Dr. Price, APS Board member, and Dr. Mogil, Narcessian award recipient, discuss differences in biological pain pathways between men and women and the pain-relieving drugs used to treat them.
Dr. Price, APS Board member, and Dr. Mogil, Narcessian award recipient, discuss differences in biological pain pathways between men and women and the pain-relieving drugs used to treat them.
Dr. Maixner, APS President, discusses advances in understanding underlying pain mechanisms with Oncology Times.
Dr. Maixner, APS President, discusses advances in understanding underlying pain mechanisms, notably findings that there is a common mechanism in tumor growth, differentiation, and neurobiology in pain processing.
The Association for Multidisciplinary Education and Research in Substance use and Addiction is an interdisciplinary organization that holds a conference every November, and is holding this year's conference in Boston on November 7-9th.
The Association for Multidisciplinary Education and Research in Substance use and Addiction is an interdisciplinary organization that holds a conference every November, and is holding this year's conference in Boston, on November 7-9th at the Hyatt Regency.
One of AMERSA'snmajor goals is to further increase attendance and membership from disciplines other than medicine, e.g., social work, nursing, psychology, dentistry, pharmacy, and public health. To this end, the conference will feature abstract and poster sessions, skill-focused workshops, one-on-one career mentoring, and plenary sessions addressing issues of national and international importance.
Dr. Pasternak was an APS member for over two decades, a frequent attendee and esteemed speaker at APS Scientific Meetings, and most recently was awarded the 2019 Frederick W.L. Kerr Basic Science Research Award for his excellence and achievement in pain scholarship.
Dr. Pasternak was a member for over two decades, a frequent attendee and esteemed speaker at APS Scientific Meetings, and most recently was awarded the 2019 Frederick W.L. Kerr Basic Science Research Award for his excellence and achievement in pain scholarship.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (the National Academies) is soliciting public comments to help inform the deliberations of a new consensus study committee.
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (the National Academies) is soliciting public comments to help inform the deliberations of a new consensus study committee. The committee is tasked with reviewing the state of the science surrounding temporomandibular disorders (TMD), as well as education and training, safety and efficacy of clinical treatments of TMD, and burden and costs associated with TMD. The committee is tasked with bringing fresh perspectives to the challenges of TMD research, care, and education. More information can be found in the attached document or on the study’s website.
Persons wishing to provide written comments should email tmdstudy@nas.edu. Please note that any written information shared with the committee will be placed in our Public Access File (PAF), and may be provided to the public upon request.
Additionally, the committee will be holding a public comment period as part of a workshop in Washington DC on Thursday, March 28 and Friday, March 29. The public comment period will be on Thursday, March 28 from 5:00-6:00pm ET. Individuals wishing to provide comments at the meeting must register here. Remote participation is possible for the public comment period. Individual commenters will be limited to 5 minutes in length.
In early April, the Center for Practical Bioethics, along with many members of Dr. Payne's family, will celebrate his life at a special gathering in Kansas City. Dr. Payne was a member for nearly four decades, served the Society as President from 2003-2004, held numerous committee appointments throughout the years, and received the Distinguished Service Award in 1988.
In early April, the Center for Practical Bioethics, along with many members of Rich’s family, will celebrate his life at a special gathering in Kansas City.
Please read the announcement about the events related to the tributes, reflections and spiritual thanksgiving that will be shared. The memorial service on April 10 is open to the public; a lunch reception will follow. The previous evening we will also pay tribute to Rich as part of the 2019 Annual Dinner celebrating the 35th Anniversary of the Center. Please note that there is a ticket associated with the evening event and special arrangements must be made in advance to secure a reservation.
At the time of his death, Richard had just completed his sixth year as the John B. Francis Chair at the Center. His life exemplified the depth and breadth of medical professionalism and devotion to patients. His leadership in the areas of disparities in health, palliative care, neurology, oncology and pain spans international boundaries and serves as inspiration to hundreds of thousands. We are comforted by memories of his empathy, humility, humor, intelligence and compassion and look forward to sharing those with you.
APS is pleased to grant Young Investigator Travel Awards to 60 trainees to attend this meeting. These individuals will present their research during designated poster sessions.
APS is pleased to grant Young Investigator Travel Awards to 60 trainees to attend this meeting. These individuals will present their research during designated poster sessions.
Funding for the 2019 Young Investigator Travel Award Program is supported by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), the National Insitute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), National Institue of Drug Abuse (NIDA), and National Cancer Institute (NCI).
The Pain and Disparities SIG of the American Pain Society is pleased to announce the 2019 Early Career Investigator Poster Award that will take place at the Scientific Meeting!
The Pain and Disparities SIG of the American Pain Society is pleased to announce the 2019 Early Career Investigator Poster Award. This award will highlight the work of an Early Career Investigator working in the area of pain disparities. If you or your trainees have an accepted poster on a topic related to disparities in pain - including work focusing on a currently under-served population - please consider applying.
Eligibility: Early Career Investigators (including undergraduate students, graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows) presenting first-authored posters at the 2019 Scientific Meeting. You do not have to be a member of the SIG to apply, but your research should relate to pain disparities.
Deadline: March 15th, 2019
Apply: To be considered for the award, please submit complete the following information to smeints@bwh.harvard.edu
The Pain and Disparity SIG will evaluate abstracts and the winner will be notified around March 22nd. The winner will be acknowledged and invited to give a brief presentation at the SIG meeting on Friday, April 5, 2019 at 4:15pm.
After many years and a burgeoning opioid prescription and abuse crisis, it’s still not clear whether opioids are truly effective for managing long term non-cancer pain conditions.
After many years and a burgeoning opioid prescription and abuse crisis, it’s still not clear whether opioids are truly effective for managing long term non-cancer pain conditions. The FDA has announced a new initiative to study this question in greater detail.
The briefing will be held in cooperation with the Congressional Addition, Treatment and Recovery Caucus and take place Wednesday, February 27, from 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM in Washington, DC.
The briefing will be held in cooperation with the Congressional Addition, Treatment and Recovery Caucus and take place Wednesday, February 27, from 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM in Washington, DC.
Dr. Katrina Poppert Cordts and colleagues developed and tested a model of parental factors that may affect the pain and psychological functioning of children with chronic pain.
Dr. Katrina Poppert Cordts and colleagues developed and tested a model of parental factors that may affect the pain and psychological functioning of children with chronic pain. They found that parental chronic pain, physical functioning, and psychological functioning directly affect children’s chronic pain and psychological functioning. In contrast to prior research that examined parental factors in isolation, parental reinforcement of their child’s pain was not associated with children’s chronic pain and psychological functioning. Although behavioral interventions for childhood pain often focus on decreasing parental reinforcement, this may not be most effective.
This announcement from the NIH highlights a recent study compiling 20 years of data on pain and opioid use in the US.
This announcement from the NIH highlights a recent study compiling 20 years of data on pain and opioid use in the US. The researchers found that chronic pain conditions increased from 32.9% to 41% among the population, and the use of strong opioids more than doubled from 11.5% to 24.3%.
BACPAC is part of the NIH HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term) Initiative for which Congress has provided NIH with a separate funding allocation in 2018 and 2019.
BACPAC is part of the NIH HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term) Initiative for which Congress has provided NIH with a separate funding allocation in 2018 and 2019. This is a unique and long-awaited opportunity to advance understanding, treatment and prevention of chronic low back pain. Available funding opportunities are listed below. Contact BACPAC-NIH@mail.nih.gov with questions.
The VA/DOD SIG of the American Pain Society is pleased to announce the 2019 Junior Investigator/Early CareerPoster Award!
APS VA/DoD SIG Co-Chairs, Laura Wandner, PhD and Mary Driscoll
Dear Colleagues,
The VA/DOD SIG of the American Pain Society is pleased to announce the 2019 Junior Investigator/Early CareerPoster Award.
Deadline: February 26, 2019
This award acknowledges innovative contributions to pain research. If you know junior investigators or early career investigators attending the APS Scientific Meeting this year, consider encouraging them to apply.
