Brisbane Pain Research Panel 2020

The IMB Centre for Pain Research has successfully coordinated two research symposiums in 2018 and 2019, which attracted over 250 registrants bringing together research groups from different disciplines of pain research. 

For this year’s edition, we will be holding a virtual panel discussion under the theme ‘Prevention of Pain’. We are assembling a five member-panel representing clinicians, clinical researchers, fundamental researchers and patients.   

The aim of this session is to stimulate scientific discussion and foster engagement in advancing pain research and treatments with all stakeholders.

Event details

Date: Thursday 26 November 2020
Time: 10.00 am to 11.30 am (AEST)
Venue: Online via Zoom
Theme: Prevention of Pain
Host: Centre for Pain Research, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, UQ
Panel Moderator: Associate Professor Irina Vetter 

Panel members

• A/ Prof. Irina Vetter
  Director of IMB Centre for Pain Research and Principal Research Fellow, Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Australia 
  
  Associate Professor Irina Vetter is an ARC Future Fellow and Deputy Director of the Centre for Pain Research at The University of Queensland. She is a registered pharmacist and has worked in hospital as well as community pharmacy. She obtained her PhD in 2007 from the School of Pharmacy, and conducted postdoctoral studies as an NHMRC postdoctoral fellow under Prof Geoffrey Goodhill at the Queensland Brain Institute and under Prof Richard J Lewis at the Institute for Molecular Bioscience in the areas of axon guidance and venom peptide pharmacology. Her research interests lie in the fields of peripheral pain mechanisms, target identification and analgesic drug discovery. She investigates the contribution of ion channels to sensory neuronal physiology using highly subtype-selective toxins isolated from venomous animals with the aim to develop novel analgesics with improved efficacy and tolerability.
   
• Prof. Peter O'Sullivan 
  John Curtin Distinguished Professor, Curtin University, Western Australia
  
  Peter is a John Curtin Distinguished Professor at the School of Physiotherapy and Exercise Science at Curtin University and a Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist (as awarded by the Australian College of Physiotherapists in 2005). He is internationally recognised as a leading clinician, researcher and educator in Musculoskeletal pain disorders. With his team he has published more than 260 papers, written numerous book chapters and has been keynote speaker at over 100 national and international conferences. Peter also consults at bodylogic.physio where he reviews disabling musculoskeletal pain disorders.
   
• Prof. Chris Vaughan
  Clinical Professor Medicine, Pain Management Research Institute, Royal North Shore Hospital and Kolling Institute, University of Sydney, Australia
  
  Chris Vaughan leads the Cellular Pain Research group at Pain Management Research Institute (PMRI), where the focus is on addressing chronic pain by using a range of cellular and behavioural techniques. The current specific research interests include identifying the brain adaptations which contribute to chronic pain, plus the role of the endogenous cannabinoid system in the control of pain and how this might be manipulated to treat chronic pain. Chris joined PMRI in 2000 as a Hospital Scientist. His work has been funded by the NHMRC and a number of philanthropic organisations. The primary outcome of his work is peer-reviewed publications and integrating this with clinical observations and outcomes in the Pain Management Centre at Royal North Shore Hospital.
   
• Dr Mary Jo Ford
  Anesthesiologist/ Chronic Pain Medicine Specialist, Phoenix Pain Medicine, Los Angeles, California, USA
  
  Mary Jo Ford, MD is an anesthesiologist and pain medicine specialist based in Los Angeles. She completed her anesthesia training at Columbia Presbyterian and her pain fellowship at Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York. She has worked in private practice for 25 years. She performs interventions such as spinal cord stimulation, intrathecal infusions and epidural injections in conjunction with medication management for treating chronic pain syndromes. She also volunteers for Beach Cities Health District, a preventative health agency that identifies and targets factors in health and longevity, and has participated in global health initiatives in Uganda, Southeast Asia and Haiti.
   
• Daniel Kapitzke
  Chronic pain sufferer (Japan)
  
  Daniel is a chronic pain sufferer. He has had pain in his legs for approximately 25 years that prevents him from standing or walking for more than a few seconds at a time. Pain has become a significant part of his identity, constantly interrupting his thoughts and dictating his activities. ‘Sometimes surrender and adaption leads to a better outcome than resistance’. He has a Bachelor of Science (Honours) from The University of Queensland and currently works as an English editor at RIKEN, Japan’s largest scientific research institute.

Event program

Our panellists will answer your questions in a multi-disciplinary discussion exploring the theme ‘Prevention of Pain’. The format of the session will be as follows:

• Panellists’ introduction (15 min)
• Discussion around pre-selected questions from the public (45 min)
• Live questions from the audience (15 min)

Send us your questions now via: https://form.jotform.com/202561489258867
or social media with hashtag #BrisPain2020