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Call for Symposia - Now Closed

APS Scientific Summit

Understanding Pain Mechanisms

March 4-6, 2018
Disneyland Hotel, Anaheim, CA

Notification
The system closed at 11:59 pm Pacific Time on June 12 and additional submissions will not be accepted. Faculty will be notified in August, 2017 regarding selection of their proposals. All presenters will receive complimentary meeting registration. Other terms of participation will be communicated to faculty upon acceptance of the proposal.

General Information Regarding the Summit

The American Pain Society will hold its first Scientific Summit March 4-6, 2018 in Anaheim, CA. The theme Understanding Pain Mechanisms includes an interdisciplinary focus on a broad range of mechanisms that contribute to the development of pain and to benefit from pain treatment across the full spectrum from developmental neurobiology of pain processing to psychological factors that predict development of chronic pain. The Summit format allows for a comprehensive shared meeting experience to fully explore this theme through plenary lectures, focused symposia sessions, interactive and networking sessions, SIG meetings, poster sessions and exhibits.

At this time, the APS Scientific Program Committee invites the submission of proposals for Focused Symposia. Topics should align with the theme of understanding pain mechanisms and pain treatment mechanisms for presentation during this meeting and may include the following topics:

  • Human experimental: quantitative sensory testing
  • Epidemiological studies
  • Special populations (Pediatrics, Geriatrics)
  • Basic science: glia/immune
  • Basic science: physiology
  • Prevention/risk factors
  • Psychosocial factors
  • Genetics
  • Neuroimaging
  • Assessment: Patient-reported outcomes & biomarkers
  • Health systems perspectives

Please note that general symposia will not be solicited for the Summit. Only Focused Symposia that align with the meeting theme will be considered for presentation.

The Scientific Program Committee requests that all proposals reflect APS' multidisciplinary approach to pain, and should therefore include faculty representing varied areas of pain science, translational research, and treatment. We are especially interested in proposals that focus on integrated science. For example, translational proposals that include both basic science and clinical treatment are encouraged.

The maximum number of participants per proposal is 3 speakers. APS has moved away from the traditional format of 1 moderator and up to 3 additional speakers; please note in your proposal which of the 3 speakers will manage basic duties of the moderator. All 3 faculty are expected to present content during the session. Sessions should be designed to offer attendees an opportunity to interact with the faculty (e.g.; facilitate lively discussions, include sufficient time for Q&A), and to provide attendees with clear ideas for how they can use the information learned in the session in their day to day research and/or clinical settings. Ample time within the session should be devoted to opportunities for the participants to learn-pair-share, either as a large group or within small groups, via interactive methods such as case study discussion, role-plays, polling mechanisms, and other means of involving the participants. Submitters are required to describe methods for achieving these outcomes within the body of the abstract; submitters can also use the "Comments to Organizers" section of the submission system to highlight unique ways in which faculty will involve participants during the session. Proposals will be evaluated in part on their plan for audience engagement.

Proposals for previously presented or published work may not be submitted to APS without modification. Original work must be changed or expanded, resulting in a new proposal.

Faculty Disclosure Requirements

The American Pain Society requires full disclosure of relevant financial relationships from every presenter. Completed disclosure forms must be received by June 12, 2017 to be reviewed and discussed by the appropriate monitoring group, i.e. the American Pain Society's Scientific Program Committee. Please note that the submission system will close on June 12, but the disclosure forms will remain accessible to faculty until June 14. Faculty members failing or refusing to complete the disclosure form or conflict of interest resolution agreement in ample time will not be considered. In addition, the American Pain Society requires that all contributions to a CE activity be based on the best available evidence (refer to Policy on Content Validation). All proposed faculty named on this proposal will receive an email notice which instructs each of them, individually, to visit the proposal before June 14, 2017 to complete their disclosure forms. This notice will be sent to all faculty as soon as the submission forms are complete and the "Submit to APS" button has been selected. Please note that the completion of the disclosure form is a required part of the online submission.

Proposals for Symposia

Symposia are scheduled to take place Monday, March 5 - Tuesday, March 6, 2018. All faculty must be willing and able to present on these dates. Symposia sessions are 90 minutes in length.

To submit your symposium proposal, please click on the link below. A complete symposium submission should include the following:

  • Statement describing the rationale/need for the topic, identification of a data source, and description of the research/practice gap(s) which will be addressed
  • Focus statement (the focus statement should give a succinct description of what topics will be discussed during the symposium; it will be printed in the conference brochure so that attendees will be able to make decisions on which symposia they would like to attend)
  • Educational objectives (geared toward knowledge, skill, and/or attitude)
  • Title
  • Presenter information, including disclosures
  • Abstract text of 200 words, including information about each presenter's contribution to the symposium. Please remember to describe the plans/methods for creating an interactive learning environment during the session.

Each symposium submission is limited to 3 presenters, but submissions can include fewer than 3 presenters. Only one of the presenters can be a non-member of APS.

Handout materials (including articles, references/bibliography, or copies of presenters' PowerPoint slides) are required of all faculty in symposia and workshops.