Education

Call for Poster Abstracts

The American Pain Society invites the submission of abstracts for poster presentation at the 33rd Annual Scientific Meeting, April 30–May 3, 2014 in Tampa, FL. The Call for Poster Abstracts will be available on the APS website August 15–November 15, 2013. Please visit the APS website for a full set of instructions and to access the submission system.

Members

Member Spotlight: Beth Darnall

Beth Darnall
Clinical Associate Professor
Stanford University School of Medicine
Division of Pain Medicine
Stanford Systems Neuroscience and Pain Laboratory
Palo Alto, CA

How has membership in APS been of value to you and your professional development?
I am a pain psychologist, and for this reason I decided early on to make APS my professional society home. I attend every annual conference, and doing so allowed me to establish key relationships and network with APS leadership. Ultimately, this led to my own leadership development within APS. For 3 years I have served on the Scientific Program Committee for the annual conference. I also serve on the Ethics Committee, the Clinical Guidelines Committee, and the Leadership Development Committee (Nominating Committee). I have also been active in the Ethics Special Interest Group (SIG) and in 2013 I became chair of this SIG.

I am also indebted to APS for catalyzing my pain research career. In 2006 I was awarded a "Future Leaders in Pain Research" grant from APS. I cannot overemphasize the importance of this seed grant and how it transformed my future. I continue to study the concepts of my early APS-funded research—a main current empirical focus examines the immune, sensory perception, and neural correlates of catastrophizing.

What is your area of specialty?
My area of specialty is pain psychology. I am a clinician scientist and equally enjoy working with patients, teaching patients and faculty, and conducting research.

What has been a highlight of your work? Are you and your staff especially proud of a particular project or accomplishment?
I recently wrote a book for patients who have chronic pain, Less Pain, Fewer Pills: Avoid the Dangers of Opioids and Gain Control Over Chronic Pain. It is due out in March 2014 from Bull Publishing. This book provides patients with opioid education and a rationale for why minimizing opioids is in their best interest. I provide patients with a roadmap to either manage pain without opioids, or to take them as mindfully as possible.

In addition, before leaving Oregon for California I served as the 2012 president of the Pain Society of Oregon. This was a tremendous honor. At the time I was elected, the PSO was the only multidisciplinary state pain organization in the United States. Happily, Washington state has now joined the ranks!

What initially sparked your interest in working in your field? Briefly describe your career path.
I did my clinical internship at the Tucson VA Hospital where much of the patient population has chronic pain. I loved working with the veterans and found that I connected well with people who were suffering. From there, I did a post-doctoral fellowship at The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine where I worked with patients with amputation, spinal cord injury, or catastrophic burn. Mine was a research fellowship, and the focus was on describing prevalence of various amputation-related pain conditions in amputees. From there I served as faculty at Oregon Health and Science University for 6 years before joining the Division of Pain Medicine at Stanford University in late 2012. I never really set out to become a pain psychologist and pain researcher; it unfolded for me one step at a time. But I must say that I could not have planned it any better if I tried. I truly love where I am and I love what I do!

Who is your favorite role model and why?
I don't know about a specific person, but I will say that I truly admire individuals who take risks in order to follow their truth. I recognize that it takes huge courage, as following one's truth tends to cause wild inconvenience in the lives of others. I honor that courage and find it inspiring; we need more of it in the world.

Member Benefit: Journal App

New JOP App
As an APS member, you are entitled to a free iPad^® edition of The Journal of Pain. All you have to do is visit www.americanpainsociety.org/journalapp to activate your access and download the app.

The Journal of Pain iPad^® edition allows you to get the content you need, where and when you need it. No more waiting until you're online, and no more keeping your print copy handy.

You can

• bookmark your favorite articles
  
• take notes and highlight within articles
  
• quickly swipe through articles and issues
  
• save to your favorite reader app
  
• get up-to-the-minute alerts on new issues and featured articles by activating the App Alerts.

Download this exciting new member benefit today.

Summaries

The Journal of Pain Highlights

The following highlights summarize selected articles from The Journal of Pain (Volume 14, Number 9, October Issue).

Persistent Postmastectomy Pain in Breast Cancer Survivors: Analysis of Clinical, Demographic, and Psychological Factors
Inna Belfar et al., University of Pittsburgh

More than 40% of the 200,000 women in the United States diagnosed with breast cancer every year undergo surgery. Although treatment advances have significantly reduced mortality from breast cancer, persistent postmastectomy pain is rated by survivors as their most troubling symptom.

