Join us on the last Friday of every month!
A discussion between scientists, health professionals, educators, and pain advocates on a myriad of topics related to chronic pain. Offering a platform for innovative minds to bring forward inspiring ideas and discover solutions to help you in your practice.
Before attending or watching any National Pain Round sessions, please read our disclaimers.

National Pain Rounds
Introducing National Pain Rounds for Trainees! See the Schedule >
Shaping the Future of Pain Care: Behind the CPS Strategic Plan
A candid and conversational session that offers a behind-the-scenes look at the Canadian Pain Society’s new strategic plan. This session is more than a presentation. It is a chance to revisit the process, reflect on the voices that shaped our priorities, and look ahead to what comes next.
Before attending or watching any National Pain Round sessions, please read our disclaimers.
National Pain Rounds
Introducing National Pain Rounds for Trainees! See the Schedule >

Rachael Bosma
Dr. Rachael Bosma is a chronic pain scientist at Women’s College Hospital and the University of Toronto, where she serves as Director of the Centre for the Study of Pain. Her work integrates research, education, and clinical innovation to improve access to pain management and advance evidence-based care. With a focus on women’s health and chronic pain, she collaborates with clinicians, researchers, and patient partners to drive system-level change. Dr. Bosma is also deeply engaged in provincial and national initiatives, serving as Chair of the Board of Pain Ontario to strengthen support, education, and research for people living with pain.

Hance Clarke
Director of Pain Services and the Pain Research Unit at the Toronto General Hospital (TGH). He is the Knowledge Translation Chair for the University of Toronto Centre For the Study of Pain and an Associate Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of Toronto. As a clinician-scientist, Dr. Clarke has played a leading role in educating the public about pain control, alternatives to opioids, and the need for further studies on the beneficial and adverse effects of cannabis. He is a champion of evidence-based solutions for the opioid crisis and an advocate for a national pain and addictions strategy. He has authored over 100 peer reviewed publications and has been invited to speak on pain control, cannabis and the opioid crisis to the House of Commons in Ottawa, Canada and elsewhere around the world. He has won numerous awards including the 2016 Early Career Award from the Canadian Pain Society and the 2019 US Mayday Pain and Society Fellowship in recognition of his outstanding research and commitment to improving pain care.

Tania Di Renna
Dr. Tania Di Renna, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, completed her medical school and Anesthesiology residency training in Ottawa. She obtained a chronic pain fellowship at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and has spinal cord stimulation training from Montreal Neurological Institute. She is currently the Medical Director of the Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute (TAPMI). TAPMI is the comprehensive interdisciplinary academic pain program serving as the hub for chronic pain care in Toronto. She is also the Medical Director of the Chronic Pain Clinic at Women’s College Hospital and an Anesthesiologist at UHN. She served as the co-chair of the HQO Guidelines for Chronic Pain, is currently the co-chair of the Ontario Chronic Pain Network and Ontario Representative for Pain Canada.

Virginia McIntyre
Virginia McIntyre is the President and Executive Director of the People In Pain Network (Society). Her dedication to improving pain management and raising awareness about chronic pain is evident in her active participation in numerous research projects and pain-related initiatives. She serves on several influential committees, including Pain Canada's National Advisory Committee and the US Association for the Study of Pain’s PWLE Committee. Additionally, she chairs the Canadian Pain Society’s Communication Committee and PWLE Committee. Virginia is notably the first Canadian with lived experience to be awarded the Mayday Pain and Science Fellowship (2023/24). Virginia co-hosts a compelling new podcast, Action On Pain, that amplifies the voices of people living with pain and is grounded in Health Canada’s Action Plan for Pain. As an international presenter, educator, and advocate, she is dedicated to advancing understanding of chronic pain management and the impact of lived experience.
September National Pain Rounds for Professionals
Shaping the Future of Pain Care: Behind the CPS Strategic Plan
As we kick off the academic year, we are excited to invite you to a candid and conversational session that offers a behind-the-scenes look at the Canadian Pain Society’s new strategic plan. This session is more than a presentation. It is a chance to revisit the process, reflect on the voices that shaped our priorities, and look ahead to what comes next.
You will hear how the plan was developed through broad engagement across our membership and stakeholder community, and learn about the values, goals, and vision that emerged. Most importantly, we will explore how CPS plans to bring this strategy to life over the next year and how you can stay involved.
Whether you have been part of this journey or are just joining the conversation, this is your opportunity to reconnect, ask questions, and help shape the future of pain care in Canada.
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Describe the strategic planning process undertaken by the Canadian Pain Society, including methods of member engagement and priority-setting approaches.
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Identify the key priorities, goals, and values outlined in the CPS strategic plan, and explain how these outcomes align with national needs in pain research, education, advocacy, and clinical care.
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Discuss actionable ways for the pain community across Canada to engage with and contribute to the CPS strategic plan, including opportunities for collaboration, implementation, and community mobilization.

Rebecca Pillai Riddell
Dr. Pillai Riddell is the Tier 1 York Research Chair in Pain and Mental Health and Director of the Opportunities to Understand Childhood Hurt Laboratory (OUCH Lab ; www.yorku.ca/ouchlab) in the Department of Psychology of York University in Toronto, On-tario, Canada. She is also a registered clinical psychologist, focused on her practice in per-inatal/parent mental health, infant mental health, and chronic pain. As both a basic be-havioural scientist and a clinician-scientist, Dr. Pillai Riddell leads a multi-national re-search program that studies parents and babies during painful procedures. Her research is funded by all three national Canadian research councils (Canadian Institutes of Health Re-search, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Social Sciences and Humani-ties Research Council). She is also involved extensively in supporting EDI initiatives in re-search ecosystems. She is the Nominated Principal Investigator for DIVERT Mental Health- a multi-million dollar CIHR-funded national training program in setting out to disrupt the Canadian mental health system by innovating curriculum for mental health trainees that focuses on more diverse knowledges and leverages technology to make services accessible to more Canadians (divertmentalhealth.ca). DIVERT Mental Health is partnered with IBM Canada and more than 30 other academic, industry, and NGO organizations across Canada. She also leads an open-access online learning platform for researchers on how to adjudicate more inclusively and supportively (https://www.yorku.ca/research/project/polaris/). Pillai Riddell is a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences and a member of the Royal Society of Canada’s College of New Scholars, Artists, and Scientists. She was also recently awarded the 2020 Canadian Pain Society’s Outstanding Mentorship Award and the 2019 American Pain Society’s Jeffrey Lawson Award for Advocacy in Children’s Pain.

Lynn Gauthier
Dr. Gauthier is Professor in the Faculty of Medicine and Chair of Palliative Care Research at Université Laval, Scientist in the Oncology Division of the CHU de Québec-Université Laval Research Center, and Co-Director of LAVIE – Living Labs for Oncology Supportive Care and Rehabilitation, a multi-million-dollar CFI-funded transdisciplinary clinical research unit situated within the Centre intégrée de cancerologie of the CHU de Québec. LAVIE brings together patient partners, advocacy organizations, researchers, clinicians, and decision-makers to advance equitable cancer care through innovations in symptom assessment and management, behavioural interventions, and neuromodulation treatments, while addressing structural and social inequities across the cancer continuum. Dr. Gauthier also serves as Co-Chair of the CPS Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee with Dr. Pillai Riddell. Her research focuses on cancer pain, aging, supportive care, and rehabilitation, with the goal of improving cancer pain measurement and management and advancing a lifespan developmental biopsychosocial understanding of cancer pain. Committed to patient-engaged and community-based participatory research, she partners closely with people with lived experience of cancer and pain, caregivers, and community organizations to identify priorities, co-develop research questions, and translate findings into meaningful improvements in care.

