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 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)