Welcome to the inaugural episode of The Pain Beat, The IASP Pain Research Forum's new monthly podcast series! Supported by a generous grant from The MAYDAY Fund, The Pain Beat brings together the world's leading pain investigators in order to spark dialogue and debate around important ideas in pain research. Guided by Rebecca Seal, Scientific Director of The Pain Beat, these podcasts feature open and spirited discussion about the hottest topics in pain and how the field moves forward from here.

For the first episode, The Pain Beat gathered together a group of pain researchers in Keystone, Colorado, US, where two joint Keystone Symposia, Somatosensation: From Detection to Perception and Pain: Aligning the Target, were being held from February 2-5, 2020. The podcast participants include:

• Alexander Chesler, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, US
• Ardem Patapoutian, Scripps Research, La Jolla, US
• Sarah Ross, University of Pittsburgh, US
• Cheryl Stucky, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, US
• Stephani Sutherland, PRF freelancer (moderator)

The group found a quiet spot away from the hubbub of the meeting to discuss the following question: What biological levels should be targeted to produce the most effective pain therapies: molecules, cells, circuits, or systems?