HEAL Pain Research Priorities Workshop: The Intersection of Pain and Substance Use

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 Jessica Merlin and Joanna Starrels, presentations and discussion will center around the reciprocal model of pain and substance use, in which pain leads to substance use, and in turn, substance use exacerbates pain. Topics of interest at the workshop include: buprenorphine, personalized medicine approaches, polysubstance use, use of cannabis and psychedelics, and populations that are disproportionately affected by both pain and SUD.