Associate Professor Stephen D. Lucas, MD, retired Feb. 3 after 14 years with the department. Dr. Lucas, who joined the department as an Assistant Professor in 2006, served as Medical Director of UF Health Pain Management – Ayers and of the Pain Medicine Clinics as well as Associate Chair of the Pain Medicine Division.
Dr. Lucas earned his medical degree and completed his residency at the UF College of Medicine. He previously served as medical director of the UF Health Shands Hospital operating room from 2009 to 2012. In 2010, he became chief of the division of Regional Anesthesiology and Perioperative Pain Medicine and took on the additional responsibilities of the chief of Pain Medicine in 2014.
An active member of several professional societies who has been board certified in anesthesiology since 1992 and in pain medicine since 1996, Dr. Lucas also completed training in dorsal root ganglion stimulation and therapy at St. Jude Medical Training Lab in 2017. He has contributed to several books, refereed publications, and abstracts and has also presented at more than 40 conferences on local, state, regional, national, and international levels since 2003. Many of his research contributions have focused on regional anesthesia techniques and acute pain management.
Dr. Lucas said he is most proud of the many residents and fellows he has mentored during his time at UF who have gone on to be great clinicians and educators.
Rene Przkora, MD, PhD, Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, Chief of the Pain Medicine Division, and Director of the Multidisciplinary Pain Medicine Fellowship, expressed gratitude for Dr. Lucas’ service.
“Dr. Lucas has been a highly valuable member of the Pain Medicine Division,” Dr. Przkora said. “We are grateful for his many contributions to our practice and field.”