Katelynn Boerner
Dr. Katelynn Boerner (she/her) is an Assistant Professor in the UBC Division of Developmental Pediatrics. She is an Investigator at BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, where she directs the Pediatric Psychology Identities, Narratives and Equity (PINE) Lab. Katelynn also provides care as a licensed clinical psychologist with the Complex Pain Service at BC Children’s Hospital. Dr. Boerner completed her PhD in Clinical Psychology at Dalhousie University, her residency in Child Clinical Psychology at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, followed by postdoctoral fellowships in Psychiatry and Pediatrics at UBC. Dr. Boerner’s research focuses on health equity in adolescents and young adults with chronic illness, with a particular interest in complex pain and its intersections with gender diversity, neurodiversity, eating disorders, and identity development. Her research includes the use of qualitative methods, intensive longitudinal methods, reviews and meta-analyses, and prioritizes centering lived experiences. Katelynn holds leadership positions with the International Association for the Study of Pain, the Society of Pediatric Psychology, and is an Associate Editor with the Journal of Pediatric Psychology. In addition to her work, she is a proud mum, an amateur pianist, a fair-weather runner and cyclist, and is always on the hunt for an amazing coffee.
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Jeffrey Mogil
Jeffrey S. Mogil, PhD, FCAHS, FRSC, is currently the E.P. Taylor Professor of Pain Studies and a Distinguished James McGill Professor at McGill University. Dr. Mogil has made seminal contributions to the fields of pain genetics, sex differences in pain, and pain testing methods in the laboratory mouse. He has published over 290 manuscripts and book chapters and currently has an h-index of 107. He is the recipient of lifetime achievement awards from the American and Canadian Pain Societies and the Canadian Psychological Association, and is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Research and the Royal Society of Canada. He has served as Neurobiology Section Editor at the journal, Pain, as a Councilor at the International Association for the Study of Pain, and was the Chair of the Scientific Program Committee of the 13th World Congress on Pain. He is also the founder and Director of the North American Pain School.

Karen Davis
Karen Davis PhD, FCAHS, FRSC is the Canada Research Chair in Acute and Chronic Pain Research, a Senior Scientist at the Krembil Brain Institute (University Health Network) and Professor at University of Toronto. She obtained a PhD in Physiology (University of Toronto) and did post-doctoral training at Johns Hopkins University. Her electrophysiological and brain imaging studies of pain mechanisms, individual factors, and treatment outcomes is informing neuromarker discovery for personalized pain management. She has 230+ publications, 35,000+ citations, and H-index=99. She also studies neuroethics, published guidelines for sex and gender in research (Nature Neuroscience 2025), previously served as President of the Canadian Pain Society, and is currently Editor-in-Chief of PAIN
September National Pain Rounds for Professionals
Sex and Gender in Pain Research; International Recommendations from the PAINDIFF Group
Understanding how sex- and gender-related factors shape pain is essential to advancing pain care. PAINDIFF: The recently published "Methodological approaches for best practice study of sex and gender as variables in pain research recommendations" highlight rigorous and innovative approaches for integrating sex and gender into basic, clinical, and translational pain science. This session will address common pitfalls, methodological considerations, and opportunities to improve equity in pain research. Drawing on examples across human and preclinical studies, speakers will explore how thoughtful study design, measurement, and analysis can uncover meaningful findings to inform more personalized interventions.
Learning Objectives:
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Differentiate between sex- and gender-related variables and their relevance to pain mechanisms and outcomes.
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Identify key methodological considerations for incorporating sex and gender into study design, including sampling, measurement, and analytic strategies.
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Recognize common sources of bias and reporting gaps in pain research related to sex and gender.
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Appreciate the experience of a person who has chronic pelvic pain and whose pain is dismissed by family and healthcare providers.
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Discuss the multiple generators of chronic pelvic pain and the challenges of diagnosis and management of these conditions
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Discuss how to navigate the healthcare system with chronic pelvic pain.
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Discuss directions for research and policies on management and system wide solutions for chronic pelvic pain

Brittany Rosenbloom
Dr. Brittany Rosenbloom is a Clinical and Health Psychologist based at the Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute in Women's College Hospital. Clinically, she was trained across the lifespan and approaches each person with a developmental and biopsychosocial lens. Dr. Rosenbloom is also an Associate Scientist in Women's College Hospital and an Assistant Professor, Affiliated Scientist in the Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine at the University of Toronto. She primarily studies pain, mental health concerns, and trauma. She is interested in the development of chronic pain conditions and the intersection with mental health from both a mechanisms perspective as well as treatment perspective.

Akash Goel
Akash Goel is an anesthesiologist and Pain Specialist at St. Michael's Hospital at the University of Toronto.

Karim Ladha
Dr. Karim Ladha is the Evelyn Bateman Recipe Chair in Ambulatory Anesthesia and Women’s Health and an Associate Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine at the University of Toronto. He leads a large and diverse research program examining novel therapeutics for pain and mental health, including cannabis, nitrous oxide and psychedelics.

Paul Ritvo
Dr. Paul Ritvo is a Professor at York University in the School of Kinesiology and Health Science and the Department of Psychology, as well as a practicing clinical psychologist and group therapist. His research examines the intersections of mental and physical health, with particular expertise in mindfulness, meditation, and cognitive behavioural approaches. Dr. Ritvo is a pioneer in online mindfulness-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and the founder and Principal Investigator of York University’s Healthy Student Initiative, which develops scalable health and well-being programming for university students. He is also the senior psychologist on the St. Michael’s Hospital clinical trial investigating MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for chronic neuropathic pain.

Erin Adams
I am 48 yrs old, I have had CRPS for almost 13 years now. I currently work as a Project Admin/Logistics for a Millwright company. Before that I was in the dry cleaning business for almost 20 years and did a short stint as a Flight attendant.
October National Pain Rounds for Professionals
New Frontiers in Pain: Psychedelic-Assisted Approaches
Chronic pain is complex, shaped by physical, emotional, and cognitive factors. Emerging approaches such as psychedelic-assisted psychotherapy combine medications like MDMA, psilocybin, or ketamine with structured therapy to support meaningful change in how people experience and respond to pain.
This session will explore how these therapies may promote brain flexibility and help reduce fear, avoidance, and distress associated with pain. Speakers will review current evidence, highlight early research findings, and explain how psychotherapy plays a key role in achieving lasting benefits.
Participants will also learn about ongoing clinical trials, including important safety, ethical, and regulatory considerations. The session emphasizes patient-centered approaches and the importance of designing rigorous and inclusive studies.
Learning Objectives:
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Describe how psychedelic-assisted therapies may help people living with chronic pain.
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Summarize current research and early findings in this field.
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Identify key ethical and practical considerations in designing clinical trials.
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Appreciate the experience of a person who has chronic pelvic pain and whose pain is dismissed by family and healthcare providers.
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Discuss the multiple generators of chronic pelvic pain and the challenges of diagnosis and management of these conditions
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Discuss how to navigate the healthcare system with chronic pelvic pain.
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Discuss directions for research and policies on management and system wide solutions for chronic pelvic pain

Bradley Kerr
Dr. Bradley Kerr received his BSc in Psychology from McGill University. He then went on to obtain a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of London-King’s College in the UK. His PhD research was aimed at understanding the role of novel modulatory peptides, growth factors and pro-inflammatory cytokines in persistent pain. Dr. Kerr went on to do postdoctoral work at the California Institute of Technology and at McGill University where his work focused on studying inflammatory responses after nervous system injury. Dr. Kerr joined the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of Alberta in 2007 and is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Psychiatry. The focus of research in his lab is aimed at addressing the mechanisms of chronic pain after injury or disease with a major focus on chronic pain associated with Multiple Sclerosis.