Researchers from the University of Pittsburgh evaluated 611 women who had undergone a total or partial mastectomy and were treated with chemotherapy, radiation, or hormone therapy. The objective of the study was to determine which factors, such as demographics, tumor size, pain severity, treatments, stress, and psychological factors, contribute to postmastectomy pain.

According to the authors, previous research has provided little consensus regarding the most important determinants of pain following mastectomy. Earlier studies had small sample sizes and focused on just one group of variables. In this study, the authors used a much larger sample, which allowed them to study a large number of variables at the same time.

Results of this study showed, in accordance with some previous research, that there was no evidence of linkage between the type of mastectomy performed, tumor size, or the occurrence of treatment side effects and the development of postmastectomy pain. However, psychosocial variables were found to be important predictors. Specifically, anxiety, depression, impaired sleep, somatization, and catastrophizing each were independently related to the development of persistent postmastectomy pain.

Motives for Medical Misuse of Prescription Opioids Among Adolescents
Sean Estaban McCabe, Brady T. West, and Carol J. Boyd, University of Michigan

Misuse of prescription opioids among adolescents and young adult has generated significant media coverage, but less attention has been given to differentiating the underlying motives for opioid misuse. Medical misuse is defined as use of a prescribed opioid medication in a manner not intended by the prescriber. Nonmedical misuse is use of someone else’s prescription drugs.

Previous studies have shown the majority of adolescents who are prescribed opioids use them properly. But there are subgroups of adolescents who do not. The objectives of this study were to determine past-year prevalence of motives for medical misuse of prescription opioids among adolescents in two school districts in Detroit, and to assess the associations of motives for medical misuse with gender, race, ethnicity, substance abuse, and diversion behaviors. For this study, nearly 3,000 adolescents were surveyed in 2011 and 2012.

The authors reported that pain relief was the most prevalent motive for medical misuse of opioids among adolescents. This factor alone motivated 4 in 5 adolescents who misused their prescribed pain medications. Further, the number of individuals who misused opioids nonmedically was 3 times greater than those who reported past-year medical misuse. Although the majority of medical misusers said they were motivated by their need for pain relief, 47% of nonmedical misusers and 30% of medical misusers said they were also motivated by non-pain relief choices, such as wanting to get high.

The study showed that females were almost twice as likely as males to report past-year medical misuse of opioids, but there were no gender differences seen in the prevalence of motives. African Americans were more likely than whites to medically misuse opioids, and 3 in 4 said they were motivated by pain relief. The authors noted that racial differences observed in this study could be related to inadequate pain management, poor communication, insufficient opioid availability, and underprescribing among black patients.

Also, the researchers reported that neither medical misuse nor the motive to relieve pain were associated with an increased risk for substance abuse. However, medical misuse for non-pain relief motives was linked with significantly greater probability for substance abuse. Overall, the findings of this study indicate a need for close monitoring of opioid medications among adolescents and underscore the importance of detecting unusual patterns of opioid medication use.

Pain Medicine Highlights

The following highlights summarize selected articles from Pain Medicine (Volume 14, Number 9, September Issue).

Effect of Sacrum-Perineum Heat Therapy on Active Phase Labor Pain and Client Satisfaction: A Randomized, Controlled Trial Study
Simin Taavoni, Somayeh Abdolahian, and Hamid Haghani; Nursing and Midwifery Faculty, Medicine Faculty, and Biostatistics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran; Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Research Institute for Islamic & Complementary Medicine (RICM, TUMS), Tehran; Midwifery, Islamic Azad University Firuzabad, Firuzabad, Iran

The ability to reduce labor pain is one of the most important aspects of obstetric care. Heat therapy, typically applied to a woman’s back, lower abdomen, groin, or perineum during the last stage of labor, is a pain relief method that does not require highly skilled care. This study was designed to test the hypothesis that heat therapy on the perineum-sacrum during labor would reduce pain and increase mothers’ satisfaction with the birth experience.

Because heat dilates blood vessels and raises blood flow, it can influence the transmission of pain impulses and can increase collagen elasticity. A rise in local blood circulation can reduce metabolites that activate nociceptors, and heat can also reduce swelling, thus relieving pressure on local nociceptive endings. This may also activate the release of endogenous opiates through placebo-type mechanisms.

