UTS pain management expert wins 2024 NSW Young Tall Poppy

What are your areas of expertise? 

My expertise covers paediatric pain research, pain science education and physiotherapy. I’m focussed on understanding and improving how children perceive and manage pain. I develop educational resources to make pain science accessible to all ages. I’m very passionate about growing scientific literacy at a community level, and that aligns well with one of the key focuses of the Young Tall Poppy award. 

What research are you currently working on? 

Currently, I am working on a wide range of collaborative projects ranging from clinical to experimental pain studies, right through to testing public-facing education initiatives. I’m also exploring potential clinical uses of artificial intelligence chatbots to help manage chronic pain. 

Why is your research important? 

Pain can stop us from doing what we enjoy. Among children experiencing it, chronic pain causes them to miss an average of nine weeks of school per year. This results in lost learning, huge costs and a feeling of disconnection. My research is crucial because it addresses the significant burden of paediatric chronic pain. By improving pain education and management, we can enhance the quality of life for young individuals and their families. Understanding pain from a bio-psychosocial perspective could allow for more effective interventions and also support a whole-child approach to health care.   

You can read the full Q&A here: UTS pain management expert wins 2024 NSW Young Tall Poppy.