Understanding the reasons why some develop chronic pain is a challenge requiring a multi-disciplinary approach. It needs MDs, nurses, physiotherapists, psychologists and many other clinical fields to develop the treatment regime that a unique individual needs. The research side is no less complex in the diverse number of researchers which must be brought together to innovate.
To facilitate bringing these people together, the AECRP has implemented a series of events and activities that aim to do just this. These events include:
- McGill Pain Day: This is our most important day of the year. It brings together all of our members, including our clinicians, and provides our students with an opportunity to showcase their research projects to this diverse group.
- Frontiers in Pain Research lecture series: This lecture series, which happens once a month, 6-8 times a year, has two essential aims. Firstly, to bring to our members a world-leading pain scientist or clinician to discuss their work. This brings to our members the latest knowledge available in the field on a specific topic. Secondly, it encourages the networking of our members by bringing them together for the event, which includes a small reception afterwards to allow for informal discussions.
- Basic Science of Pain lecture series: This program is very similar to Frontiers, except that its aim is to reach out to other basic scientists at the University who are not in engaged in pain research. These events encourage both formal and informal discussions on research techniques, for instance, and encourage the sharing of technical and scientific knowledge.
- Pain Journal Club: These meetings, organized by our students, happen approximately every two weeks thought the fall and winter terms. They are organized as critique sessions where a given student will present a recent scientific paper from outside McGill, discussing what they see as its strengths and weaknesses, following which a general discussion on the paper is held. This is an important way for students to develop their ability to assess scientific literature and to develop their presentation skills. As the student participants also come from a diverse collection of our labs, it also provides them with multiple perspectives from which to understand a problem, while encouraging network building amongst themselves.
- Pain Awareness lectures: The aim of this program is to be a form of community outreach to patients and the general public. Lectures address issues of broad concern and aim at raising public awareness of the issues under discussion.
If you would like to support the programs and activities that go on at the AECRP, please do so here:
