The Department is very proud to be a part of the Pittsburgh Pain Consortium (PPC).
On May 7, 2025, PPC held its first-ever Pain Day at the University of Pittsburgh’s Alumni Hall, drawing over 200 participants from across the region. The event spotlighted groundbreaking research and fostered collaboration among scientists from Pitt, Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), and Duquesne University.
The day kicked off with remarks from PPC leaders Benedict Alter, MD, PhD, and Rebecca Seal, PhD, followed by presentations from the heads of PPC’s four research centers: Gwen Sowa (LB3P), Sarah Ross (PCPR), Ajay Wasan (CIPC), Jessica Merlin (CHAMPP), and Anantha Shekhar, MD, PhD, Senior Vice Chancellor for the Health Sciences, also addressed attendees.
The program featured lectures on topics ranging from biomarker profiling in chronic low back pain to ultrasound neuromodulation, with notable talks by Nam Vo.
A midday luncheon offered networking opportunities and celebrated the winners of the Virginia Kaufman Pain Research Challenge: Michael Gold, PhD, and Ben Alter, MD, PhD, each awarded $75,000 to advance their work.
The keynote lecture by Nobel Laureate David Julius, PhD, titled “Gut Feelings: Probing Mechanisms of Visceral Pain,” captivated attendees. David shared the 2021 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine with Ardem Patapoutian for their discoveries of TRP ion channels, which are receptors that detect temperature and touch.
Pain Day wrapped up with a vibrant poster session and reception, featuring more than 90 research posters. Four presenters were honored for excellence in pre-clinical and clinical research:
With its dynamic programming and enthusiastic participation, Pain Day 2025 laid the foundation for an annual tradition dedicated to advancing pain science and care across Pittsburgh’s academic and clinical communities.