Sixty primiparous women ages 18 to 35 years old were randomly assigned to heat therapy and control groups. Pain and satisfaction scores were measured using a visual analog scale. Pain scores were recorded by the investigator every 30 minutes until dilation reached 8 cm. During these periods, the subjects were asked to inform the investigator to replace the towel when it became cold.

The mean satisfaction score in the heat therapy group was significantly higher than in the control group. Pain scores reported by subjects in the group receiving sacrum-perineum heat therapy were lower than pain scores of the women in the control group 60, 90, and 120 minutes after intervention during the active phase of labor. In countries in which epidural anesthesia is routine, this noninvasive nonpharmacological modality provides a safe alternative for the mother and fetus and also provides mothers with a choice if they prefer to avoid invasive pharmacological methods of pain management during labor. This method may be particularly attractive to mothers who want to be more involved in their care. More research in controlled clinical trials is needed to evaluate the effectiveness of heat therapy alone and when combined with other nonpharmacological methods.

Fentanyl Buccal Tablet Compared with Immediate-Release Oxycodone for the Management of Breakthrough Pain in Opioid-Tolerant Patients with Chronic Cancer and Noncancer Pain: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Crossover Study Followed by a 12-Week Open-Label Phase to Evaluate Patient Outcomes
Lynn R. Webster, Kieran A. Slevin, Arvind Narayana, Craig Q. Earl, and Ronghua Yang; CRI Lifetree, Salt Lake City, UT; Virtua Pain and Spine Specialists, Voorhees, NJ; Teva Pharmaceuticals, Frazer, PA

This is the second study designed to compare the efficacy and safety of a rapid-onset opioid fentanyl buccal tablet with traditional short-acting opioids (SAOs, immediate-release oxycodone), both titrated to a successful dose, for the treatment of breakthrough pain (BTP) in opioid-tolerant patients with chronic pain. This study included a 12-week open-label extension during which functional improvement and patient satisfaction were assessed.

The results from this randomized double-blind, active controlled crossover study of opioid-tolerant patients with chronic pain were consistent with results from a previous, similarly designed, head-to-head study. In the treatment of BTP, onset of analgesia was more rapid after administration of a fentanyl buccal tablet than after administration of immediate-release oxycodone. Statistically significant differences between fentanyl buccal tablet and immediate-release oxycodone were observed in pain intensity as soon as 10 minutes after administration of the study medication, and in pain relief as early as 15 minutes postdose. After 12 weeks of open-label treatment, patients and clinicians reported consistently better functional improvement and satisfaction with fentanyl buccal tablets compared with traditional SAOs.

The results of the efficacy assessments are corroborated by findings from a BTP preference questionnaire, in which 47% of patients preferred fentanyl buccal tablet and 35% of patients preferred immediate-release oxycodone. Safety and tolerability profiles were comparable.

PAIN Highlights

The following highlights summarize selected articles from PAIN (Volume 154, Number 10, October 2013 Issue).

Sex Differences in Emotion-Related Cognitive Processes in Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Healthy Control Subjects
Jennifer S. Labus, Arpana Gupta, Kristen Coveleskie, Kirsten Tillisch, Lisa Kilpatrick, Johanna Jarcho, Natasha Feier, Joshua Bueller, Jean Stains, Suzanne Smith, Brandall Suyenobu, Bruce Naliboff, and Emeran A. Mayer; Oppenheimer Family Center for Neurobiology of Stress and Pain and Interoception Network (PAIN) Repository, Los Angeles, CA; Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA; National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), Section of Developmental and Affective Neuroscience, Bethesda, MD; Department of Psychiatry, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, and Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center, University of California, Los Angeles, CA

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) occurs with a slightly higher prevalence in women, and sex-related differences in visceral perception, autonomic nervous system, and brain responses to visceral stimuli have been reported. In their response to emotion-related stimuli (including faces, images, words, odors, and music), women generally show greater brain activation related to emotions of sadness, disgust, and unpleasantness, whereas men demonstrate stronger neural responses to emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt. In the current study, investigators used the paradigm of viewing negative affective (fear and anger) and neutral faces to test sex- and IBS-related differences in brain response associated with cognitive processes (processing negative emotions).

