$50,000 Canadian Pain Society/Pfizer Canada Early Career Investigator Pain Research Grant

Congratulations to Dr. Jillian Miller  who was awarded $50,000 Canadian Pain Society/Pfizer Canada Early Career Investigator Pain Research Grant, in collaboration with Drs Melanie Noel, Angelique Jenney, Daniel Kopala-Sibley and Nivez Rasic.

The project is entitled, "Evaluation of pain in youth exposed to traumatic experiences."

Summary of Project:

Pediatric chronic pain(pain>3 months), affects 1 in 4 Canadian youth. If left unmanaged, it can lead to chronic pain problems and mental health disorders (e.g. PTSD) into adulthood. You with chronic pain report having greater PTSD symptoms as compared to pain-free peers. it is thought that the experience of trauma might increase the risk for developing or worsening of pain symptoms due to changes in brain regions that activate in response to both traumatic and painful experiences. Therefore, the present study will explore whether greater PTSD symptoms are associated with alterations in brain structure/function and whether these brain changes are associated with the development of pain sensitivity or pain symptomology in youth. The earlier we are able to identify at-risk individuals and intervene, the more likely it is that we will be able to prevent the transition from acute to chronic pain.