Ana Leticia Simal
Ana Leticia Simal (they/them) is a fourth-year PhD candidate in Biomedical Sciences and Neuroscience at the University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario. Their PhD research focuses on exploring the molecular mechanisms involved in the development of chronic pain in the brain of female and male rodents in a model of neuropathic chronic pain. For this year’s CPS ASM, their presentation involved investigating differential gene expression in the anterior cingulate cortex of female and male mice at 5, 14, 30, and 60 days post-injury, within a model of chronic neuropathic pain. By understanding gene expression under these conditions, they hope to contribute to our understanding in how chronic neuropathic pain develops over time.

Doriana Taccardi
Doriana holds a BSc and MSc in Clinical Psychology and previously worked in clinical research within the National Health Service in London, UK. She is currently completing her PhD in Biomedical and Molecular Sciences in Dr Ghasemlou’s lab at Queen’s University. Her research focuses on understanding individual differences in chronic disease, particularly chronic pain and MS, by integrating self-reported data, ecological momentary assessment, and biomarker discovery. Through this work, she aims to improve disease phenotyping to inform prevention strategies, optimize treatment, and advance personalized medicine.

Stephanie Buryk-Iggers
Dr. Stephanie Buryk-Iggers is dedicated to closing health care gaps by bridging health innovation and clinical research. Dr. Buryk-Iggers holds a PhD from the University of Toronto (U of T), during which she dedicated her program of research to uncovering clinical needs of those with Ehlers Danlos Syndromes and to the design and development of the GoodHope Exercise and Rehabilitation program. As a current postdoctoral researcher at Toronto General Hospital, she is leading the application of generative AI-driven tools into clinical practice for the treatment of chronic pain. Dr. Buryk-Iggers is a lecturer in healthcare innovation at U of T, and the founder of a health tech venture; recognized as the number one early-stage company by U of T and number one female founded company by Toronto's health incubator, H2i.
June National Pain Rounds for Professionals
Emerging Voices in Pain Research: Award-Winning Trainees in Conversation
Join us for an engaging National Pain Rounds discussion spotlighting three recipients of Poster/Hot Topics awards from the 2026 Canadian Pain Society Annual Scientific Meeting. In this moderated session, trainees will share the journeys that led them into pain research, offer accessible insights into their award-winning projects, and reflect on what their findings mean for clinicians, researchers, trainees, and people living with pain. Together, we will explore the questions that shaped their work, the surprises they encountered along the way, and the impact they hope to make as emerging leaders in the pain field. The session will conclude with a shared reflection on what it means to be part of the next generation of pain researchers, including the opportunities, challenges, and responsibilities they see ahead.
Learning Objectives:
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Reflect on pathways into pain research, exploring the potential impact of trainee contributions
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Identify strategies to support their own or others’ development in the field.
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Appreciate the experience of a person who has chronic pelvic pain and whose pain is dismissed by family and healthcare providers.
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Discuss the multiple generators of chronic pelvic pain and the challenges of diagnosis and management of these conditions
-
Discuss how to navigate the healthcare system with chronic pelvic pain.
-
Discuss directions for research and policies on management and system wide solutions for chronic pelvic pain

Tania Di Renna
Dr. Tania Di Renna, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, completed her medical school and Anesthesiology residency training in Ottawa. She obtained a chronic pain fellowship at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and has spinal cord stimulation training from Montreal Neurological Institute. She is currently the Medical Director of the Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute (TAPMI). TAPMI is the comprehensive interdisciplinary academic pain program serving as the hub for chronic pain care in Toronto. She is also the Medical Director of the Chronic Pain Clinic at Women’s College Hospital and an Anesthesiologist at UHN. She served as the co-chair of the HQO Guidelines for Chronic Pain, is currently the co-chair of the Ontario Chronic Pain Network and Ontario Representative for Pain Canada.

Nancy Bowie
Born and raised in Rossland BC, I am grateful to live, work and play on the traditional and unceded territory of the Sinixt people. My 36-year career as a registered nurse spanned both acute and community mental health, working primarily with adults suffering with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, eating disorders and chronic pain. During my career I was part of a four-person team who developed a group therapy-based day hospital program which ran for 12 years. In the community I developed and ran various group therapies including an 8-week group for people struggling with chronic pain, which I ran for 6 years. I am a longtime volunteer with Pain BC. I participated in discussions which led to the development of the Live Plan Be+ program. In conjunction with the Divisions of Family Practice and Pain BC, I was part of a pilot project that placed a Pain Navigator in a Family practice clinic to help in managing complex pain patients. I was also involved in an education program with the Division of Family Practice and local GP’s to look at alternatives to opioids with pain management. I have been a peer facilitator for Pain Support and Wellness groups with Pain BC for the past 5 years and am currently a member of a joint quality improvement team with Pain BC and PainCare BC as a person with lived pain experience. In addition to volunteering with Pain BC, I am a volunteer team lead with Canadian Red Cross/ Emergency Support Services in the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary, and a volunteer with Skate Canada for our local skating club. I enjoy downhill and cross-country skiing, ice skating, mountain biking, snorkeling, kayaking, walking, traveling, sewing, crafting and spending time with family, especially my grandchildren. I live with a genetic condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome - Hypermobile type which affects multiple systems and areas of my body. The laxity of my ligaments and tendons leads to chronic pain and issues. Maintaining regular fitness, diet, mental health, and therapies such as physio and massage help me to manage.

Isabelle LeClerc
Isabelle LeClerc is a Registered Nurse with thirty-nine years of nursing experience working in Ottawa. For the last twenty-five years she has worked in an interdisciplinary academic primary care setting. During the last decade, she has developed multiple chronic disease self-management programs, which also includes a Chronic Non-Cancer Pain Program. Isabelle has presented posters, given workshops and webinars in Canada, as well as internationally. According to Isabelle, the most rewarding part of sharing this knowledge is observing improvements in the quality of life of those who take on an active role in the self-management of their chronic disease.