The following hypotheses were tested: greater brain responses in affective regions and less recruitment of prefrontal inhibitory regions will be observed in IBS subjects compared to healthy controls (HCs), in men compared to women, in men with IBS compared to women with IBS, and in male HCs compared to female HCs. Investigators also hypothesized that greater regional brain activation by the emotional faces paradigm would be accompanied by changes in the effective connectivity of the emotion-related circuit and its cortical modulatory input. Functional magnetic resonance imaging was used to measure neural responses to an emotion recognition paradigm using faces expressing negative emotions (fear and anger). Sex and disease differences in the connectivity of affective and modulatory cortical circuits were studied in 47 IBS subjects and 67 HCs.

Although most fell within normal clinical ranges, 18% of all subjects (IBS + HC) had anxiety scores above the clinical cutoff, and less than 1% of all subjects had depression scores above the clinical cutoff. Compared to HCs, IBS subjects as a group showed significantly higher anxiety symptoms, with men with IBS showing slightly higher levels than women with IBS.

Functional activity during the viewing of emotional faces did not differ when IBS subjects as a group were compared to HCs. Greater IBS-related engagement of emotional arousal and cognitive modulatory brain circuitry can be demonstrated in men, but different stimuli are required in men and women to elicit these disease- and sex-related differences. These findings emphasize the importance of taking sex-related differences into account when evaluating disease differences and when assessing the importance of symptom-related stressors in the clinic.

Efficacy, Safety, and Tolerability of Fulranumab, an Anti-Nerve Growth Factor Antibody, in the Treatment of Patients with Moderate to Severe Osteoarthritis Pain
Panna Sanga, Nathaniel Katz, Elena Polverejan, Steven Wang, Kathleen M. Kelly, Juergen Haeussler, and John Thipphawong; Janssen Research & Development, LLC, Titusville, NJ; Analgesic Solutions, Natick, MA; Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, MA

Nerve growth factor (NGF) increases in chronic pain conditions. This study examined the analgesic efficacy and safety of fulranumab, a fully human monoclonal anti-NGF antibody, in adults with chronic knee or hip osteoarthritis pain not adequately controlled with standard pain therapies. Patients (n = 466, intent-to-treat) were randomized to receive, in addition to their current pain therapy, subcutaneous injections in one of six parallel treatment groups: placebo (n = 78); fulranumab 1 mg (n = 77) or 3 mg (n = 79) every 4 weeks (Q4wk); or fulranumab 3 mg (n = 76), 6 mg (n = 78), or 10 mg (n = 78) every 8 weeks (Q8wk).

Fulranumab treatment resulted in statistically significant efficacy in pain measures and physical function versus placebo and was generally well tolerated. NGF contributes to persistent pain in a variety of animal models of inflammatory and neuropathic pain, and an extensive body of evidence points to the pivotal contribution of NGF to pain mechanisms in the adult mammalian nervous system. Fulranumab is a human recombinant immunoglobulin G2 monoclonal antibody that specifically neutralizes the biological actions of human NGF.

All subjects were able to complete the 12-week double-blind efficacy phase and the first 16 weeks of double-blind treatment. The primary efficacy endpoint was achieved with a significant reduction in osteoarthritis pain intensity versus placebo from baseline to week 12 in the 3 mg Q4wk, 6 mg Q8wk, and 10 mg Q8wk treatment groups. Based on the statistical analysis, there was no difference in efficacy between the knee and hip. Dosing frequency appeared to be an important mediator of drug response, with improved efficacy observed at more frequent dosing intervals.

Research

The Rita Allen Foundation (RAF) and the American Pain Society announce the 2014 Rita Allen Foundation Award in Pain. Request for applications will open November 1, 2013.

The Rita Allen Foundation and APS announce the 2014 Award in Pain. The RAF and APS may award two grants in the amount of $50,000 annually, for a period of up to 3 years to those research proposals demonstrating the greatest merit and potential for success.

Candidates must have completed their training and provided persuasive evidence of distinguished achievement or extraordinary promise in basic science research in pain. Candidates should be in the early stages of their career with an appointment at faculty level. The entire award is to be allocated to projects specifically chosen by the recipient. Overhead is not supported.

To learn more about the Rita Allen Foundation Award in Pain, please visit the APS website where additional details and an application link will be posted on November 1, 2013.

