painSTAR 2024 Report

By Professor Anne Burke, Chair, painSTAR Faculty

Well …. just like that …. another painSTAR event is done and dusted. Our consumer partners kept us focused on the central aim of improving the lives of people living with pain throughout the program, and we were joined by a stellar group of speakers including Professor Jeff Mogil (McGill University, Montreal) who is the founder of the North American Pain School (NAPS); the program on which painSTAR is based. Together we explored ways to foster research translation, work authentically with first nations peoples, examine social determinants of health in our research, and interact effectively with industry. We also delved into concepts like imposter syndrome and work/life balance, and ran workshops around improving your presentation style, fostering grant success, and building your CV in a way that is uniquely you. There were also lots of panel sessions and general networking opportunities that helped build strong connections across delegates and faculty.

Each delegate had the opportunity to present their work, showcasing the incredible depth and breadth of research happening in the pain sector across Australia and beyond. It was wonderful to witness the level of skill and passion that they put into their work and their enthusiasm for learning from each other. Our painSTARs shone brightly indeed and Jeff Mogil specifically commented on how impressed he was by the caliber of the cohort… go team😊!

We rounded out the program with a range of social activities to enhance connection. You wouldn’t believe how competitive an activity like paint ‘n sip becomes when you put a group of high achieving researchers into a room and ask them to build something creative.  “Relax and enjoy the process” we say …. “What do mean there’s no winner?” they reply! Thankfully the weather was a little kinder to us this year and we FINALLY had a dinner outside by the pool. The program was rounded out by the incredible pitch presentations that were delivered over dinner on the final night. This session was once again a true highlight and although it’s usually met with trepidation at the outset, the pitches are consistently delivered with a level of skill, humour and creative flair that many delegates don’t think is possible on day one. The final dinner and pitch presentations were described as “an incredible way to end an incredible event”.

Members of the painSTAR Class of 2024 said that….

• “I found the program incredibly valuable, and I think the experience will energise me for years to come.”
• “I feel extremely fortunate and proud to have attended this event. I feel more confident and connected with other emerging researchers in pain science, and excited about the future of what we will do as a community.”
• “I came away feeling inspired to stay in research but also feel encouraged to be bold and explore industry opportunities.”
• “painSTAR was incredibly well organised and evident it had been carefully crafted to provide a rich and thorough experience to learn more about research and translation. The range of content was broad yet tailored to our needs. The venue, food, and social activities made it very easy to immerse yourself into the program for four days. Thanks for including people with lived experience for the whole program, and for the warmth and generosity from the faculty.”
• “I have a greater appreciation of the work APS does and understand the amazing support they provide to early career researchers. I have also experienced, firsthand, their passion and dedication to further advance our understanding of phenomenon of pain and the lived experience of those who live with pain.”

The painSTAR faculty are proud to bring this initiative to the Australasian region and we want to sincerely thank our 2024 sponsors: APS, IASP, Faculty of Pain Medicine/ANZCA Foundation, Neurosolutions, NOI Group, and Return to Work SA. We are grateful for their support and believe the painSTAR sponsorship profile tells a story of a united sector that’s striving to improve translation of high-quality pain research.

I think it’s safe to say that the painSTAR concept is a resounding success (… yes I recognise I am more than a little biased 😊). All of our painSTAR alumni are phenomenally impressive and we can’t wait to see what they do next!

The future of pain research in Australia seems bright indeed.