Hillel Finestone
Dr. Hillel Finestone is a specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (physiatrist) at Bruyere Health and Full Professor in Medicine at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Finestone treats patients experiencing chronic, musculoskeletal and neurologic pain. He also treats out-patients in the multi-disciplinary stroke rehabilitation clinic at Bruyere Health, Ottawa, Ontario. Dr. Finestone’s research interests include: 1) Multidisciplinary pain care for patients in Family Medicine, 2) Opioids and Pain – the terrible problem that medicine and society has created with regards to opioids and addictions, 3) Mind-body issues- particularly how mental health problems like stress and anxiety may lead to multiple, peripheral painful conditions and how educating patients to become their own “pain detectives” is so important. Dr. Finestone’s book, The Pain Detective, Every Ache Tells a Story (published by Praeger ABC-Clio, 2009, Santa Barbara, CA) describes the roles that psychological and social factors may play in healing and recovery from a painful injury.
Pain Rounds for Professionals
February
Title Two

March
Title One


Tania Di Renna
Dr. Tania Di Renna, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, completed her medical school and Anesthesiology residency training in Ottawa. She obtained a chronic pain fellowship at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and has spinal cord stimulation training from Montreal Neurological Institute. She is currently the Medical Director of the Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute (TAPMI). TAPMI is the comprehensive interdisciplinary academic pain program serving as the hub for chronic pain care in Toronto. She is also the Medical Director of the Chronic Pain Clinic at Women’s College Hospital and an Anesthesiologist at UHN. She served as the co-chair of the HQO Guidelines for Chronic Pain, is currently the co-chair of the Ontario Chronic Pain Network and Ontario Representative for Pain Canada.

Nancy Bowie
Born and raised in Rossland BC, I am grateful to live, work and play on the traditional and unceded territory of the Sinixt people. My 36-year career as a registered nurse spanned both acute and community mental health, working primarily with adults suffering with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, eating disorders and chronic pain. During my career I was part of a four-person team who developed a group therapy-based day hospital program which ran for 12 years. In the community I developed and ran various group therapies including an 8-week group for people struggling with chronic pain, which I ran for 6 years. I am a longtime volunteer with Pain BC. I participated in discussions which led to the development of the Live Plan Be+ program. In conjunction with the Divisions of Family Practice and Pain BC, I was part of a pilot project that placed a Pain Navigator in a Family practice clinic to help in managing complex pain patients. I was also involved in an education program with the Division of Family Practice and local GP’s to look at alternatives to opioids with pain management. I have been a peer facilitator for Pain Support and Wellness groups with Pain BC for the past 5 years and am currently a member of a joint quality improvement team with Pain BC and PainCare BC as a person with lived pain experience. In addition to volunteering with Pain BC, I am a volunteer team lead with Canadian Red Cross/ Emergency Support Services in the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary, and a volunteer with Skate Canada for our local skating club. I enjoy downhill and cross-country skiing, ice skating, mountain biking, snorkeling, kayaking, walking, traveling, sewing, crafting and spending time with family, especially my grandchildren. I live with a genetic condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome - Hypermobile type which affects multiple systems and areas of my body. The laxity of my ligaments and tendons leads to chronic pain and issues. Maintaining regular fitness, diet, mental health, and therapies such as physio and massage help me to manage.

Isabelle LeClerc
Isabelle LeClerc is a Registered Nurse with thirty-nine years of nursing experience working in Ottawa. For the last twenty-five years she has worked in an interdisciplinary academic primary care setting. During the last decade, she has developed multiple chronic disease self-management programs, which also includes a Chronic Non-Cancer Pain Program. Isabelle has presented posters, given workshops and webinars in Canada, as well as internationally. According to Isabelle, the most rewarding part of sharing this knowledge is observing improvements in the quality of life of those who take on an active role in the self-management of their chronic disease.

Hillel Finestone
Dr. Hillel Finestone is a specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (physiatrist) at Bruyere Health and Full Professor in Medicine at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Finestone treats patients experiencing chronic, musculoskeletal and neurologic pain. He also treats out-patients in the multi-disciplinary stroke rehabilitation clinic at Bruyere Health, Ottawa, Ontario. Dr. Finestone’s research interests include: 1) Multidisciplinary pain care for patients in Family Medicine, 2) Opioids and Pain – the terrible problem that medicine and society has created with regards to opioids and addictions, 3) Mind-body issues- particularly how mental health problems like stress and anxiety may lead to multiple, peripheral painful conditions and how educating patients to become their own “pain detectives” is so important. Dr. Finestone’s book, The Pain Detective, Every Ache Tells a Story (published by Praeger ABC-Clio, 2009, Santa Barbara, CA) describes the roles that psychological and social factors may play in healing and recovery from a painful injury.
FEBRUARY
Chronic noncancer pain management: Integration of a nurse-led program in primary care

Pain Rounds for Professionals

MARCH
One Thing, Many Voices: Pain Science Through Collaboration

APRIL
Presentation details coming soon

Tania Di Renna
Dr. Tania Di Renna, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, completed her medical school and Anesthesiology residency training in Ottawa. She obtained a chronic pain fellowship at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and has spinal cord stimulation training from Montreal Neurological Institute. She is currently the Medical Director of the Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute (TAPMI). TAPMI is the comprehensive interdisciplinary academic pain program serving as the hub for chronic pain care in Toronto. She is also the Medical Director of the Chronic Pain Clinic at Women’s College Hospital and an Anesthesiologist at UHN. She served as the co-chair of the HQO Guidelines for Chronic Pain, is currently the co-chair of the Ontario Chronic Pain Network and Ontario Representative for Pain Canada.

Nancy Bowie
Born and raised in Rossland BC, I am grateful to live, work and play on the traditional and unceded territory of the Sinixt people. My 36-year career as a registered nurse spanned both acute and community mental health, working primarily with adults suffering with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, eating disorders and chronic pain. During my career I was part of a four-person team who developed a group therapy-based day hospital program which ran for 12 years. In the community I developed and ran various group therapies including an 8-week group for people struggling with chronic pain, which I ran for 6 years. I am a longtime volunteer with Pain BC. I participated in discussions which led to the development of the Live Plan Be+ program. In conjunction with the Divisions of Family Practice and Pain BC, I was part of a pilot project that placed a Pain Navigator in a Family practice clinic to help in managing complex pain patients. I was also involved in an education program with the Division of Family Practice and local GP’s to look at alternatives to opioids with pain management. I have been a peer facilitator for Pain Support and Wellness groups with Pain BC for the past 5 years and am currently a member of a joint quality improvement team with Pain BC and PainCare BC as a person with lived pain experience. In addition to volunteering with Pain BC, I am a volunteer team lead with Canadian Red Cross/ Emergency Support Services in the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary, and a volunteer with Skate Canada for our local skating club. I enjoy downhill and cross-country skiing, ice skating, mountain biking, snorkeling, kayaking, walking, traveling, sewing, crafting and spending time with family, especially my grandchildren. I live with a genetic condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome - Hypermobile type which affects multiple systems and areas of my body. The laxity of my ligaments and tendons leads to chronic pain and issues. Maintaining regular fitness, diet, mental health, and therapies such as physio and massage help me to manage.

Isabelle LeClerc
Isabelle LeClerc is a Registered Nurse with thirty-nine years of nursing experience working in Ottawa. For the last twenty-five years she has worked in an interdisciplinary academic primary care setting. During the last decade, she has developed multiple chronic disease self-management programs, which also includes a Chronic Non-Cancer Pain Program. Isabelle has presented posters, given workshops and webinars in Canada, as well as internationally. According to Isabelle, the most rewarding part of sharing this knowledge is observing improvements in the quality of life of those who take on an active role in the self-management of their chronic disease.