Eligible candidates for this award include graduate students, interns, residents, post-doctoral fellows, or early career researchers (received a graduate degree within the past 5 years) presenting first-authored posters at the 2019 APS Scientific Meeting. Self-nominations and nominations by faculty members or research mentors are acceptable.
The Poster Award winners will receive a certificate in recognition of the accomplishment at the VA/DOD SIG meeting and will be asked to briefly present their results at the SIG meeting. One winner will be chosen and the winner will be notified in March.
You do not have to be a member of the SIG to apply, but your poster should be related to VA/DOD pain research.
To be considered for the award, please submit applications to SIG Co-Chairs Laura Wandner and Mary Driscoll by February 26, 2019.
Congressional briefing "Opportunities and Challenges in Cannabinoid Research" will be held Wednesday, February 27, 2019. Sponsored by The Friends of NIDA in cooperation with The Congressional Addiction, Treatment and Recover Caucus.
Congressional briefing "Opportunities and Challenges in Cannabinoid Research" will be held Wednesday, February 27, 2019. Sponsored by The Friends of NIDA in cooperation with The Congressional Addiction, Treatment and Recover Caucus. View the event flyer and register today.
APS Members and Basic Science SIG Chairs Dr. Alfonso Romero-Sandoval and Dr. Sarah Ross invite you to attend the Basic Science Dinner at the Scientific Meeting in Milwaukee.
By E. Alfonso Romero-Sandoval, MD PhD
Wake Forest University School of Medicine | APS Basic Science SIG Co-Chair
Over the last few years, the Basic Science Dinner has become a staple of the APS Scientific Meeting. It is one of the most highly attended events during the meeting of the Society. This places basic scientists in a strong position to impact the progression of APS and gives us the opportunity to influence and define the future of the Scientific Meeting, and APS as a professional society.
The Basic Science SIG is instrumental in organizing this event every year, and for the upcoming meeting in Milwaukee we have prepared a special event that addresses a timely and intriguing topic: the future of APS.
This year will feature a thought-provoking discussion on finding pathways forward for our Society. We will engage our attendees in small group discussions to share ideas focusing on the current state of APS, the challenges that APS faces, how the opioid crisis influences our progression as a Society, what the role of basic scientists is in APS, and how we can re-shape the APS Scientific Meeting for sustainable development of APS. We aim to envision where we want to go by understanding how we got here. Our ultimate goal is to identify a path forward from the perspective of basic scientists on the future of APS.
We will start the event with an introduction by the APS President, Dr. William Maixner, followed by a brief panel discussion to bring us up-to-date on the status and challenges that APS is facing. Our panelists are Dr. Ted Price (Board Member, Basic Science SIG liaison), Dr. Mark Jensen (Editor of The Journal of Pain), and Carly Reisner (CEO of APS).
As Basic Science SIG co-chairs, we would like to make you an active part of the decision-making process to move APS forward. I believe that we are a driving force in our Society and we have the potential to prepare it for the future.
Please register for this event and make your voice heard!
The Basic Science Dinner will take place on Friday, April 5, from 7:30-9:00pm. Pre-registration is required.
Milwaukee resident and APS member Kate Sadler, PhD, shares her favorite spots in the city and insider knowledge to help plan your trip during the Scientific Meeting!
Kate Sadler, PhD is a postdoctoral fellow in Dr. Cheryl Stucky’s lab at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Kate has spent the last two years studying how both neurons and and non-neuronal cells are involved in touch, cold, and heat sensation. She is particularly interested in the signaling changes that occur in these cell types during chronic pain conditions like sickle cell disease. Originally from Pittsburgh, Kate immediately fell in love with Milwaukee, a fellow mid-sized city with a chip on its shoulder, when interviewing for postdoc positions. Turn up the Bon Iver, cut yourself a big slice of kringle, and read her suggestions on what you should do when you’re in town for the 2019 APS Scientific Meeting:
MobCraft I love this place. It’s one of my favorite breweries in MKE due to the chill environment (e.g. ping pong tables, board games, craft pizza, open garage doors on the 3 days a year it's above freezing in MKE--- kidding!), extensive rotating tap list, and super rad business model. This place is the first crowd sourced brewery in the country; anybody can suggest a beer idea on their website, people pre-order their fave ideas, and the best seller actually gets made. These guys don’t shy away from weird ideas either---check out my interview with their head brewer for more info. Highly recommend their BatShit Crazy brown ale.
