Pain Exchange

Bringing together more than 5,000 pain professionals, the IASP World Congress on Pain will be held this coming October in the vibrant city of Bangkok, Thailand. The event is the largest gathering of pain professionals in the world, hosting scientists, clinicians, healthcare providers, and advocates across disciplines to discuss the cutting edge of pain science. Ranging from plenary lectures to topical workshops to refresher courses and poster sessions, the event is sure to have something to offer any professional interested in pain. Embarking on the difficult task of compiling a scientific program combining all of these varied interests, our guest for this episode is none other than Dr. Kirsty Bannister (Imperial College London), the chair of the Scientific Program Committee. In this episode, Kirsty speaks with us about her new policy for speaker institutions, repeated speakers, and her focus on encouraging perspectives from a wide range of career levels. The views and opinions expressed by those interviewed are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of IASP. This episode was produced by Peter DelGobbo, who also composed the theme music. Additional Resources WCP 2026 Full Scientific Program - https://bit.ly/42WDfms

This past year, the availability of artificial intelligence technology within the healthcare industry has increased exponentially, and the field of pain is certainly feeling its effects. In this episode of Pain Exchange, our host Dr. Renee Chasse speaks with bioethicist, Dr. Daniel Buchman, and dedicated patient advocate, Joletta Belton, about various ways artificial intelligence is making an impact on the field of pain research and management, as well as potential pitfalls to look out for while exploring this new technology. The views and opinions expressed by those interviewed are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of IASP. This episode was produced by Peter DelGobbo, who also composed the theme music. Additional Resources Belton and Darlow: "Do We Trust Patients in Pain? What Would Happen If We Did?" https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2025.13725 Buchman: "AI and the ethics of techno-solutionism in pain management" https://doi.org/10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003389 Ethics and governance of artificial intelligence for health. Guidance on large multi-modal models. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2024. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO. https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/375579/9789240084759-eng.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y Katz, Graham, and Buchman: "The need for epistemic humility in AI-assisted pain assessment" https://doi.org/10.1007/s11019-025-10264-9 Valor: The AI Mirror: How to Reclaim Our Humanity in an Age of Machine Thinking https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-ai-mirror-9780197759066

As a global organization serving many different types of pain professionals, IASP strives to help its members build community. IASP Special Interest Groups (SIGs) are networks of members dedicated to specific topics or interests within the study of pain. Through 24 SIGs members share experiences, discussions, and developments that directly impact their practice or research. In this episode of Pain Exchange, our host Dr. Renee Chasse speaks with two of the leaders of IASP's Pain, Mind, and Movement SIG: Drs. Anabela Silva (Portugal) and Felipe Reis (Brazil). In their wide-ranging conversation, the three discuss the reciprocal relationship between physical movement and mental processes, how pain professionals can incorporate their patients' thoughts about their pain into treatment plans, and how the SIG is working to help achieve those goals. The views and opinions expressed by those interviewed are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of IASP. This episode was produced by Peter DelGobbo, who also composed the theme music.

In this episode of Pain Exchange, our host, Dr. Renee Chasse, is joined by IASP's Manager of Global Programs and Communications, Javier Ubrí, to speak about the organization's current Global Year theme: Pain Management, Education and Research in Low- and Middle-Income Settings. Each year, the organization's Global Year campaign focuses on a special aspect of pain to increase awareness within the pain community and beyond. The 2025 Global Year examines pain management and education beyond low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) to include low-income settings and priority populations such as aboriginal people, culturally diverse groups, and refugees in high-income countries. Join Renee and Javier as they speak with one member currently benefitting from this focus from Vietnam, Le Thi Cuc (Daisy), originally a nurse, who was unsure about her PhD thesis topic upon entering graduate school. After attending IASP conferences and workshops, she finally found the direction she needed. With support from IASP's financial aid, she was even able to present part of her findings in a poster at the World Congress on Pain. Listen to the full conversation to hear how her professional journey started from a very personal experience with pain and the path she intends to take in the field. The views and opinions expressed by those interviewed are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of IASP. This episode was produced by Peter DelGobbo, who also composed the theme music.

In observance of #PainAwarenessMonth, this inaugural episode of Pain Exchange follows IASP's Publications Manager, Dr. Renee Chasse, as she speaks with Jonathan Kartt, the CEO of the Lipedema Foundation, about the disease and the Foundation's work in spreading awareness about lipedema. Lipedema is a chronic medical condition, primarily affecting women, characterized by symmetric, often painful, buildup of adipose tissue (fat) in the legs, and sometimes the arms and lower mid-section of the body. Although the condition was first described in the 1940's, many research questions remain unanswered. Listen to this episode to hear more about this under-studied disorder, its connection to the pain field, and what researchers can do to incorporate lipedema research into their current programs. This episode was produced by Peter DelGobbo. The views and opinions expressed by those interviewed are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of IASP. More information about the Lipedema Foundation is available on their website: https://www.lipedema.org/