan serves as Director of Neuromodulation, Director of the Blaustein Pain Treatment Center, and an Associate Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His clinical practice focuses on the treatment of complex chronic pain, neuropathic pain, and cancer-related pain using advanced neuromodulation and interventional pain therapies. He evaluates and treats patients at the Johns Hopkins Blaustein Pain Treatment Center, with particular expertise in complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS), nerve injury pain, chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, post-surgical pain, post-amputation pain, and other complex pain conditions, particularly in patients who have not responded to conventional treatments.

Dr. Sivanesan specializes in advanced neuromodulation and minimally invasive spine procedures and is a nationally and internationally invited speaker on these topics. His expertise includes  spinal cord stimulation, dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulation, peripheral nerve stimulation, basivertebral nerve ablation (Intracept), vertebral augmentation procedures such as vertebroplasty, kyphoplasty, and SpineJack, and intrathecal drug delivery. He has introduced numerous new pain treatment modalities to the Johns Hopkins Health System, including minimally invasive lumbar decompression, interspinous spacers, temporary peripheral nerve stimulation, closed-loop spinal cord stimulation, wireless spinal cord and peripheral nerve stimulation, restorative neurostimulation, and other neuromodulation and minimally invasive spine technologies.

Dr. Sivanesan serves in editorial leadership roles for Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, Pain Medicine (Section-Neuromodulation and Minimally Invasive Spine), Neuromodulation, and Molecular Pain. He also serves as an ad hoc reviewer for journals in anesthesiology, pain medicine, neuroscience, and bioelectronic medicine and participates in committees of the International Neuromodulation Society (INS), the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA), the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), and the North American Neuromodulation Society (NANS).

Dr. Sivanesan’s translational pain and neuromodulation research focuses on chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, cancer-related pain, and chronic neuropathic pain, with particular interest in the mechanisms and therapeutic effects of spinal cord stimulation and other electrical stimulation therapies. His laboratory studies pain signaling, neuroimmune interactions, peripheral nerve injury, and treatment response with the goal of developing new approaches to prevent and treat neuropathic pain and improve neuromodulation outcomes. His research has been published in leading journals in pain medicine, anesthesiology, neuromodulation, and translational science.

For additional information about Dr. Sivanesan’s clinical expertise, research, and media contributions, please visit the Johns Hopkins Experts profile.

Education: After graduating from the University of Oklahoma with dual bachelor of science degrees in Biochemistry and Zoology, Dr. Sivanesan completed medical school at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine. He then completed an anesthesiology residency in the clinical scientist track and a pain medicine fellowship at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, followed by a National Institutes of Health (NIH) postdoctoral research fellowship for clinician-scientists. Dr. Sivanesan has received research awards from the National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, the Jacob and Hilda Blaustein Foundation, the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA), the Thompson Family Foundation, and the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER).

Lab
The Sivanesan Neuromodulation Laboratory focuses on chronic pain, cancer-related pain, and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy, with particular emphasis on how spinal cord stimulation and other electrical stimulation therapies affect pain signaling, neuroimmune interactions, and peripheral nerve injury. The laboratory conducts mechanistic and translational studies aimed at developing new treatments for neuropathic and cancer-related pain and improving neuromodulation outcomes. Dr. Sivanesan’s research has been supported by the National Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Health.

Lab Website: Sivanesan Neuromodulation Laboratory (SNL)

Make a Gift
Philanthropic support for the Sivanesan Neuromodulation Laboratory helps accelerate research, support trainees and young investigators, and develop new therapies for patients with chronic pain, nerve injury, and cancer-related pain. Philanthropy also supports the development of new treatments and clinical trials for patients with limited treatment options.

Contact Dr. Eellan Sivanesan
Johns Hopkins Blaustein Pain Treatment Center
Johns Hopkins Outpatient Center
601 North Caroline Street, Suite 3062
Baltimore, MD 21287

Appointments: 410-955-PAIN (7246)
Administrative Questions: 410-955-1822

Research, collaboration, industry, media, and speaking inquiries: Please contact Dr. Sivanesan directly.