Interdisciplinary research training in maternal and childhood pain

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT There is considerable societal need to better understand neurobiological mechanisms, psychosocial processes, treatments, preventions, and policy in child and maternal pain. This application seeks funding for a T90/R90 institutional postdoctoral training program in clinical pain research, with a focus on maternal and childhood pain,

at Stanford University. Our proposal describes a collaborative, interdisciplinary postdoctoral training program to bolster the clinical pain research workforce as outlined through the NIH HEAL Initiative Partnership to Advance Interdisciplinary (PAIN) Training in Clinical Pain Research. We venture to join with other T90/R90 postdoctoral

training programs in clinical pain research to foster a diverse cohort experience through the HEAL PURPOSE network (R24 Coordinating Center for National Pain Scientists). This T90/R90 will reside within the Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine and be in partnership with the Maternal and Child Health

Research Institute, the Department of Pediatrics, Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and Biomedical Data Science at Stanford University School of Medicine. This program will provide mentorship to diverse trainees to launch and maintain productive careers in the clinical pain research workforce. We propose training of five fellows

per year who will spend 2-3-years cumulative time in research. Research opportunities are offered by the NIH- funded faculty mentors with proven records of success in the training of postdoctoral fellows, with diverse research programs ranging from data science, translational, clinical, and health services research. Core faculty

research leaders will help match trainees to mentors within the HEAL clinical pain research content areas of: (1) bioinformatics, (2) pain across the lifespan, specifically child and maternal pain, (3) nonpharmacological (behavioral) interventions for pain, (4) prevention of the transition from acute to chronic pain and (5) advancing

health equity in the field of pain. Program mentors will provide training in clinical pain research, neuroscience, biomedical data science, behavioral health, epidemiology, maternal health, and health in children and adolescents. The training will (1) integrate the biopsychosocial model of pain, (2) use a team science approach

through partnerships with psychiatry, pediatrics and biomedical data science, (3) center on whole person health to reduce stigma and bias, (4) incorporate patient participatory research methods to ensure lived experiences of pain inform the clinical research outputs, (5) provide advanced statistics and research methods, (6) involve

grantsmanship skills, and (7) prepare for applying for and securing academic positions in clinical pain research. Lastly, the program will coordinate monthly webinars related to HEAL priority areas to be shared on the PURPOSE website, an annual Maternal and Child Pain School open to all cohort participants, and a robust

didactic program to provide career development skills with seminars in stated training areas. Trainee progress will be monitored by the Assessment and Evaluation Team. The long-term goal of this T90/R90 is to train the next generation of interdisciplinary and diverse scientific leaders in maternal and/or child pain.