Hillel Finestone
Dr. Hillel Finestone is a specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (physiatrist) at Bruyere Health and Full Professor in Medicine at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Finestone treats patients experiencing chronic, musculoskeletal and neurologic pain. He also treats out-patients in the multi-disciplinary stroke rehabilitation clinic at Bruyere Health, Ottawa, Ontario. Dr. Finestone’s research interests include: 1) Multidisciplinary pain care for patients in Family Medicine, 2) Opioids and Pain – the terrible problem that medicine and society has created with regards to opioids and addictions, 3) Mind-body issues- particularly how mental health problems like stress and anxiety may lead to multiple, peripheral painful conditions and how educating patients to become their own “pain detectives” is so important. Dr. Finestone’s book, The Pain Detective, Every Ache Tells a Story (published by Praeger ABC-Clio, 2009, Santa Barbara, CA) describes the roles that psychological and social factors may play in healing and recovery from a painful injury.

Tania Di Renna
Dr. Tania Di Renna, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, completed her medical school and Anesthesiology residency training in Ottawa. She obtained a chronic pain fellowship at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and has spinal cord stimulation training from Montreal Neurological Institute. She is currently the Medical Director of the Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute (TAPMI). TAPMI is the comprehensive interdisciplinary academic pain program serving as the hub for chronic pain care in Toronto. She is also the Medical Director of the Chronic Pain Clinic at Women’s College Hospital and an Anesthesiologist at UHN. She served as the co-chair of the HQO Guidelines for Chronic Pain, is currently the co-chair of the Ontario Chronic Pain Network and Ontario Representative for Pain Canada.

Nancy Bowie
Born and raised in Rossland BC, I am grateful to live, work and play on the traditional and unceded territory of the Sinixt people. My 36-year career as a registered nurse spanned both acute and community mental health, working primarily with adults suffering with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, eating disorders and chronic pain. During my career I was part of a four-person team who developed a group therapy-based day hospital program which ran for 12 years. In the community I developed and ran various group therapies including an 8-week group for people struggling with chronic pain, which I ran for 6 years. I am a longtime volunteer with Pain BC. I participated in discussions which led to the development of the Live Plan Be+ program. In conjunction with the Divisions of Family Practice and Pain BC, I was part of a pilot project that placed a Pain Navigator in a Family practice clinic to help in managing complex pain patients. I was also involved in an education program with the Division of Family Practice and local GP’s to look at alternatives to opioids with pain management. I have been a peer facilitator for Pain Support and Wellness groups with Pain BC for the past 5 years and am currently a member of a joint quality improvement team with Pain BC and PainCare BC as a person with lived pain experience. In addition to volunteering with Pain BC, I am a volunteer team lead with Canadian Red Cross/ Emergency Support Services in the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary, and a volunteer with Skate Canada for our local skating club. I enjoy downhill and cross-country skiing, ice skating, mountain biking, snorkeling, kayaking, walking, traveling, sewing, crafting and spending time with family, especially my grandchildren. I live with a genetic condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome - Hypermobile type which affects multiple systems and areas of my body. The laxity of my ligaments and tendons leads to chronic pain and issues. Maintaining regular fitness, diet, mental health, and therapies such as physio and massage help me to manage.

Isabelle LeClerc
Isabelle LeClerc is a Registered Nurse with thirty-nine years of nursing experience working in Ottawa. For the last twenty-five years she has worked in an interdisciplinary academic primary care setting. During the last decade, she has developed multiple chronic disease self-management programs, which also includes a Chronic Non-Cancer Pain Program. Isabelle has presented posters, given workshops and webinars in Canada, as well as internationally. According to Isabelle, the most rewarding part of sharing this knowledge is observing improvements in the quality of life of those who take on an active role in the self-management of their chronic disease.

Hillel Finestone
Dr. Hillel Finestone is a specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (physiatrist) at Bruyere Health and Full Professor in Medicine at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Finestone treats patients experiencing chronic, musculoskeletal and neurologic pain. He also treats out-patients in the multi-disciplinary stroke rehabilitation clinic at Bruyere Health, Ottawa, Ontario. Dr. Finestone’s research interests include: 1) Multidisciplinary pain care for patients in Family Medicine, 2) Opioids and Pain – the terrible problem that medicine and society has created with regards to opioids and addictions, 3) Mind-body issues- particularly how mental health problems like stress and anxiety may lead to multiple, peripheral painful conditions and how educating patients to become their own “pain detectives” is so important. Dr. Finestone’s book, The Pain Detective, Every Ache Tells a Story (published by Praeger ABC-Clio, 2009, Santa Barbara, CA) describes the roles that psychological and social factors may play in healing and recovery from a painful injury.

Ehtesham Baig
Dr. Ehtesham Baig is a dually certified Anesthesiologist and Pain Medicine Physician at the University Health Network and serves as the Medical Director of the Cancer Pain Clinic at Princess Margaret Hospital. Dr. Baig completed his medical degree at Queen’s University and his Anesthesiology residency at the University of Toronto. He went on to complete his Pain Medicine training in 2018 as part of the University of Toronto’s inaugural class. Subsequently, he completed a subspecialty fellowship in interventional cancer pain management at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, funded in part by the Detweiler Traveling Fellowship. At Princess Margaret Hospital, Dr. Baig leads a program unique in Canada, incorporating advanced interventional techniques for the management of cancer pain. His clinical focus is on improving quality of life for cancer and palliative patients through both medical and interventional modalities. Passionate about healthcare innovation and collaborative leadership, Dr. Baig is an advocate for patient-centered care and is actively involved in curriculum development and the education of future pain medicine physicians.
March National Pain Rounds for Trainees
Interventional Cancer Pain Management
Despite the established WHO analgesic ladder, cancer pain remains a significant clinical challenge, with many patients experiencing inadequate relief or intolerable side effects from systemic opioids alone. This session outlines the critical utility of interventional techniques, positioning them not merely as a "fourth step" of last resort, but as a supportive "handrail" integrated throughout the patient's care journey.
We will review the specific indications for high-yield interventions, including neurolytic sympathetic blocks (e.g., Celiac Plexus for pancreatic cancer, Superior Hypogastric for pelvic malignancies) , vertebral augmentation for compression fractures , and advanced neuraxial options like intrathecal drug delivery.
Finally, the talk will provide a rationale for an integrated care model, using the evolution of the UHN Cancer Pain Clinic as a case study. By embedding interventional expertise within a multidisciplinary team, we can improve patient access, facilitate opioid stewardship, and significantly enhance quality of life for those with complex cancer pain.
Learning Objectives:
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Outline the utility of interventions in cancer pain management
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Understand the indications for select cancer pain interventions
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Provide a rationale for integrated cancer pain management
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Appreciate the experience of a person who has chronic pelvic pain and whose pain is dismissed by family and healthcare providers.
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Discuss the multiple generators of chronic pelvic pain and the challenges of diagnosis and management of these conditions
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Discuss how to navigate the healthcare system with chronic pelvic pain.
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Discuss directions for research and policies on management and system wide solutions for chronic pelvic pain

Tania Di Renna
Dr. Tania Di Renna, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, completed her medical school and Anesthesiology residency training in Ottawa. She obtained a chronic pain fellowship at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and has spinal cord stimulation training from Montreal Neurological Institute. She is currently the Medical Director of the Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute (TAPMI). TAPMI is the comprehensive interdisciplinary academic pain program serving as the hub for chronic pain care in Toronto. She is also the Medical Director of the Chronic Pain Clinic at Women’s College Hospital and an Anesthesiologist at UHN. She served as the co-chair of the HQO Guidelines for Chronic Pain, is currently the co-chair of the Ontario Chronic Pain Network and Ontario Representative for Pain Canada.

