Dr. Eellan Sivanesan serves as the Director of Neuromodulation 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 frequently evaluates and treats patients at the Johns Hopkins Blaustein Pain Treatment Center, where he specializes 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 traditional treatments.

Dr. Sivanesan specializes in advanced neuromodulation and minimally invasive spine procedures to manage complex chronic pain conditions 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 multiple other neuromodulation and minimally invasive spine advancements.

Dr. Sivanesan serves on the editorial boards of 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 multiple 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 neuromodulation and cancer pain research is focused on developing new pain treatments and understanding the mechanisms of neuromodulation. His laboratory is particularly interested in the use of targeted electrical stimulation, such as spinal cord stimulation, for chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and cancer-related pain. His work has been published in The Lancet, Anesthesiology, Neuromodulation, Pain, Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine, The British Journal of Anaesthesia, Journal of Clinical Anesthesia, Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, Pain Reports, Pain Medicine, Anesthesia and Analgesia, Neuroscience Bulletin, Molecular Pain, and has been featured on the covers of Anesthesia & Analgesia and Neuromodulation.

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 (clinical scientist track) and 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
Funded by the National Cancer Institute and the National Institutes of Health, Dr. Sivanesan’s neuroscience and neuromodulation research at Johns Hopkins is closely integrated with his clinical practice. The Sivanesan Neuromodulation Laboratory focuses on understanding how spinal cord stimulation and other neuromodulation therapies affect the nervous system and immune system, with the goal of developing new treatments for patients suffering from neuropathic pain, cancer-related pain, and chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy. This work spans basic science, translational research, and clinical studies aimed at improving outcomes and developing new therapies for patients with severe and complex pain conditions. Philanthropic support helps accelerate research, support trainees, and develop new neuromodulation therapies for patients suffering from chronic pain, nerve injury, and cancer-related pain.

Lab Website: Sivanesan Neuromodulation Laboratory (SNL)

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Philanthropic support for the Sivanesan Neuromodulation Laboratory helps accelerate research, support trainees and young investigators, and develop new neuromodulation therapies for patients suffering from chronic pain, nerve injury, and cancer-related pain. Philanthropy plays an important role in advancing new treatments and clinical trials for patients who have 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: Brittany Hale – 410-955-1822

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