The Outsider On top of the #bougie Kimpton Hotel in the Third Ward, this rooftop bar has a carefully crafted cocktail list. Also beer (although I’ve never been super impressed with their beer selection). Suck it up and splurge on an Aperol spritz while enjoying some of the best views in the city.
Burnhearts Nestled on a street corner in Bay View, this is the best bar in MKE, IMHO. Other people seem to agree with me though since this place has been on a whole bunch of “Best of” lists. EXCELLENT craft beer selection. Dark vibes on the inside, food trucks on the outside.
Bryant’s Cocktail Lounge There is no menu here. I’m not kidding. You tell the bartender what kind of flavors you’re in the mood for (coffee and chocolate ice cream? There’s a drink for that. Frozen fruit punch? Also a drink for that.) and they make you a reasonably priced cocktail. Very dark inside. Very cool 60s lounge vibe.
Great Lakes Distillery Minimum of 6 liquor pours on tour. #worthit if you like drinking. #notworthit if you’re here for top notch whiskey or Instagram-worthy shots. Major fan of their Good Land Liqueurs.
Eagle Park Brewing Co. If you like NE IPAs or milkshake IPAs then this East Side joint will be your jam. I think these guys brew the best beer in MKE. My snobby beer friends also tell me that this place is starting to gain national recognition for the hits they keep on brewing. Speaking of hits, they’ve got GREAT concert posters/graphic designs hung all over the walls including the likes of Wilco, Ben Folds, all of the other bands I’m into.
Vanguard This low-key hang is known for sausages and whiskey. Included on the menu is a Milwaukee-style sausage that has 3 types of cheese on it and a Pittsburgh brat complete with slaw, french fries, and ranch dressing. This is not a drill. #betterthanprimantis
Conejitos A Mexican dive bar serving $1 tacos on paper plates that are ready in approximately 2 minutes. Need I say more?
SPIRE Fitness Sitting in talks all day got you feeling lethargic? Head on over to SPIRE in the Third Ward for a spin, TRX, or rowing class. First timers can pay $15 and drop into one of the many workouts offered throughout the day; equipment/spin shoes are provided by the studio.
Boone & Crockett A Midwestern hipster’s dream. While here, you must try the unofficial Wisconsin state cocktail, the brandy old fashioned. Sip on your sweet or sour version, (you can’t go wrong either way), while admiring the taxidermy and jamming out to live music. If you get hungry, toss on your flannel and grad some tacos from the Taco Moto truck permanently parked outside.
HoneyPie I don’t know if words can adequately express my feelings about this place. I’ve taken each and every one of my visitors to this cozy cafe, typically for brunch. This is where I first learned about the bloody-marys-come-with-a-beer rule that’s basically WI law. I don’t even like pie, but I love theirs. At least one person in your party is obligated to try the breakfast fries and Pilcrow sweet n’ creamy nitro cold brew; if you’re unsatisfied I’ll personally refund you.
Lakefront Brewery Four 6 oz. pours and a pint glass to take home, all for only $10! If you’ve never been on a brewery tour, this is definitely the one to do. The tour guides are jokesters, there’s a beer pit stop halfway through the education, and at the end of the tour your whole group gets to participate in a Laverne and Shirley theme song sing-a-long (#doingitourway!). Hang out in their legit beer hall after your tour, drink their Eastside Dark or Fuel Cafe brews, and for the love of all things Wisconsin, ORDER THE CHEESE CURDS.
Colectivo Best coffee in the city. I don’t care what those Stone Creek fans say. This local chain has bakery and sandwich options (try the avocado BLT), but that doesn’t even matter because their nitro cold brew (available at select locations) is award-winning and outta this world.