Nancy Bowie
Born and raised in Rossland BC, I am grateful to live, work and play on the traditional and unceded territory of the Sinixt people. My 36-year career as a registered nurse spanned both acute and community mental health, working primarily with adults suffering with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, eating disorders and chronic pain. During my career I was part of a four-person team who developed a group therapy-based day hospital program which ran for 12 years. In the community I developed and ran various group therapies including an 8-week group for people struggling with chronic pain, which I ran for 6 years. I am a longtime volunteer with Pain BC. I participated in discussions which led to the development of the Live Plan Be+ program. In conjunction with the Divisions of Family Practice and Pain BC, I was part of a pilot project that placed a Pain Navigator in a Family practice clinic to help in managing complex pain patients. I was also involved in an education program with the Division of Family Practice and local GP’s to look at alternatives to opioids with pain management. I have been a peer facilitator for Pain Support and Wellness groups with Pain BC for the past 5 years and am currently a member of a joint quality improvement team with Pain BC and PainCare BC as a person with lived pain experience. In addition to volunteering with Pain BC, I am a volunteer team lead with Canadian Red Cross/ Emergency Support Services in the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary, and a volunteer with Skate Canada for our local skating club. I enjoy downhill and cross-country skiing, ice skating, mountain biking, snorkeling, kayaking, walking, traveling, sewing, crafting and spending time with family, especially my grandchildren. I live with a genetic condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome - Hypermobile type which affects multiple systems and areas of my body. The laxity of my ligaments and tendons leads to chronic pain and issues. Maintaining regular fitness, diet, mental health, and therapies such as physio and massage help me to manage.

Isabelle LeClerc
Isabelle LeClerc is a Registered Nurse with thirty-nine years of nursing experience working in Ottawa. For the last twenty-five years she has worked in an interdisciplinary academic primary care setting. During the last decade, she has developed multiple chronic disease self-management programs, which also includes a Chronic Non-Cancer Pain Program. Isabelle has presented posters, given workshops and webinars in Canada, as well as internationally. According to Isabelle, the most rewarding part of sharing this knowledge is observing improvements in the quality of life of those who take on an active role in the self-management of their chronic disease.

Hillel Finestone
Dr. Hillel Finestone is a specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (physiatrist) at Bruyere Health and Full Professor in Medicine at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Finestone treats patients experiencing chronic, musculoskeletal and neurologic pain. He also treats out-patients in the multi-disciplinary stroke rehabilitation clinic at Bruyere Health, Ottawa, Ontario. Dr. Finestone’s research interests include: 1) Multidisciplinary pain care for patients in Family Medicine, 2) Opioids and Pain – the terrible problem that medicine and society has created with regards to opioids and addictions, 3) Mind-body issues- particularly how mental health problems like stress and anxiety may lead to multiple, peripheral painful conditions and how educating patients to become their own “pain detectives” is so important. Dr. Finestone’s book, The Pain Detective, Every Ache Tells a Story (published by Praeger ABC-Clio, 2009, Santa Barbara, CA) describes the roles that psychological and social factors may play in healing and recovery from a painful injury.
FEBRUARY
Chronic noncancer pain management: Integration of a nurse-led program in primary care

Pain Rounds for Professionals

MARCH
One Thing, Many Voices: Pain Science Through Collaboration

APRIL
Presentation details coming soon

Tania Di Renna
Dr. Tania Di Renna, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, completed her medical school and Anesthesiology residency training in Ottawa. She obtained a chronic pain fellowship at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and has spinal cord stimulation training from Montreal Neurological Institute. She is currently the Medical Director of the Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute (TAPMI). TAPMI is the comprehensive interdisciplinary academic pain program serving as the hub for chronic pain care in Toronto. She is also the Medical Director of the Chronic Pain Clinic at Women’s College Hospital and an Anesthesiologist at UHN. She served as the co-chair of the HQO Guidelines for Chronic Pain, is currently the co-chair of the Ontario Chronic Pain Network and Ontario Representative for Pain Canada.

Nancy Bowie
Born and raised in Rossland BC, I am grateful to live, work and play on the traditional and unceded territory of the Sinixt people. My 36-year career as a registered nurse spanned both acute and community mental health, working primarily with adults suffering with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, eating disorders and chronic pain. During my career I was part of a four-person team who developed a group therapy-based day hospital program which ran for 12 years. In the community I developed and ran various group therapies including an 8-week group for people struggling with chronic pain, which I ran for 6 years. I am a longtime volunteer with Pain BC. I participated in discussions which led to the development of the Live Plan Be+ program. In conjunction with the Divisions of Family Practice and Pain BC, I was part of a pilot project that placed a Pain Navigator in a Family practice clinic to help in managing complex pain patients. I was also involved in an education program with the Division of Family Practice and local GP’s to look at alternatives to opioids with pain management. I have been a peer facilitator for Pain Support and Wellness groups with Pain BC for the past 5 years and am currently a member of a joint quality improvement team with Pain BC and PainCare BC as a person with lived pain experience. In addition to volunteering with Pain BC, I am a volunteer team lead with Canadian Red Cross/ Emergency Support Services in the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary, and a volunteer with Skate Canada for our local skating club. I enjoy downhill and cross-country skiing, ice skating, mountain biking, snorkeling, kayaking, walking, traveling, sewing, crafting and spending time with family, especially my grandchildren. I live with a genetic condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome - Hypermobile type which affects multiple systems and areas of my body. The laxity of my ligaments and tendons leads to chronic pain and issues. Maintaining regular fitness, diet, mental health, and therapies such as physio and massage help me to manage.

Isabelle LeClerc
Isabelle LeClerc is a Registered Nurse with thirty-nine years of nursing experience working in Ottawa. For the last twenty-five years she has worked in an interdisciplinary academic primary care setting. During the last decade, she has developed multiple chronic disease self-management programs, which also includes a Chronic Non-Cancer Pain Program. Isabelle has presented posters, given workshops and webinars in Canada, as well as internationally. According to Isabelle, the most rewarding part of sharing this knowledge is observing improvements in the quality of life of those who take on an active role in the self-management of their chronic disease.

Hillel Finestone
Dr. Hillel Finestone is a specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (physiatrist) at Bruyere Health and Full Professor in Medicine at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Finestone treats patients experiencing chronic, musculoskeletal and neurologic pain. He also treats out-patients in the multi-disciplinary stroke rehabilitation clinic at Bruyere Health, Ottawa, Ontario. Dr. Finestone’s research interests include: 1) Multidisciplinary pain care for patients in Family Medicine, 2) Opioids and Pain – the terrible problem that medicine and society has created with regards to opioids and addictions, 3) Mind-body issues- particularly how mental health problems like stress and anxiety may lead to multiple, peripheral painful conditions and how educating patients to become their own “pain detectives” is so important. Dr. Finestone’s book, The Pain Detective, Every Ache Tells a Story (published by Praeger ABC-Clio, 2009, Santa Barbara, CA) describes the roles that psychological and social factors may play in healing and recovery from a painful injury.

Tania Di Renna
Dr. Tania Di Renna, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, completed her medical school and Anesthesiology residency training in Ottawa. She obtained a chronic pain fellowship at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and has spinal cord stimulation training from Montreal Neurological Institute. She is currently the Medical Director of the Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute (TAPMI). TAPMI is the comprehensive interdisciplinary academic pain program serving as the hub for chronic pain care in Toronto. She is also the Medical Director of the Chronic Pain Clinic at Women’s College Hospital and an Anesthesiologist at UHN. She served as the co-chair of the HQO Guidelines for Chronic Pain, is currently the co-chair of the Ontario Chronic Pain Network and Ontario Representative for Pain Canada.

