IASP Pain Research Forum Podcasts

During the 2024 North American Pain School (NAPS), five pain researchers participated in the PRF-NAPS 2024 Correspondents Program.  In this episode of the IASP-PRF Podcast, PRF correspondent Rima El-Sayed spoke with scientist and patient partner Alice Wagenaar-Tison, PhD candidate at the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières.  During their wide-ranging conversation, Wagenaar detailed her experience with chronic pain, gave advice to any chronic pain patients interested in becoming a patient partner, and how you do not need to be a scientist to help design studies with patients in mind.   Podcast participants include: Alice Wagenaar-Tison, University of Québec at Trois-Rivières, Canada Rima El-Sayed, University of Toronto, Canada

Editor’s note: This article is part of PRF’s featured content series “Investigating Virtual Reality for Pain Management: Past, Present, and Future,” which has been made possible thanks to a generous grant from the MAYDAY Fund.  Over the past two decades, the technology supporting virtual reality (VR) has significantly advanced, and its utility in healthcare settings has advanced along with it. In January 2020, Deirdre Logan and 15 other academics and clinicians, as well as industry and philanthropy partners, formed the  Interdisciplinary Network on Virtual and Augmented Technologies for Pain Management (INOVATE) consortium. This group aims to advance the field of VR for pediatric chronic pain rehabilitation. During this episode of the Pain Research Forum Podcast, IASP’s Publications Manager, Renee Chasse, speaks with Dr. Deirdre Logan and fellow INOVATE member Dr. Sara Williams about their background working together in pediatric pain research, their experience with the consortium over the past 5 years, and how they envision the future of the field specific to therapeutic advances made possible by Extended Reality (XR).   Podcast participants include: Deirdre Logan, PhD, Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA Sara Williams, PhD, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California, USA Renee Chasse, PhD, International Association for the Study of Pain (host)

On this episode of The Pain Beat, Adam Dourson moderates a discussion about the role of the immune system in pain – what we know currently and ideas about how the immune system can be a target for new strategies to treat chronic pain. Podcast participants include: Geffroy Laumet, PhD, Michigan State University, US Luda Diachenko, PhD, McGill University, CA Thiago Cunha, PhD, University of Sao Paolo, BR Temugin Berta, PhD, University of Cincinnati, US Adam Dourson, PhD, Washington University in Saint Louis, US  PRF thanks Lite Yang and Adam Dourson for producing the podcast and Kevin Seal for creating the music.

On this episode of The Pain Beat, Ewan St John Smith hosted fellow scientists and clinicians with expertise in visceral pain, including Federica La Russa - a scientist who also brought the patient perspective. The participants belong to the ADVANTAGE Consortium led by Geoff Woods, University of Cambridge, UK.  The discussion covered psychological and clinical perspectives on the experience of visceral pain and treatment as well as the in latest preclinical research and how visceral pain studies differ from other types of pain.  Podcast participants include: Ewan St. John Smith, PhD, University of Cambridge, UK Franziska Denk, PhD, University College London, UK Federica La Russa, PhD, Freelance Science Writer Andrew Horne, University of Edinburgh, UK Amanda Williams, PhD, University College London, UK

Editor’s note: During the 2023 North American Pain School (NAPS), five pain researchers participated in the PRF-NAPS 2023 Correspondents program.  As we hear from our 2024 NAPS Correspondents, we’re taking a look back at some highlights of NAPS 2023 and some of the people who made them possible.   In this episode of the IASP-PRF Podcast, PRF Correspondent Lindsay Ejoh spoke with Frank Porreca – a dedicated pain researcher and one of top 10 most cited pharmacologists in the world.  During their conversation, Porreca detailed the process of drug development, the importance of examining sex differences in drug development research, as well as his experience at the North American Pain School. Podcast participants include: Frank Porreca, PhD, University of Arizona, USA Lindsay Ejoh, PhD Candidate, University of Pennsylvania, USA, @neuro_melody

During the 2024 North American Pain School (NAPS), five pain researchers participated in the PRF-NAPS 2024 Correspondents Program.  In this episode of the IASP-PRF Podcast, PRF Correspondent Jamie Moffa spoke with Jessica Merlin – a clinical pain researcher focusing on the intersection of chronic pain and opioid misuse/use disorder across populations and settings.  During their wide-ranging conversation, Merlin detailed her nonlinear career path, her beginnings in research in chronic pain HIV patients, and her current passion of providing palliative care in addiction treatment settings. Podcast participants include: Jessica Merlin, MD, PhD, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA Jamie Moffa, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA  You can also find Jamie on their science communication podcast, In Plain English.