Call for Applications for the 2014 Clinical Centers of Excellence Program Now Open

The call for applications for the 2014 APS Clinical Centers of Excellence (CCOE) in Pain Management Awards is now open September 2–November 29. The CCOE Program annually awards the APS Center of Excellence designation to interdisciplinary healthcare teams that provide the most distinguished, comprehensive pain care. Pain management programs from across the United States, small and large, rural and urban, community and university-based, are all eligible to apply. Selection of awardees is based on judgment of the quality of services provided, not the size or type of the program.

CCOE program recipients from 2007–2010 who have not already received the award for a second time are eligible to apply. Past recipients must provide evidence of sustained excellence and fulfillment of CCOE assessment criteria.

APS has recognized 35 Centers of Excellence since its inception in 2007. This distinction is one of APS’s highest honors in the area of clinical treatment. To learn more about the program, past recipients, and how to apply, visit the APS CCOE webpage.

Society

SIG Update

Tamara A. Baker, PhD, is an associate professor in the School of Aging Studies at the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL. Her research focuses on health disparities, patient-centered outcomes, and community-based interventions. She has published extensively in the area of pain management among older minority populations, with an emphasis on understanding the psychosocial facilitators and barriers to pain management among older African Americans. Dr. Baker serves as a Member-at-Large of the APS Pain and Disparities Special Interest Group.

Tell us about your new book, Handbook of Minority Aging.
One of the goals of the text was to create a multidisciplinary, progressive, and comprehensive volume devoted to emergent issues surrounding the aging process of diverse racial and ethnic populations in the United States. The text distills the most important advances in the science of minority aging and incorporates the evidence of scholars in gerontology, anthropology, psychology, public health, sociology, social work, biology, medicine, and nursing. The chapters in this text focus on an array of subject areas that are critical in understanding the well-being of minority elders.

Highlight some of the areas in your book that have specific implications for researchers and clinicians who are interested in better understanding the pain experience of minority populations.
The text advances our understanding of the social, cultural, behavioral, and health dynamics of the aging process among diverse race and ethnic populations. The volume covers a broad spectrum of issues, thereby appealing to those from varying disciplines. Areas such as sociology (e.g., context/neighborhood networks), psychology (e.g., neuroscience, discrimination), biology/public health (e.g., genetics), and social work (e.g., caregiving, end-of-life care) are included, all of which may have implications on how pain is treated among older adults.

What are some of the lessons learned from both your disparities research examining pain and health issues among older adults, and your work with diverse populations?
In examining health disparities, particularly among older adults from diverse racial and ethnic populations, I’ve learned that there must be an effort to understand current issues that impact the well-being of older populations and delve into the lived experiences of these individuals from a life course perspective. Refusal in acknowledging this concept dismisses not only the identity of the individual as an older adult, but as a person grounded in their identity as someone from a diverse racial and ethnic group.

You are a founding member of the APS Pain and Disparities SIG. What is your vision for the Pain and Disparities SIG going forward?
Our SIG currently includes a group of dedicated clinicians and researchers who are contributing their efforts to broaden the understanding of pain experience across diverse groups. What is important as we continue to move forward is to recognize that issues surrounding the contextual framework of disparities extend beyond that of race, ethnicity, and culture. Considering our society’s changing demographics, our SIG is broadening its efforts in recognizing the work of those who are ameliorating disparities across many populations (e.g., addictive disorders, psychiatric illness). This will allow for maintaining current collaborative efforts, while fostering newly established alliances with other special interest groups.

Scientific Program Committee Update

APS’ Annual Scientific Meeting: How Do We Get to Tampa?
Have you attended an APS Annual Scientific Meeting? Have you wondered how APS can provide attendees with a unique forum for sharing advances and standards in evidence-based pain research and treatment by colleagues from all disciplines in pain, in a setting that encourages interactions between scientists and clinicians? E-News staff asked the leaders of the 2014 Scientific Program Committee (SPC), Chair Charles Argoff, MD, and Cochair Ted Price, PhD, to share their insights into how the annual meeting program goes from a blank slate to a diverse offering of presentations that are designed to enhance research or clinical skills in pain management while meeting the needs of an interdisciplinary audience, featuring cutting-edge content and providing educational opportunities for professionals at many experience levels. Here’s how your annual meeting is developed each year.

