Pain

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The Scottish Pain Research Community (SPaRC) was established, with support from the Scottish Government, in 2009 to develop expertise in pain research for patient benefit.

A strong network of pain researchers, clinicians, third sector organisations, patient groups and other key stakeholders across Scotland support internationally competitive pain research. This covers the full scientific range, from laboratory to the community, and encompasses important clinical areas such as addiction, cancer, primary care, neuropathic pain and mental health. It ensures both clinical practice in managing chronic pain is informed by current research and that current research in chronic pain is relevant to clinical practice.

SPaRC has recently transitioned into NRS Pain and brings together around 200 researchers in multiple disciplines and areas together, to promote collaboration and to share and disseminate research activity and findings and helps:

• develop a formal network of Principal Investigators/ active researchers across Scotland to provide an effective route for increasing multicentre studies, working with NHS Research Scotland, which will include assessment of novel interventions for chronic pain
• strengthen research links within Scotland to foster academic collaboration and to address research gaps
• deliver Annual Scientific Meetings (ASMs) to share the latest Scottish pain research and network

Opportunities

• The University of Edinburgh's MSc in the Clinical Management of Pain programme is seeking healthcare professionals to contribute to guest teaching over the forthcoming academic year (September 2020 to June 2021). We are particularly keen to hear from those with an interest in Cancer Pain. Input can be as little as 10 hours to a maximum of 40 hours total. Previous experience in the delivery of digital education is not necessary; however, enthusiasm to learn and teach others is. For further details please contact the programme director, Dr Sarah Henderson

NRS Pain in the news

• Dundee researchers named among worlds most influential
• Professor Lesley Colvin, NRS Pain Clinical Lead, Professor Blair Smith and Emma Fletcher, NHS Tayside, write in the British Medical Journal on how chronic pain strategies must be embedded within broader efforts to tackle deprivation
• Professor Lesley Colvin, NRS Pain Clinical Lead, and Professor Blair Smith contribute to an article in The Conversation with recommendations on taking opioids for chronic pain
• Professor Lesley Colvin, NRS Pain Clinical Lead, talks to David Aaronovitch on BBC The Briefing Room about opioid use in the UK
• CBS News talks to Jo Cameron on the remarkable gene mutation that prevents her from feeling pain, and what the discovery could mean for pain research.

Key Contacts

• Chair of the SPaRC Committee: Professor Lesley Colvin
• National Lead Clinician for Chronic Pain: Professor Blair H Smith
• Portfolio Performance Manager: Jacqui Pearson
• To join our mailing list please contact: Jacqui Pearson