Our Experts

It takes a team of medical professionals from a variety of specialties — medicine, nursing, occupational therapy, physical therapy, and psychology — to develop individual pain treatment plans. UPMC Pain Medicine is staffed with experts in pain treatment and management who can help relieve your pain so you may get back to leading a full and active life.

Our Doctors

Ajay Wasan, MD, MA, MMSc
Vice Chair for Pain Medicine

Benedict Alter, MD, PhD

Cheryl Bernstein, MD

Scott Brancolini, MD, MPH, Associate Fellowship Director

Gaurav Chauhan, MD

ZongFu Chen, MD

Trent Emerick, MD, MBA , Director of Quality Improvement, Fellowship Director, Interim Medical Director

Edward K. Heres, MD, Associate Medical Director

Jiayun Lu, MD

Eric Magda, MD

Sean McDermott, MD

Ahdy Nassif, MD, PhD

Danielle Zheng, MD, PhD

Advanced Practice Providers 

Stephanie Allman, PA-C

Maggie Borrelli, CRNP

Eric Cheponis, PA-C

Amy Croushore, FNP

Erin Haberman, CRNP

Nicole Lukaszewicz, CRNP

Hoa Kevin Luong, PA-C

Kara Martin, CRNP

Kristin Koontz Pivovarnik, PA-C

Caroline Sedmak, PA-C

Erin Simonds, PA-C

Dane Sink, PA-C

Behavioral Staff

Rosalind Butterfield, PhD

Susan Jarquin, PhD
Pain Rehabilitation Coordinator 

Daniel Paulus, PhD