The SPC is responsible for organizing the Annual Scientific Meeting and is comprised of approximately 16 APS members representing basic scientists, nurses, physicians, pharmacists, psychologists, young investigators, and other pain professionals, as well as a representative from the NIH Pain Consortium. The APS President, education domain chair, and lead nurse planner serve as ex-officio members. The committee is responsible for identifying content for and then planning, developing, and evaluating the Annual Scientific Meeting. The SPC Chair is appointed by the APS President; each chair serves 1 year as chair-elect and then the following year as chair. Committee members are selected by the program chair and each member serves a 2-year term. The SPC’s work is supported by the Education Advisory Committee (EAC), whose function it is to initiate a needs assessment and then share learning needs found to exist within clinical, research, and administrative practice gaps in pain care. These needs form the basis of the call for symposia every year.

Once the needs have been indentified, APS puts forth a call for symposia. This is an opportunity for pain professionals to submit proposals for 90-minute symposia sessions or 3-hour workshops. The proposals are collected via an online submission system. For the 2014 meeting in Tampa, APS members and others in the pain community submitted a record 81 proposals for the SPC’s consideration. Each of these proposals was reviewed by all members of the SPC, and scores were assigned based upon a set of rating criteria. During the proposal review process, committee members have the opportunity to review proposed faculty members’ conflict of interest disclosures, learn about the rationale for each proposed topic, and enter comments or suggestions for each proposal while conducting their official review.

After completing their review, the SPC meets in person in Chicago for a full-day meeting to discuss all of the submissions and to talk further about the goals and needs for the upcoming annual meeting. This is accomplished by discussing current issues in pain care and research, hearing from the APS president and education domain representative on initiatives set forth by the Board of Directors, and by evaluating the content and topics within each of the proposed symposia and workshop sessions. One of the unique aspects of APS is the fact that we are an interdisciplinary community; as such, the SPC’s goal is to create an annual meeting for physicians, nurses, basic scientists, pharmacists, psychologists, physical therapists, and other professionals who make up the interdisciplinary pain community. To accomplish this, the SPC looks for proposals with faculty representation from more than one discipline, with representation from a variety of facilities and institutions, and with content that addresses the full spectrum of care. Proposals are shepherded by committee members, and in many cases, faculty members and content are changed in order to meet the needs of a variety of disciplines.

The annual meeting’s program comprises about 30 sessions, which means that for 2014, more than half of the submitted proposals must be declined. Many of these are high-quality proposals on topics that are timely and fit within the SPC’s and EAC’s needs assessment areas, but there just isn’t enough time or space on the schedule to include all of the meritorious proposals.

The committee members work for about 4 weeks to complete assignments related to proposal changes, updates, and to develop sessions on topics that were not represented among the submitted proposals. Once these changes are complete, the program chair assigns each session into a time slot on the program and staff begins to communicate with moderators and faculty members regarding their participation. Faculty are asked to review information related to effective teaching and learning methodologies, to familiarize themselves with copyright guidelines, to develop presentations with active learning components, and to prepare handout materials, self-assessment questions, and in some cases, pre- and post-tests for attendees.

The SPC’s work continues during the months leading up to the Annual Scientific Meeting. They are busy reviewing more than 400 abstracts submitted for poster presentation, selecting Young Investigator Travel Award recipients from a competitive application process, organizing mentored poster rounds, communicating with the Keynote and Plenary speakers, and answering questions from members. Approximately half of the committee also begins thinking about the next year’s meeting—planning for the 2015 meeting in Palm Springs, CA, will begin in January.

The Annual Scientific Meeting is an opportunity for those in pain research and treatment to gather together to discuss the science behind the treatment of pain, hear from renowned speakers, meet with young investigators and learn about new trends, and network with colleagues. The SPC is looking forward to the 2014 meeting and encourages your continued participation through the submission of your proposals and abstracts and your attendance at the meeting. We look forward to seeing you in Tampa, FL.

Important Dates

Rita Allen Foundation Award in Pain

Opens Friday, November 1
More information

Call for 2014 Poster Abstracts

Deadline: Friday, November 15
More information

Clinical Centers of Excellence Award Program

Deadline: Friday, November 29
More information

Rita Allen Foundation Award in Pain

Deadline: Friday, January 17
More information

Call for Submissions

Do you have a topic that is relevant to APS members? Is there a member who is doing work that APS should spotlight? Is there a funding opportunity APS members need to know about? Please submit stories, events, and more to enews@americanpainsociety.org for consideration.