The 2025 FPA In-Person Conference was a resounding success! On June 7 and 8, the facial pain community came together to provide patients and healthcare professionals with opportunities to connect, share knowledge, and build stronger relationships. We had over 130 participants and 25 volunteers in attendance. Volunteers, several of whom brought their partners, came from as far away as Hawaii, British Columbia and Texas to attend.
“It was an incredible privilege to be in the room with so many members of the facial pain community—to hear their stories, listen to their questions, and witness the powerful connections being formed as they supported one another,” said Melissa Baumbick, CEO of the Facial Pain Association. “The experience was truly moving. It was equally inspiring to watch the physicians collaborate so thoughtfully with each other and engage so compassionately with patients. Their attentiveness, kindness, and genuine investment created an atmosphere of learning, support, and community unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.”
Attendees had the option to choose between two presentation tracks, which offered foundational information about neuropathic facial pain as well as the latest innovations, treatments, and technologies for managing this condition. This approach emphasized the importance of multidisciplinary care. Furthermore, patients had the invaluable opportunity to engage in meaningful conversations with healthcare professionals outside of the presentations, enhancing their understanding and connections.
“The power of multi-disciplinary care was front and center at the FPA’s first in-person meeting in over six years—and the impact was undeniable. Attendees had the rare opportunity to see, firsthand, the benefits of collaboration across specialties, not just in theory but in practice. One of the most meaningful aspects of the event was the direct, unfiltered access patients had to the experts—an exchange that went both ways. While patients gained insights and understanding, clinicians were equally moved by the chance to connect with peers from across the country and hear real-time feedback from those living with facial pain every day. That kind of dialogue doesn’t happen often—and it was truly transformational for everyone involved,” Dr. Donald Nixdorf.
A big THANK YOU to everyone who participated, including:
Presenters:
Rushna Ali, MD
Cheryl Bemel, PhD, LP
Jack Botros, DDS, MS
Nicholas Boulis, MD
Ena Bromley, MD
Anne Ciemnecki
Jeannine Conway, PharmD
David Darrow, MD
Jeffrey Fogel, MD
Andrew Grande, MD
Juan Hincapie-Castillo, PharmD, PhD
Marshall Holland, MD
Robert Lasser, MD
Alan Law, MD
Wolfgang Liedtke, MD, PhD
Michael Lim, MD
Mark Linskey, MD
Ann Messer, RN
Abby Metzler, MD
Monique Montenegro, MD
Ana Moreno, MD
Kellen Mulford, PhD
Donald Nixdorf, DDS, MS,
Can Özütemiz, MD
Raymond F. Sekula Jr., MD, MBA
Clarence Shannon, MD
Konstantin Slavin, MD
Angelyn Sloan
Will Schmalstieg, MD
Mike Staudt, MD MSc
Maram Taema, DDS
Saranya Varun, BDS, MS
Anna Williams
Richard Zimmerman, MD
FPA Volunteers:
Natalie Buscavage
Jeff Buscavage
Carrie King
Sierra Peebles
Wesley Peebles
Rob Tyler
FPA Sponsors:
FPA Staff:
Melissa Baumbick
Regina Gore
Natalie Merrithew
Sarah Winner
Most of all, we are grateful for you, our attendees, who inspire us to continue to serve. The mission of the Facial Pain Association is to provide support, education, and advocacy to all who live with facial pain, and this conference was a convergence of these efforts.
Are you interested in accessing all the presentations from the 2025 FPA Conference? The online version will soon be available for purchase. Starting in October, we will release one presentation per month for free through our Conference Video Series on our YouTube channel.
