HEAL Pain Research Priorities Workshop: Health Equity and Pain Across the Life Course

The NIH HEAL Initiative^® is developing a strategic plan to establish research priorities for the next phase of the initiative that builds upon its progress to date and ensures that the initiative continues to evolve to provide the greatest benefit to individuals affected by substance use and those living with pain. The strategic plan will draw on input from an array of stakeholders—including scientists, health care providers, advocacy groups, and people with lived and living experience—as well as existing research frameworks. NIH invites the research community and people with lived experience with pain to provide input on the HEAL pain research priorities in a series of public workshops.

Co-led by Susmita Kashikar-Zuck and Tamara Baker, the workshop will focus on understanding how health equity in pain can be achieved through research, including: exploring the impact of many types of diversity of pain experience across the lifespan, intersectionality & social determinants of health, & barriers to research and care for certain groups. Persons with lived experience of pain will share their expertise to ensure that research programs best meet the needs of people living with pain.