Lessons from the 2022 North American Pain School

Dr Aidan Cashin

Dr Aidan Cashin is an exercise physiologist, National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Emerging Leadership Fellow and Associate Lecturer at the University of New South Wales and Neuroscience Research Australia. His research focuses on investigating the mechanisms of healthcare interventions for optimisation and translation into clinical practice and health policy. Most of his work is applied to the management of chronic musculoskeletal conditions. Dr Cashin also conducts methodological work that aims to improve research transparency and openness.

After a two-year pandemic pause, the North American Pain School (NAPS) was back once again in person for the fifth installment at the beautiful Le Chateau Montebello in Canada. The NAPS brings together internationally recognized pain investigators, patient partners, and 30 trainee basic science and clinical pain researchers for a four-day intensive workshop to advance scientific education, professional development, and foster connections with peers.

Like the other trainees, or NAPSters as they are referred to, I was fortunate to secure a position back in 2019 and beyond excited when NAPS was finally able to go ahead in June this year. I meticulously packed my bag, sufficiently prepared for the packed program that awaited me; morning yoga, swimming pool, white water rafting, bonfire dinner, gala dinner, and not to mention the scientific activities. Along with the other international NAPSters, I arrived in Canada a day early. Unfortunately, my luggage did not – all that careful planning went straight out the window! I spent the next week sporting the wears from the hotel gift shop and local department store, the Giant Tiger (or tigre géant as the French speaking locals would say) – but more on that later.

The program for NAPS blends workshops, formal and informal presentations, and social activities with the trainees and faculty. The theme for this year was “Controversies in Pain Research”. Like most fields in science, pain research is filled with many long-standing controversies. Some of the faculty talks included “Why does sex matter in pain research” by Professor Kathleen Sluka, and “Can real word data replace randomized controlled trials” by Professor Sean Mackey.

The faculty were tremendous; their presentations and engagement with trainees throughout the week was fantastic. Whether it was in the coffee breaks, at the dining table during meals, by the pool, or even in a rafting boat, the faculty were committed to sharing their knowledge, insights, and experience with the trainees. The faculty each provided presentations or workshops with a focus not only on the science but developing the trainees’ careers including mentorship, managing unconscious bias in your career, and communicating your science. All essential skills required for trainees to become the next generation of pain scientists and to transfer their research findings into action, be it to advance understanding, optimize treatments, and ultimately improve outcomes for people in pain.

A key lesson that resonated with me was how to best communicate our science. Whether you are pitching to funders, presenting at a conference, publishing in a journal, or writing for the public, it is crucial that you understand and communicate appropriately to your audience, provide a clear narrative around the science, and don’t bury the punch line – get to the point.