During the 2024 North American Pain School (NAPS), five pain researchers participated in the PRF-NAPS 2024 Correspondents Program.  In this episode of the IASP-PRF Podcast, PRF Correspondent Marimée Godbout-Parent spoke with Melanie Noel – a child health and wellness researcher specializing in psychological mechanisms involved in pediatric pain.  During their wide-ranging conversation, Noel discussed the inspiration behind her pioneering pediatric pain research, the development of her mentorship style based on her own mentors, and leading the way for other women in pain research. Podcast participants include: Melanie Noel, PhD, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada Marimée Godbout-Parent, BS Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Québec, Canada

During the 2024 North American Pain School (NAPS), five pain researchers participated in the PRF-NAPS 2024 Correspondents Program. In this episode of the IASP-PRF Podcast, PRF Correspondent Madelene Ho spoke with Calia Torres – a passionate pain researcher and former NAPSter. In their thought-provoking conversation, Torres discussed her academic background, her transition from the role of trainee to mentor, and her current research about economic and cultural disparities in pain care – particularly psychosocial interventions for understudied and underserved populations, including sickle-cell patient populations. Podcast participants include:  Calia Torres, PhD, University of Alabama at Birmingham, USA Madelene Ho, University of Alberta, Canada

Editor’s note: During the International Symposium on Pediatric Pain 2023 (ISPP), five pain researchers participated in the PRF-ISPP 2023 Correspondents Program – made possible by generous contributions from Solutions for Kids in Pain (SKIP) and the Centre for Pediatric Pain Research (CPPR). As we prepare for ISPP 2025 – taking place 17-20 June 2025 in Glasgow, UK – we’re taking a look back at some highlights of ISPP 2023, and some of the people who made them possible.    In this episode of the IASP-PRF Podcast, PRF Correspondent Adewale Fadaka spoke with Elliot J. Krane – a prolific pain researcher and co-founder of one of the first pain centers for children in North America.  During their wide-ranging conversation, Krane discussed his background in pain research, how he felt to receive the Distinguished Career Award at ISPP 2023, and shared some advice for early-career researchers.  Podcast participants include: Elliot J. Krane, PhD, Stanford University Medical Center, Stanford, CA, USA Adewale Fadaka, PhD, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati, OH, USA

Editor’s note: During the 2023 North American Pain School (NAPS), five pain researchers participated in the PRF-NAPS 2023 Correspondents program.  As we prepare to hear from our 2024 NAPS Correspondents, we’re taking a look back at some highlights of NAPS 2023 and some of the people who made them possible.   In this episode of the IASP-PRF Podcast, PRF correspondent Taylor ­­­Yeater spoke with Keith Meldrum – a dedicated pain advocate and one of two patient partners invited to attend NAPS 2023.  In their wide-ranging conversation, Keith discussed living with persistent pain for over 30 years, his extensive advocacy efforts for people living with pain, and the special impact of his experience at NAPS.  Be sure to check out Keith’s blog for more of his thoughts on advocacy and his experience of living with persistent pain. Podcast participants include:  Keith Meldrum, British Columbia, Canada Taylor ­­­­Yeater, PhD, University of Minnesota, USA

Editor’s note: In 2024, IASP is celebrating its 50th Anniversary, culminating at the IASP 2024 World Congress on Pain. To highlight this milestone, IASP is reflecting on its history and the advances and contributions made by its members over the past 50 years. Throughout the remainder of 2024, Pain Research Forum will be providing a series of podcasts featuring senior leaders in the field who have made major contributions to pain research and management, including those with major roles at IASP.     In this episode of the IASP-PRF Podcast, frequent PRF contributor Lincoln Tracy spoke with  Dr. Fernando Cervero, who has been an IASP member for nearly 50 years and currently serves as co-chair of the 50th Anniversary Taskforce. As part of their wide-ranging conversation, Professor Cervero spoke about his path to becoming a neuroscientist researching pain, his longstanding involvement with the IASP, friendships with other founding members like Louisa E. Jones, the challenges he faced during his time as IASP President, and the importance of supporting the next generation of early career researchers and clinicians.   Podcast participants include: Fernando Cervero, MD, PhD, DSc, McGill University, Canada, and University of Bristol, UK Lincoln Tracy, PhD, Melbourne, Australia (host)  