Odd Duck Also in the Bay View neighborhood, this small plates restaurant serves some of the best food I’ve had in my life. The constantly updated menu is vegetarian/vegan friendly and takes inspiration from all different cuisines. This is my go-to special occasion venue as prices are slightly higher than what a trainee’s salary allows for on a regular basis.
Milwaukee Public Market Okay so this is sort of still a food/drink thing (and if you’re going you better get the avocado toast at On the Bus and at least one pastry from C. Adam’s Bakery). Without food (foolish) you can still walk around and look at the cool vendors. Located in the Third Ward which is hip, very walkable, and a stop on The Hop, the brand new MKE streetcar. Buy some cheese whips at the West Allis Cheese + Sausage Shoppe for the ride back to your hotel.
The Domes The Mitchell Park Domes are three themed greenhouses full of plants, plants, and MORE PLANTS. One’s got a tropical theme, one’s a rotating show dome, and my personal favorite is the desert dome full of the best cacti. #plantladyproblems
Lake Michigan When you’re in Milwaukee, you’re never more than a mile or two from this majestic body of (sometimes stinky) water. Enjoy it by running the Oak Leaf Trail (pick it up on the south side of downtown), sipping coffee at Colectivo’s lakefront cafe, or shmoozing it up with somebody who owns a boat.
Root for the Bucks at the *brand new* Fiserv Forum Do you like sports that don’t come with a super high risk of CTE? How about 90s rap music? Crazy pyrotechnic effects? Greek freaks? Enjoy all of these things while you root on the Milwaukee Bucks, THE hottest team in the NBA this season. The Bucks are in town April 6th (the last night of the APS meeting!). Meet your friends at Good City Brewing (right across the block from the arena) for some pre-game drinks and grub (their curry fries and dipping sauce might be my favorite snack in all of Milwaukee). Any seat in the new Fiserv Forum is a good one; be sure to check out killer views of downtown from the Panorama Club and the deer sculpture made of basketball-related textiles. (Pictured below with fellow Stucky Lab postdoc Francie Moehring, PhD @FrancieMoehring)
Cheer on the 2018 NL Central Champion Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park I thought I knew what tailgating was. And then I went to my first Brewers game. Overwhelmed with the delicious smell of charcoal-grilled meats as I walked into the park, Brewers games have quickly become one of my favorite seasonal Milwaukee activities. As a diehard Pittsburgh sports fan, it's hard for me to root for a division rival, but I CAN root for racing sausages, 20,000+ fans singing “Roll out the Barrel” (still don’t know all the words), and custard + donut sandwiches. APS attendees will be able to see the Brew Crew in action April 5-7--- don’t worry, the park has a retractable roof in case the weather is sketch.
Uncle Wolfie’s Breakfast Tavern Last time I visited this cozy corner restaurant, I blissed out by shoving my face full of PB+J french toast and listening to the Star Wars soundtrack that was pumping through the speakers. 10/10 recommend. While there, be sure to check out Orange and Blue Co., the adorable attached lifestyle boutique.
Tour the Pabst Mansion If you’re a fan of gaudy 19th century design, German beer barons, or guided history tours THIS IS THE PLACE FOR YOU. Bonus points if you can find the painting with the drunk babies in it.
Milwaukee Art Museum You don’t even need to buy an admission ticket (you still totally should though) to take in beauty at this midwestern gem. The main lobby, designed by architect Santiago Calatrava, will make you feel like you’ve been transported to the bow of a super modern sailboat. I can easily spend the whole afternoon here; faves include the modern and Germanic art collections.
1840 Brewing Co. Located in a totally unassuming building in Bay View, this brewery has finally brewed enough of their time consuming but totally-worth-it-because-they’re-delicious barrel-aged and funky sour beers that the tap room is now open every Friday-Sunday. Pup and tastebud friendly. My 2nd fave brewery in MKE.
APS Member and Clinical Trials SIG Chair Neil Singla, MD, invites you to attend the fourth annual APS Conference on Analgesic Trials preconference.
