kNOw-PAIN: how do we know the pain of another person?
Pain is the leading cause of disability worldwide, is worsening in our aging population, and is compounded by side effects of pain medications contributing to parallel public health crises like the opioid epidemic. Western has expertise across campus representing all pillars of health research, from basic science to population health. London is also home to some of Canada's most recognized and well-respected pain clinicians in both the medical and non-medical fields who have previously made clear their desire to engage in knowledge creation and dissemination.
We can measure distal proxies of pain through various means, but the 'true' pain experience is personal and subjective, influenced by sensory, cognitive, emotional, and social factors. Issues of pain also permeate all axes of academia, from research through to teaching and community service. Under a unified theme, this group will create new patient-partnered research teams and develop methods to solve the mysteries of pain.
Our Western pain research group will examine ways to improve our understanding of another's pain. As pain is well-recognized as an experience that crossed biological, psychological, social, and spiritual domains, this goal requires an interdisciplinary approach to pain research.
We also aim to develop a chronic pain patient registry unique to Southwestern Ontario, which will be a transformative endeavour for the interdisciplinary research group. Collaborating with local healthcare institutions, pain clinics, and community health centres, we hope to gather comprehensive data encompassing diverse chronic pain conditions.
Team Leads
Dr. Seminowicz has conducted pain research since 2002. Over those years, he has been involved in pain centers at the University of Toronto, McGill University, the University of Maryland Baltimore (executive committee), and Neuroscience Research Australia (co-director). His work focuses on understanding the brain mechanisms of acute and chronic pain using neuroimaging techniques such as functional MRI and electroencephalography.
Dr. Walton is a transdisciplinary researcher with a home faculty of Health Sciences (Physical Therapy) and a cross-appointment to the Department of Psychiatry. He is a critical measurement scholar and theorist with internationally recognized expertise in spinal musculoskeletal pain. He is a developer and Field Lead for the Interprofessional Pain Management field of Western's Advanced Health Care Practice master's-level degree program, currently the only interdisciplinary pain degree program in Canada.
Dr. Schabrun is a translational pain researcher with expertise in musculoskeletal and orofacial pain and experimental techniques including non-invasive brain stimulation to understand pain related neuroplasticity.