Nancy Bowie
Born and raised in Rossland BC, I am grateful to live, work and play on the traditional and unceded territory of the Sinixt people. My 36-year career as a registered nurse spanned both acute and community mental health, working primarily with adults suffering with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, eating disorders and chronic pain. During my career I was part of a four-person team who developed a group therapy-based day hospital program which ran for 12 years. In the community I developed and ran various group therapies including an 8-week group for people struggling with chronic pain, which I ran for 6 years. I am a longtime volunteer with Pain BC. I participated in discussions which led to the development of the Live Plan Be+ program. In conjunction with the Divisions of Family Practice and Pain BC, I was part of a pilot project that placed a Pain Navigator in a Family practice clinic to help in managing complex pain patients. I was also involved in an education program with the Division of Family Practice and local GP’s to look at alternatives to opioids with pain management. I have been a peer facilitator for Pain Support and Wellness groups with Pain BC for the past 5 years and am currently a member of a joint quality improvement team with Pain BC and PainCare BC as a person with lived pain experience. In addition to volunteering with Pain BC, I am a volunteer team lead with Canadian Red Cross/ Emergency Support Services in the Regional District of Kootenay Boundary, and a volunteer with Skate Canada for our local skating club. I enjoy downhill and cross-country skiing, ice skating, mountain biking, snorkeling, kayaking, walking, traveling, sewing, crafting and spending time with family, especially my grandchildren. I live with a genetic condition called Ehlers Danlos Syndrome - Hypermobile type which affects multiple systems and areas of my body. The laxity of my ligaments and tendons leads to chronic pain and issues. Maintaining regular fitness, diet, mental health, and therapies such as physio and massage help me to manage.

Isabelle LeClerc
Isabelle LeClerc is a Registered Nurse with thirty-nine years of nursing experience working in Ottawa. For the last twenty-five years she has worked in an interdisciplinary academic primary care setting. During the last decade, she has developed multiple chronic disease self-management programs, which also includes a Chronic Non-Cancer Pain Program. Isabelle has presented posters, given workshops and webinars in Canada, as well as internationally. According to Isabelle, the most rewarding part of sharing this knowledge is observing improvements in the quality of life of those who take on an active role in the self-management of their chronic disease.

Hillel Finestone
Dr. Hillel Finestone is a specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (physiatrist) at Bruyere Health and Full Professor in Medicine at the University of Ottawa. Dr. Finestone treats patients experiencing chronic, musculoskeletal and neurologic pain. He also treats out-patients in the multi-disciplinary stroke rehabilitation clinic at Bruyere Health, Ottawa, Ontario. Dr. Finestone’s research interests include: 1) Multidisciplinary pain care for patients in Family Medicine, 2) Opioids and Pain – the terrible problem that medicine and society has created with regards to opioids and addictions, 3) Mind-body issues- particularly how mental health problems like stress and anxiety may lead to multiple, peripheral painful conditions and how educating patients to become their own “pain detectives” is so important. Dr. Finestone’s book, The Pain Detective, Every Ache Tells a Story (published by Praeger ABC-Clio, 2009, Santa Barbara, CA) describes the roles that psychological and social factors may play in healing and recovery from a painful injury.

Previous President of the Canadian Pain Society, previous President of the Pain Society of Alberta, and a Founding Co-Chair of the Alberta Pain Strategy. He is a past Ronald Melzack Fellow of the McGill Pain Center and has spoken on the topic of chronic pain both nationally and internationally, including at the Centers for Disease Control, ANZCA Auckland, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Mayo Clinic. He represented Western Canada on the committee of physicians who wrote our country’s National Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of fibromyalgia. Dr. John Pereira was the physician lead of FibroFOCUS, an interdisciplinary chronic pain program that won a 2016 Patient Experience Award from the Health Quality Council of Alberta. He was a member of the Canadian Pain Task Force's External Advisory Panel and a current member of Pain Canada's National Advisory Council. He has personally visited more than sixty pain clinics worldwide to learn best practices.
John Pereira

Ms Dominique Gilbert has been working as a physiotherapist for 40 years. In private practice since 1996, her innovative approach emphasizes proper education of patients, as well as focusing on active treatment for pain management and returning to function. In fact, she believes that encouraging her patients to adopt active lifestyles during treatment encourages a more realistic self-evaluation of the patient's own physical capabilities.
Dominique Gilbert

Arthur Woznowski-Vu has been a practicing physiotherapist since 2013, in Montreal, QC. He focused on developing his expertise in non-pharmacological management and rehabilitation of chronic pain by pursuing advanced education in the application of pain science to physiotherapy. He completed his PhD in Rehab Science at McGill University in 2023. His thesis focused on sensitivity to physical activity, which refers to the challenge of having increased pain or other negative reactions when trying to do physical activity as a treatment for pain conditions such as back pain. He has been the recipient of several scholarships, such as from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Fonds de Recherche du Québec en Santé, Institut de Recherche Robert-Sauvé en Santé et en Sécurité du Travail, Richard and Edith Strauss Foundation, and Louise and Alan Edwards Foundation. In addition to his experiences in clinical practice and research, Arthur is currently teaching pain management strategies as a part-time faculty member at Concordia University, and has also done some teaching previously at McGill University and Université de Montréal. Arthur is also a leader in his field, having been Chair of the Pain Science Division at the Canadian Physiotherapy Association in 2021-2023 where he led several initiatives including a national physiotherapy advocacy position paper in response to the Canadian Pain Task Force’s Action Plan for Pain in Canada. In 2023, Arthur opened his own solo practice, “The Chronic Pain Rehab Clinic”. See www.chronicpainrehab.ca for more info. Arthur has also done radio and podcast interviews, and the recordings are getting posted on his website.
Arthur Woznowski-Vu

Information for this speaker is on the way!
Krissy Bell

FEBRUARY
Spontaneous Intracranial Hypotension – A curable cause of medically refractory headaches and chronic pain
Open to learners in the field of pain medicine, sessions will enhance medical education by promoting standardized pain management practices, fostering collaboration among those practicing pain medicine, and improving patient outcomes through evidence-based pain assessments and treatment practices.

JUNE
Presentation details coming soon
Open to learners in the field of pain medicine, sessions will enhance medical education by promoting standardized pain management practices, fostering collaboration among those practicing pain medicine, and improving patient outcomes through evidence-based pain assessments and treatment practices.

APRIL
Presentation details coming soon
Open to learners in the field of pain medicine, sessions will enhance medical education by promoting standardized pain management practices, fostering collaboration among those practicing pain medicine, and improving patient outcomes through evidence-based pain assessments and treatment practices.
Pain Rounds for Trainees
Our National Pain Rounds Committee
Our National Pain Rounds Committee is made up of experienced healthcare professionals who strive to uphold and maintain the integrity of the Canadian Pain Society as dedicated volunteers.

Co-Chair
Dr. Rachael Bosma
Dr. Rachael Bosma is a chronic pain scientist at Women’s College Hospital and the University of Toronto, where she serves as Director of the Centre for the Study of Pain. Her work integrates research, education, and clinical innovation to improve access to pain management and advance evidence-based care. With a focus on women’s health and chronic pain, she collaborates with clinicians, researchers, and patient partners to drive system-level change. Dr. Bosma is also deeply engaged in provincial and national initiatives, serving as Chair of the Board of Pain Ontario to strengthen support, education, and research for people living with pain.