By Neil Singla, MD
Lotus Clinical Research®, LLC | APS Clinical Trials SIG Chair
Over the past three years, support from the Clinical Trials SIG and conference attendees has grown the Conference on Analgesic Trials pre-conference (APS-CAT) and webinar series. So, APS and the SIG are pleased to announce the 4th Annual APS-CAT pre-conference will take place once again on Wednesday, April 3, on day one of the APS Scientific Meeting in Milwaukee, WI.
APS-CAT is a forum for researchers from industry, academia and regulatory bodies to share ideas and disseminate the latest best practices in the design and conduct of clinical trials in pain. In past years we’ve had up to 200 attendees come together to hear presentations from thought leaders in the field and participate in open Q & A. The theme of this year’s APS-CAT is Accelerating Development of Non-Opioid Pain Medicines. This year’s speaker list includes:
Additionally, key drug development executives will be discussing scientific, business and regulatory concerns inherent to rapid development of non-opioid pain medications:
Please save the date and register today. I hope you can join us on April 3 in Milwaukee!
APS Member and Psychosocial SIG Chair Patrick Finan, PhD, writes about how pain providers and researchers can collaborate with professionals in the addiction field.
By Patrick Finan, PhD
Johns Hopkins School of Medicine | APS Psychosocial SIG Chair
By now, the “Opioid Crisis” has become a household name, as entire communities have been impacted by opioid addiction. Labeling a cultural phenomenon a “Crisis” in America implies that bad things already have occurred and could get worse without strong action. Now more than ever, there is a need for forward-thinking, outside-the-box approaches to effect change.
Pain researchers have rarely been in a better position to make an impact on the lives of patients. We are learning that psychological constructs like pain catastrophizing may not be limited to the bubble of pain research, but rather fit neatly into well-traveled theories of addiction, such as the negative reinforcement model. It is becoming apparent that the decades of work that form the basis of our understanding of depression or anxiety or sleep disorders in the context of chronic pain may provide clues in the search for modifiable risk factors for problematic opioid use. Recent findings also suggest that brain regions responsible for processing pain overlap with those involved in addiction. This steady drip of empirical work, abutted by our understanding of the patient experience, positions our leaders to have a critical voice in shaping pain management and protecting patients’ interests in the coming years.
So what can we do? To start, pain providers and researchers can open dialogues with our colleagues in the addiction field. There is remarkably little data on pain and addiction relative to the scope of the problem, so engaging our colleagues directly will at minimum help spawn ideas for how to efficiently develop evidence-based treatment advances that build upon our respective strengths.
Another avenue, of course, is to take advantage of the many and varied funding opportunities that are presently being offered to combat the opioid epidemic. For example, through the HEAL initiative, the NIH has already rolled out, by my count, over 40 funding opportunities, many of them with tight turnarounds requiring investigators to be prepared and ready to compete on short order (see them all here). While the NIH has made it clear that they are broadly interested in innovative nonpharmacological approaches to pain management, it is nonetheless challenging for an individual investigator to evaluate which opportunity provides the best match to a particular idea, and which institute would be most receptive. Fortunately, this year’s APS Scientific Meeting will be an excellent forum to develop, exchange, and act on our most innovative ideas. Dr. Walter Koroshetz, of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, will give a plenary that addresses how the HEAL initiative will promote and support pain research. And Dr. Wen Chen of the National Institute for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) will give a presentation to the Psychosocial Research SIG addressing how NCCIH plans to support psychosocial pain research to tackle the opioid crisis specifically through HEAL and other planned initiatives. At such a critical moment for our country, when clinicians and researchers are being called to offer their energy and talents to stem the tide of this pernicious biobehavioral health epidemic, I, for one, can’t wait to gather together with the best and brightest in our field and get to work.
This article highlights recent studies showing how sleeplessness and insomnia contribute to pain, including acute pain thresholds.
This article highlights recent studies showing how sleeplessness and insomnia contribute to pain, including acute pain thresholds.
