About Me
Dr. Laura Dover Wandner is a distinguished clinician-scientist and leader in pain, neuroscience, and behavioral health research. A former Branch Chief at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and Director of the Office of Pain Policy and Planning, she has overseen more than $60 million in federal research portfolios. Her leadership has advanced clinical research, workforce development, and health policy across multiple federal agencies and international collaborations.
Nationally recognized for her ability to bridge science, practice, and policy, Dr. Wandner is known for championing interdisciplinary research and ensuring that the voices of people with lived experience are meaningfully integrated into scientific initiatives. Her leadership roles have spanned the NIH Helping to End Addiction Long-Term (HEAL) Initiative's clinical pain research and workforce workgroup, the IMI-NIH Transatlantic Emphasis Group on Research And Translation-to-care Efforts for Pain (INTEGRATE-Pain) Consortium, and the Acute to Chronic Pain Signature (A2CPS) Consortium.
Dr. Wandner is also known for her collaborative and authentic leadership style. Colleagues describe her as a supportive, empathetic, and trustworthy mentor who fosters inclusion, professional growth, and innovation. She excels at organizing complex initiatives, communicating clear plans, and unifying diverse teams around shared goals. Fair, insightful, and diplomatic, she is skilled at navigating challenges, offering thoughtful feedback, and cultivating environments where people and ideas thrive. These strengths - combined with her strategic vision and professionalism - make her not only a respected leader, but also a trusted advisor and leadership coach.
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In addition to her scientific and leadership work, Dr. Wandner is a licensed clinical health psychologist specializing in acute and chronic pain, fertility, and behavioral medicine. Her clinical practice focuses on helping patients build resilience and self-management strategies through evidence-based approaches such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Motivational Interviewing.
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With over 35 peer-reviewed publications, multiple NIH and NINDS Director’s Awards, and invitations to speak at national and international conferences, Dr. Wandner brings deep expertise, integrity, and emotional intelligence to every project she leads—empowering teams, organizations, and individuals to achieve meaningful, lasting impact
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Professional Background
Education & Licensure
Active
State of Maryland
Licensed Psychologist. LIC#05533
2015
VA Connecticut Healthcare System
Postdoctoral Fellowship. Rotations in the integrative pain, opioid reassessment, anesthesiology pain, sleep, primary care, women's health, and spinal cord stimulator evaluation clinics.
2014
VA Connecticut Healthcare System
Clinical Internship. Rotations in chronic pain, insomnia, psycho-oncology, tobacco cessation, weight and diabetes management, primary care treatments, women's health, and inpatient consultation liaison services.
2014
University of Florida
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). Clinical and Health Psychology, Behavioral Medicine track.
2011
University of Florida
Master of Science (M.S.). Clinical and Health Psychology, Behavioral Medicine track.
2007
Connecticut College
Bachelors of Arts (B.A.). Education Summa Cum Laude in Psychology and Government​
Active
PSYPACT
APIT Number. 13717
Employment
2025-present
2023-present
2019-2025
2019-2023
2015-2019
2013-2015
2009-2013
2007-2009
Executive Director. Wandner Health & Science Advisors
Executive Director. Wandner Health and Wellness
Program Director. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the National Institutes of Health
Red Cross Volunteer, Pain Psychologist. Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
Pain Psychologist. Health Psychology Department, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center
Health Psychology. VA Connecticut Healthcare System
Research Assistant. Center for Pain Research and Behavioral Health at the University of Florida
Senior Research Assistant. Health and Early-Childhood Divisions, Child Trends​
Organization Memberships
U.S. Association for the Study of Pain (USASP)
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International Association of Pain (IASP)
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American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM)
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International Pelvic Pain Society (IPPS)
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American Psychology Association (APA) - Division 38, Health Psychology
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National Register of Health Service Psychologists
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Maryland Psychological Association (MPA)
Selected Publications
Bova, G., Lezen, J., Anicich, A., Birch, J., Domenichiello, A., Kaiser, U., Nicholson, K., Rosenberger, D.C., Wandner, L.D., Pogatzki-Zahn, E. (2025) Lessons learned from the INTEGRATE-Pain Delphi Process to develop Core Outcome Sets (COS) across the pain Continuum. Pain Medicine, 26(6), 352-355.
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Adams, M.C.B, Wandner, L.D., Kolber, B.J. (2024). Challenges and opportunities for growing and retaining a clinical pain research workforce. Pain Medicine, 25(5), 315-318.
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Bova, G., Domenichiello, A, Lezen, J.,E. ... Wandner, L.D., Pogatzki-Zahn, E. (2023) Developing consensus on core outcome sets of domains for acute, the transition from acute to chronic, recurrent/episodic, and chronic pain: Results of the INTEGRATE-Pain Delphi process. EClinicalMedicine, 66.
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Wandner, L.D., Domenichiello, A.F., Beierlein, J., Pogorzala, L., Aquino, G., Siddons, A., Porter, L., Atkinson, J., NIH Pain Consortium IC Representatives. (2022). NIH's Helping to End Addiction Long-term Initiative (NIH HEAL Initiative) Clinical Pain Management Common Data Element Program. Journal of Pain, 23(3), 370-378.
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Wandner, L.D., Aklin, W.M., & Freed, M.C. (2020). Guest editorial: Psychologists aim to HEAL the opioid and pain crisis. American Psychologist, 75(6), 866-868.
Wandner, L.D., Fenton, B.T., Goulet, J.L., Carroll, C.M., Heapy, A., Higgins, D.M., Bair, M.J., Sandbrink, F., & Kerns, R.D. (2020). Treatment of a large cohort of veterans experiencing musculoskeletal disorders with spinal cord stimulation in the Veterans Health Administration: Veteran characteristics and outcomes. Journal of Pain Research, 13, 1687-1697.
Wandner, L.D., Prasad, R., Ramezani, A., Malcore, S., & Kerns, R. (2019). Core competencies for the emerging specialty of pain psychology. American Psychologist, 74(4), 432-444.
Prasad, R., Wandner, L.D., (2019). Psychosocial and cultural aspects of pain. In Academic Pain Medicine. (51-58). New York: Springer.
