Involving people with lived experience of pain at all stages of research is increasingly recognised by funders, researchers, and the public as necessary for relevant, robust, and impactful research.  Successful (reverse) translation depends not just on using relevant preclinical models but using robust patient and public involvement (PPI) to ensure relevant research questions are asked and tested in appropriate populations. 

PAINSTORM is a UK-wide research consortium focusing on neuropathic pain, funded (£3M) through the Advanced Pain Discovery Platform. People with lived experience of neuropathic pain have been centrally involved with PAINSTORM since its inception, including shaping the study design in the pre-funding phase. Based on this and related experience/evidence, speakers will provide an interactive session focused on three areas of PPI in pain research: (1) what PPI is, what it is not, why it is essential, and how to build PPI confidence and capacity; (2) a case study of the importance and impact of PPI in the PAINSTORM consortium including practical tips and resources to support PPI and its evaluation; and (3) the lived experience perspective of being involved in pain research, education, publishing, and pushing forward ground-breaking initiatives through IASP’s Global Alliance of Partners for Pain Advocacy (GAPPA).