Building the Future of Pain Care: Highlights from the 2025 AAPM & MIT Innovation Challenge
Earlier this month, AAPM proudly hosted the 4th Annual 2025 AAPM & MIT Hack Med Innovation Challenge—an event that continues to push the boundaries of what’s possible in the future of pain medicine.
This year’s Innovation Challenge brought together a remarkable group of early-stage startups, clinicians, engineers, and entrepreneurs, all laser-focused on delivering real, scalable solutions that can transform the way we approach pain care. From neuromodulation advancements to AI-driven personalized treatments and digital health innovations, the diversity and depth of ideas were truly inspiring.
What made this year particularly special was the patient-centered mindset each team demonstrated. Every founder clearly understood the current gaps in pain care—and came ready with bold, actionable visions to bridge them.
We are deeply grateful to our esteemed panel of judges: Martha Lawrence, Jamie Wood, Shawn St. Pierre, Amy Goldstein, LMSW, Montana Ware, Jim Potenziano, Steven Stanos, DO, MD, and Steve Cohen, MD—who generously lent their expertise to guide and encourage our participants.
Congratulations to Our Winners!
First Place (Soubhash Jain Award): Personalized Pain Treatment (PPT), led by Ajay D. Wasan, MD, developed patented machine learning algorithms that tailor pain interventions to the unique multidimensional profile of each patient’s pain syndrome.
People’s Choice (M.M. Sadie Award): Monarch Technologies, Inc., led by Trent Emerick, MD, MBA, introduced a fully expandable, collapsible, and retrievable “hybrid” SCS lead—combining the minimally invasive delivery of a percutaneous lead with the stability of a paddle.
We also extend our heartfelt thanks to our sponsors and partners—Abbott, Averitas Pharma, Tris Pharma, OxiWear, EnableHealth LLC, and Orrick Tech—whose generous support made this event possible.
Finally, a special acknowledgment to the incredible team members, including Salman Hirani, MD, David Jevotovsky, MD, MBA, Julio Vega, MD, Sharon Kneebone, IOM, FASAE, CAE, Antje Barreveld, MD, Charles Argoff, MD, and many others—for their leadership, dedication, and vision.
This Innovation Challenge is more than a competition—it’s a movement. Together, we are advancing transformative solutions that will shape the future of pain medicine for generations to come. Let’s keep pushing boundaries and innovating for those living with pain.
