By Hannah Kennedy
Hannah Kennedy is a clinician researcher at Gold Coast Health’s Interdisciplinary Persistent Pain Centre. She is co-lead PI investigating the impact of using Virtual Reality (VR) to enhance pain science education, and currently leading the implementation of a Virtual Reality Pain Education Program across Queensland tertiary-level persistent pain management services.
Four days and four nights in the picturesque Barossa Valley sounds like the opening line to a Wellness Retreat… combine that with leading pain research mentors, consumer experts, guest presenters and eager early career researchers… and you have painSTAR 2024!
painSTAR was a unique opportunity to focus both inwards and outwards on progressing a career in clinical and scientific pain research. Inwards, where we invested time in our own journey, our goals, barriers, and research career needs; and outwards, where we learnt about broad issues and opportunities such as research translation, working with industry, and connecting with the supportive pain research community.
Highlights were plenty, carefully crafted in the jam-packed timetable which included a combination of workshops, Q&A sessions with mentors, group pitches, skill development, and scattered with bushwalks, paint and sip, dinner under the stars, and maybe a touch of karaoke.
For me, painSTAR enabled an opportunity to connect with peer researchers, learn from mentors, expand my own knowledge in scientific research, practice that pitch, and leave with fresh ideas and inspiration for continuing along a clinician researcher path.
The painSTAR 2024 cohort were beyond grateful for the time and investment of the painSTAR faculty in each and every moment of the 4 days and 4 nights. If you are currently engaged in a research pathway or career, this opportunity is highly recommended (…better than a Wellness Retreat!)
Declaration
Hannah has nothing to declare.
Australian Pain Society 