By Jules Richards
Jules Richards works as a Nurse Practitioner with the Acute and Persistent Pain Service at Queensland Children’s Hospital and is a postdoctoral research fellow with the University of Queensland.
Up until 2024, I had not attended the Australian Pain Society (APS) conferences, nor had I been heavily involved in the APS as an organisation. Working in paediatrics, I had tended to be more engaged with international paediatric symposiums as I had felt they were more applicable to us working in paediatrics. However, as a result of the covid pandemic, we were all forced to explore our local options as overseas travel became difficult—and this proved to be a positive experience. I really enjoyed the APS conference in Darwin in April 2024, and was encouraged by the large amount of paediatric content.
A few months later, I was lucky enough to be successful in my application to attend painSTAR, and what an opportunity that proved to be. The organisation of painSTAR was exceptional. The days were packed full of fantastic presentations, and the scheduling allowed time for discussions with each other, but not enough time to escape to our rooms (or get distracted by the surroundings!) The number of participants was well considered, allowing for ease of collaborations and discussions, without feeling overwhelmed by a huge number of people. The presenters, and particularly the faculty, were very personable and welcoming. Having the faculty attend all sessions, and sit at the tables with participants, created an atmosphere of acceptance and collegiality – rather than an “us and them” experience, which is usually the case at larger conferences. It was humbling to share space with such experienced researchers in our field.
The importance of establishing links with others in the early stages of their research careers was a highlight from my attendance at painSTAR. It was fantastic to gain a greater understanding of how we can all work together: basic scientists, clinical researchers, and clinicians. For example, it was great to see how the work being done in the laboratories could have direct clinical implications for the future of pain treatment and management. I also found it helpful to consider how we, as clinical researchers and clinicians, could work collaboratively with industry.
I have a greater appreciation and understanding of the work the APS does, and the amazing support they provide to early career researchers. I have also experienced, first hand, their passion and dedication to further advance our understanding of the phenomenon of pain and the lived experience of those with pain.
I would like to thank the APS for providing this opportunity, and I would encourage others to submit an application to attend painSTAR —you never know who you will meet and what opportunities may come your way!
Declaration
Julianne Richards has nothing to declare.
Australian Pain Society 