Editor’s note: In 2024, IASP is celebrating its 50th Anniversary, culminating at the IASP 2024 World Congress on Pain. To highlight this milestone, IASP is reflecting on its history and the advances and contributions made by its members over the past 50 years. Throughout the remainder of 2024, Pain Research Forum will be providing a series of podcasts featuring senior leaders in the field who have made major contributions to pain research and management, including those with major roles at IASP.    In this episode of the IASP-PRF Podcast, Lincoln Tracy spoke with Louisa E. Jones – who occupied a pivotal role in the foundation of IASP. During their chat (initially recorded in 2021), Louisa spoke about the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to pain research and management, some of the “underrecognized” contributors to IASP’s evolution, and the impact of IASP’s pain terminology and curricula on the development of more effective science communication. To learn more about Louisa and the beginnings of IASP, be sure to check out her book – First Steps: The Early Years of IASP (1973-1984).   Podcast participants include:         Louisa E. Jones, Washington, USA         Lincoln Tracy, PhD, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

Editor’s note: In 2024, IASP is celebrating its 50th Anniversary, culminating at the IASP 2024 World Congress on Pain. To highlight this milestone, IASP is reflecting on its history and the advances and contributions made by its members over the past 50 years. Throughout the remainder of 2024, Pain Research Forum will be providing a series of podcasts featuring senior leaders in the field who have made major contributions to pain research and management, including those with major roles at IASP.   In this episode of the IASP-PRF Podcast, frequent PRF contributor Fred Schwaller spoke with Dr. John D. Loeser – a founder of IASP during its formal incorporation in 1974. During their wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Loeser spoke about his introduction to the field of pain research and management after meeting Dr. John J. Bonica and Dr. Wilbert “Bill” Fordyce, his role in the genesis of IASP during the International Symposium on Pain in Issaquah (Washington, USA), the state of pain education in current medical school curricula, and policy barriers that impact advances in the field. To learn more about Dr. Loeser and his indelible mark on the field of pain research and management, be sure to check out his recently published biography – John Loeser: The Man Who Reimagined Pain. Podcast participants include: John D. Loeser, MD, University of Washington, USA Fred Schwaller, PhD, Berlin, Germany (host)

On 23 August 2023, Brain, Behavior, and Immunity published the article, “Beyond Biopsychosocial: The Keystone Mechanism Theory of Pain.” In this article, researchers from the United Kingdom and Germany propose the keystone model of pain, which offers a practical balance between the expansive biopsychosocial model of pain and other reductive approaches by providing advantages for the transition from treating at the population level to that of individual people. In this episode of the IASP-PRF Podcast, two of the article’s authors speak with PRF contributor, Lincoln Tracy, PhD, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. They discuss how the group formulated this theory of pain and how it builds upon the successes of the biopsychosocial model to provide a theoretical foundation for basic and translational pain science to move forward with a strong emphasis on factors that shape an individual’s pain phenotype in a practical manner. Podcast participants include:         Timothy Lawn, PhD, King’s College London, UK         Jan Vollert, PhD, University of Exeter, UK         Lincoln Tracy, PhD, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia (host)  

This episode of the IASP-PRF Podcast highlights an emerging resource for adults and youths with the lived experience of pain called the Power Over Pain Portal. The Power Over Pain Portal works toward improving access to chronic pain care by providing access to free resources in a “one-stop shop,” including articles, videos, podcasts, courses, workshops, peer support, and even 24/7 one-on-one counseling – offered through Wellness Together Canada. While initiated and designed by a consortium of researchers, clinicians, patient partners, hospitals, and institutions in Canada, the Power Over Pain Portal is freely available worldwide. In this episode, PRF spoke with developers of the Power Over Pain Portal to learn more about its initiation, resources, and plans for the future. Podcast participants include: Lynn Cooper, Director of Research & Education – Canadian Injured Workers Alliance Jennifer Stinson, RN-EC, PhD, CPNP, FAAN, SickKids, Toronto, Canada Yaad Shergill, DC, MSc, The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, and One Elephant Integrative Health Team Inc., Ontario, Canada Gregory Carbonetti, PhD, IASP Associate Director of Publications (host)

This 16th episode of The Pain Beat highlights the work of a vibrant consortium of pain researchers working on a project known as Acute to Chronic Pain Signatures (A2CPS). A2CPS is focused on the identification of biomarkers to predict which patients will transition from acute to chronic pain, and which patients living with chronic pain can improve their quality of life with management (see related PRF news story). The Pain Beat invited several Primary Investigators from A2CPS to talk about the work of the consortium, and how listeners of The Pain Beat can get involved themselves! Podcast participants include: Kathleen Sluka, PT, PhD, FAPTA, A2CPS Principal Investigator; University of Iowa, USA John Burns, PhD, A2CPS Principal Investigator; Rush University Medical Center, Illinois, USA Chad Brummett, MD, A2CPS Principal Investigator; University of Michigan, USA Michael Olivier, PhD, A2CPS Principal Investigator; Wake Forest University, North Carolina, USA. Stephani Sutherland, PhD, A2CPS Communications Director; Johns Hopkins University, Maryland, USA (moderator)

