Editor’s note: This is the first in a planned series of weekly PRF seminars to help keep the pain research community connected during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to provide all members of the community with virtual educational opportunities. These seminars are funded by the Center for Advanced Pain Studies at the University of Texas at Dallas, US, which we thank for its generous support. Additional seminars will be announced shortly.
The IASP Pain Research Forum hosted a seminar with Don Daniel Ocay, PhD student and QNJPI co-president, McGill University, Canada; Catherine Paré, PhD student, QNJPI community relations manager, McGill University, Canada; and Carmen-Édith Belleï-Rodriguez, PhD student and director of PAINtalks, University of Sherbrooke, Canada, on May 4, 2020, noon to 1:15 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (US).
- Don Daniel Ocay, McGill University, Canada
- Catherine Paré, McGill University, Canada
- Carmen-Édith Belleï-Rodriguez, Université de Sherbrooke, Canada
- Theodore (Ted) Price, PhD, University of Texas at Dallas, US
- Marie-Pierre Cyr, Université de Sherbrooke, Canada
- Maxime Mireault, Université de Montréal, Canada
A recording of this seminar will soon be freely available to IASP members at the IASP Pain Education Resource Center (PERC).
The presenters discussed the mission, goals, and work of QNJPI, including discussion of two QNJPI outreach initiatives: the PAINtalks program as well as student-led presentations for the Association Québécoise de la douleur chronique (AQDC) (Quebec Chronic Pain Association), a chronic pain support group. After the talks, there was a question-and-answer period moderated by Theodore (Ted) Price, PhD, University of Texas at Dallas, US. Available for questions during this time were Marie-Pierre Cyr, PhD candidate and QNJPI co-president, Université de Sherbrooke, and Maxime Mireault, PhD student, QNJPI communications manager, Université de Montreal.
The specific talks in this seminar included the following:
- The Quebec Network of Junior Pain Investigators: How It Began and How It Is Maintained (presented by Don Daniel Ocay)
- A Provincewide Knowledge Transfer Initiative: Student-Led Presentations for Chronic Pain Support Groups (AQDC) (presented by Catherine Paré)
- PAINtalks: An International Knowledge Transfer Initiative: The Latest Advances in Pain, Made Simple by Experts (PAINtalks) (presented by Carmen-Édith Belleï-Rodriguez)
Here is an abstract provided by the presenters:
The Quebec Network of Junior Pain Investigators (QNJPI) is the junior network of the Quebec Pain Research Network (QPRN). The QNJPI brings together more than 175 postdoctoral and graduate students in the field of pain research in Quebec, Canada. This student network is a collaboration for and by student members of six Quebec universities, with a view toward improving the positioning of the pain sector. Although it is a committee under the QPRN, the student members of QNJPI have always conducted their activities independently, including training workshops, conferences (Pain Retreat), and public outreach activities. Since its creation in 2006, the QNJPI has stood out through its autonomy, creativity, and strong community involvement. The QNJPI has two main missions: to engage in pain-related knowledge transfer for the general public, and to provide its members with innovative opportunities for improving their skills and networking, which helps shape them into successful, collaborative, and independent researchers. The QNJPI board of directors strives to offer relevant and interesting activities that will support the education of members, while inspiring new ideas and high-quality science. This seminar will provide a glimpse into the inner workings of a student-led pain network, and include a discussion of the QNJPI’s provincewide and international knowledge transfer initiatives, particularly PAINtalks and student-led presentations for the Association Québécoise de la douleur chronique (AQDC) (Quebec Chronic Pain Association). With this seminar, we hope to inspire pain trainees around the world to develop pain networks as well as other original approaches to engage the public.
Join the conversation about this seminar on Twitter @PainResForum #PRFSeminar
This seminar is the first in a series of PRF seminars supported by the Center for Advanced Pain Studies at the University of Texas at Dallas, US, which we thank for its generous support.