Co-Chair
Dr. Helena Daudt
Director of Education at Pain BC/Pain Canada. She leads Pain BC/Pain Canada’s educational initiatives including Making Sense of Pain, a self-management program designed for people living with pain, who experience marginalization and face barriers to accessing care and support. As an educator and researcher, Dr Daudt has been supporting healthcare improvement through patient engagement and knowledge exchange in different settings. She is also a person living with chronic pain and brings the lived experience lens to the work she does. Dr Daudt is passionate about building capacity among people with lived experience, their support network, and healthcare providers to ensure people receive high-quality care and experience the best quality of life possible.

Co-Chair
Dr. Bradley Kerr
Dr. Bradley Kerr received his BSc in Psychology from McGill University. He then went on to obtain a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of London-King’s College in the UK. His PhD research was aimed at understanding the role of novel modulatory peptides, growth factors and pro-inflammatory cytokines in persistent pain. Dr. Kerr went on to do postdoctoral work at the California Institute of Technology and at McGill University where his work focused on studying inflammatory responses after nervous system injury. Dr. Kerr joined the Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine at the University of Alberta in 2007 and is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Psychiatry. The focus of research in his lab is aimed at addressing the mechanisms of chronic pain after injury or disease with a major focus on chronic pain associated with Multiple Sclerosis.

Dr. Eugene Maida
Assistant Clinical Professor in the Departments of Medicine (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation) with a cross appointment in the Department of Anesthesia at McMaster University. Dr. Maida is a physiatrist and interventional pain physician with a special interest in spine and musculoskeletal medicine. He completed his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and later completed subspecialty training in the Pain Medicine residency program under the Department of Anesthesia at McMaster University. He has also completed a sports medicine research fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota, with a focus on Ultrasound Guided Musculoskeletal and Peripheral Nerve Interventions, as well as his diplomat in Sports and Exercise Medicine Physician through the Canadian Academy of Sports and Exercise Medicine (CASEM). Dr. Maida is currently the Medical Director of the Michael G. DeGroote pain clinic at McMaster University and Head of Service at Hamilton Health Sciences for Pain Behaviours for the department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. In addition to being the co-chair of National Pain Rounds for trainees, Dr. Maida is also part of the National Pain Rounds Committee.

Dr. Tania Di Renna
Dr. Tania Di Renna, Associate Professor at the University of Toronto, Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, completed her medical school and Anesthesiology residency training in Ottawa. She obtained a chronic pain fellowship at St. Michael’s Hospital in Toronto and has spinal cord stimulation training from Montreal Neurological Institute. She is currently the Medical Director of the Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute (TAPMI). TAPMI is the comprehensive interdisciplinary academic pain program serving as the hub for chronic pain care in Toronto. She is also the Medical Director of the Chronic Pain Clinic at Women’s College Hospital and an Anesthesiologist at UHN. She served as the co-chair of the HQO Guidelines for Chronic Pain, is currently the co-chair of the Ontario Chronic Pain Network and Ontario Representative for Pain Canada.

Jennifer Daly-Cyr
Jennifer’s professional background is in marketing and strategic planning in higher education. Since a sudden onset of severe abdominal pain, she has been on a journey of learning to live with persistent acute episodes of pain and adapting to the dramatic changes this has brought to her daily life. She has leveraged her skills and experience to advocate, collaborate and share her perspective as a person with lived experience/patient partner/advisor with national and provincial pain research initiatives and projects, including with the Chronic Pain Network, Pain Ontario and the Canadian Pain Society. She advocates for the incorporation of the lived experience perspective into research, broadened awareness of chronic pain, improving understanding about the value of patient engagement in research and for improved access to health care and support for people living with pain.

Dr. John Xavier Pereira
Previous President of the Canadian Pain Society, previous President of the Pain Society of Alberta, and a Founding Co-Chair of the Alberta Pain Strategy. He is a past Ronald Melzack Fellow of the McGill Pain Center and has spoken on the topic of chronic pain both nationally and internationally, including at the Centers for Disease Control, ANZCA Auckland, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Mayo Clinic. He represented Western Canada on the committee of physicians who wrote our country’s National Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of fibromyalgia. Dr. John Pereira was the physician lead of FibroFOCUS, an interdisciplinary chronic pain program that won a 2016 Patient Experience Award from the Health Quality Council of Alberta. He was a member of the Canadian Pain Task Force's External Advisory Panel and a current member of Pain Canada's National Advisory Council. He has personally visited more than sixty pain clinics worldwide to learn best practices.

Dr. Brittany Rosenbloom
Dr. Brittany Rosenbloom is a Clinical and Health Psychologist based at the Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute in Women's College Hospital. Clinically, she was trained across the lifespan and approaches each person with a developmental and biopsychosocial lens. Dr. Rosenbloom is also an Associate Scientist in Women's College Hospital and an Assistant Professor (Status) in the Department of Anesthesia and Pain Medicine at the University of Toronto. She primarily studies pain, mental health concerns, and trauma. She is interested in the development of chronic pain conditions and the intersection with mental health from both a mechanisms perspective as well as treatment perspective.

Co-Chair
Dr. Eugene Maida
Assistant Clinical Professor in the Departments of Medicine (Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation) with a cross appointment in the Department of Anesthesia at McMaster University. Dr. Maida is a physiatrist and interventional pain physician with a special interest in spine and musculoskeletal medicine. He completed his residency in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and later completed subspecialty training in the Pain Medicine residency program under the Department of Anesthesia at McMaster University. He has also completed a sports medicine research fellowship at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota, with a focus on Ultrasound Guided Musculoskeletal and Peripheral Nerve Interventions, as well as his diplomat in Sports and Exercise Medicine Physician through the Canadian Academy of Sports and Exercise Medicine (CASEM). Dr. Maida is currently the Medical Director of the Michael G. DeGroote pain clinic at McMaster University and Head of Service at Hamilton Health Sciences for Pain Behaviours for the department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Dr. Maida has worked as a team physician with the McMaster University varsity soccer and football teams, Canadian Junior National Basketball Team (NEDA) and is currently the Head Team Physician for the Hamilton Tiger Cats (CFL). Dr. Maida is also actively involved in resident and medical school education. He currently serves as Section Coordinator for pain medicine teaching in the department Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and Education Coordinator for the Pain Medicine residency program under the department of Anaesthesia. Dr. Maida is also the current Chair of the Anesthesia pain rounds, and Lecturer for undergraduate introductory pain session for McMaster University medical students. In addition to being the co-chair of National Pain Rounds for trainees, Dr. Maida is also part of the National Pain Rounds Committee.
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Co-Chair
Dr. David Clinkard
Dr. Clinkard is an anesthesiologist and pain medicine specialist based in Kingston Ontario. He did his anesthesia training at University of Toronto and his Pain Medicine residency at McMaster. Currently his research and clinical interests focus on peripheral joint pain and its treatments.
Our Trainee Chairs
A platform for innovative minds to bring forward inspiring ideas and discover solutions to help you in your mentorship programs.
Providing educational resources for learners in efforts to prepare the next generation of pain management clinicians for the full scope of practice opportunities, from basic science research transitioning into clinical practice.