Afton Hassett, PsyD, earns the 2025 ARP Distinguished Scholar Award

Afton Hassett, PsyD, is the recipient of the 2025 Association of Rheumatology Professionals (ARP) Distinguished Scholar Award, presented by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and ARP. She received the award, which is presented annually to an ARP member who has demonstrated exceptional achievements in scholarly activities related to arthritis and rheumatic diseases, during the ACR’s annual meeting on October 25.  

Hassett is a licensed clinical psychologist and associate professor with tenure in the University of Michigan Medical School’s Department of Anesthesiology. She also serves as director of pain and opioid research within the department. 

“This award is special to me as it celebrates our interdisciplinary team science approach to clinical pain research,” said Hassett. “The ARP has been my professional home for over 20 years, and I'm honored that my peers selected me as their Distinguished Scholar.” 

Hassett’s research has focused on exploring the role of positive emotions in people with pain, as well as novel interventions to promote resilience and better pain self-management. As principal investigator with the Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center at U-M, she has co-led major national efforts including the NIH HEAL Initiative Back Pain Consortium (BACPAC) Mechanistic Research Center and the BACPAC BEST multisite clinical trial.  

Beginning this year, she will co-lead a $16.5M NIH-funded project aimed at improving the treatment of chronic low back pain through personalized medicine approaches that match interventions to individual patient characteristics and needs.  

Hassett’s scholarly work encompasses more than 120 peer-reviewed publications in pain research, with editorial roles on leading journals such as Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine and Arthritis Care and Research. She served as a regular member of the NIH Behavioral Medicine and Health Outcomes Study Section from 2020-2024. 

Nationally, Hassett has served as president of the Association of Rheumatology Professionals and was on the ACR Executive Committee and Board of Directors. She received the 2014 ARP President’s Award in recognition of her service and leadership.