Society for Pediatric Pain Medicine
Better Care for Children in Pain

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will sponsor two events on December 2, 2021 and January 6, 2022 related to the funding opportunity announcement (FOA) RFA-AT-22-003 HEAL Initiative: Developing Quantitative Imaging and Other Relevant Biomarkers of Myofascial Tissues for Clinical Pain Management (R61/R33, Clinical Trial Required). The FOA is a partnership between the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), and seven other NIH Institutes, Centers, and Offices.*

Information about both events is below.  

Both webinars are optional and not required for application submission. The first webinar will be recorded and archived for later viewing. The second webinar will NOT be recorded.

HEAL Initiative: Developing Quantitative Imaging and Other Relevant Biomarkers of Myofascial Tissues for Clinical Pain Management Informational Webinar
December 2, 2021, from 3 to 4 p.m. ET

This technical assistance webinar will present an overview of the initiative (RFA-AT-22-003), provide guidance on the application preparation process, and address applicant questions. All webinar registrants will be prompted to indicate their areas of expertise, what additional areas of expertise they are looking for on their teams, and whether they are willing to share their email addresses along with their areas of expertise with other webinar registrants. We are asking for this information during the Eventbrite registration to better facilitate potential team-building interactions during the second technical assistance webinar.
Please register for the informational webinar

Researchers Networking Session: Interactive Facilitated Conversations With HEAL Program Officers and Other Experts
January 6, 2022, from 3 to 4 p.m. ET

This networking session will facilitate interactive conversations with NIH program officers and other experts on topic-specific research areas for RFA-AT-22-003. This event will provide an interactive team-building experience for webinar registrants related to technical requirements of the R33 phase of the FOA. Participants will join breakout rooms.

Please register for the networking session

How to Participate
1.  You must register for the webinars through Eventbrite.
2.  There will be a question-and-answer portion at the end of the first webinar.
3.  Registrants are encouraged to submit questions in advance.
—Registrants who indicate their needs for additional areas of expertise will be sent a list of names/emails of experts who are willing to share their contact information and are interested in collaboration.

*The NIH components participating in RFA-AT-22-003 are:

• National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health
• National Institute on Aging
• National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
• National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering
• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
• National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
• National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
• Office of Research on Women’s Health

The American Medical Association (AMA) convened more than 25 national, specialty and state medical societies in two task force efforts between 2014-2019 to provide specific guidance to end the nation’s drug-related overdose and death epidemic and focus on the unique needs of patients with pain. The AMA task forces released recommendations urging physicians to take action to improve opioid prescribing practices, help prevent opioid use disorder and provide evidence-based, compassionate care for patients in pain. Follow the link to read the recommendations: 

https://www.ama-assn.org/delivering-care/overdose-epidemic/ama-substance-use-and-pain-care-task-force-recommendations

Dr. Jamie Kitzman, SPPM member and member of our newly formed SIG on advocacy discusses #PainCareNow,  an advocacy campaign by the US Pain Foundation (US Pain), to increase awareness of the Pain Management Task Force (PMTF) Report.

CLICK HERE to read more.

Dr. Vidya Chidambaran and team have published a fascinating paper on epigenetics and pain. 

“While acknowledging racial differences in susceptibility to pain, the relevant and necessary question is: do racial disparities in chronic pain susceptibility have an inherently genetic origin or are these disparities socially and environmentally driven?” CLICK HERE for more information!