Editor’s note: The North American Pain School (NAPS) took place 19-24 June 2022, in Montebello, Québec City, Canada. NAPS – an educational initiative of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) and Analgesic, Anesthetic, and Addiction Clinical Trial Translations, Innovations, Opportunities, and Networks (ACTTION), and presented by the Quebec Pain Research Network (QPRN) – brings together leading experts in pain research and management to provide trainees with scientific education, professional development, and networking experiences. This year’s theme was, “Controversies in Pain Research.” Five of the trainees were also selected to serve as PRF-NAPS Correspondents, who provided firsthand reporting from the event, including interviews with NAPS’ Visiting Faculty members and Patient Partners, summaries of scientific sessions, and coverage on social media.  In the podcast below, PRF-NAPS Correspondent Joseph Lesnak, a PhD candidate at the University of Iowa, US, spoke with NAPS Visiting Faculty member Rajesh Khanna. Rajesh is a Professor of Molecular Pathobiology and the Director of New York University’s Pain Research Center in the US. His research focuses on the functions of voltage-gated ion channels and the discovery of novel biologics and small molecules targeting pain and neurodegenerative diseases (see related PRF news article). Joseph and Rajesh discussed targeting Nav1.7 for pain relief, the challenge of moving a pharmacologic through the regulatory process, and a serendipitous finding that arose during the COVID-19 pandemic. This podcast is also available on Apple Podcasts here and Spotify here.

This 15th episode of The Pain Beat is the third and final of a three-part series discussing the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine – awarded to David Julius, University of California, San Francisco, USA and Ardem Patapoutian, Scripps Research, California, USA – for their work on molecules important for somatosensation (see PRF related interview here, PRF related news story here, part one of this series here, and part two of this series here). In this episode, The Pain Beat spoke with a group of collaborators and former mentees to discuss what the discoveries mean for the somatosensory field, as well as stories and insights about what it was like working with Drs. Julius and Patapoutian during that time. Podcast participants include: Allan Basbaum, PhD, FRS, University of California, San Francisco, USA Diana Bautista, PhD, University of California, Berkeley, USA Alexander Chesler, PhD, National Institutes of Health, Maryland, USA Ellen Lumpkin, PhD, University of California, Berkeley, USA Tayler Sheahan, PhD, University of Pittsburgh, USA (Host)

Editor’s note: For the past 21 years, September has been declared Pain Awareness Month in the United States. During this time, we reflect on the global burden of pain and assess ways to increase engagement, awareness, and advocacy regarding this issue. While September has concluded, we should continue to engage in these vital practices! For a unique perspective on the challenges of raising pain awareness, PRF spoke with Staja “Star” Booker, PhD, RN. Star is an Assistant Professor in the Pain Research and Intervention Center of Excellence (PRICE Center) at the University of Florida, USA, and her recent work has contributed to our knowledge of osteoarthritis pain in older African Americans. She is active in several national pain, nursing, and gerontology organizations, and currently serves on the Board of Directors for the United States Association for the Study of Pain (USASP). Additionally, Star serves as a member of the Pain Research Forum Editorial Board. In the podcast below, recorded on 21 September 2022, Star speaks with PRF Virtual Correspondent Paulina Scheuren, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow at Balgrist University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland. They discuss Star’s experience working at the PRICE Center, pain management hurdles for underrepresented minorities, and misinformation vs. missed information regarding chronic pain.

This 14th episode of The Pain Beat is the second of a three-part series discussing the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine – awarded to David Julius, University of California, San Francisco, USA and Ardem Patapoutian, Scripps Research, California, USA – for their work on molecules important for somatosensation (see PRF related interview here, PRF related news story here, and part one of this series here). In this episode, The Pain Beat spoke with Nobel Prize laureate Ardem Patapoutian and Bertrand Coste, Aix-Marseille University, France, to discuss their discovery of mechanically sensitive ion channels – Piezo1 and Piezo2. Podcast participants include: Ardem Patapoutian, PhD, Scripps Research, California, USA Bertrand Coste, PhD, Aix-Marseille University, France Tayler Sheahan, PhD, University of Pittsburgh, USA (Host)