McGill Mini-Science 2012
OUCH! - The science of pain from onset to relief
Wednesday evenings, March 28 - May 9, 2012
The chemical conquest of pain (March 28, 2012)
Speaker: Joe Schwarcz, Ph.D., Director, McGill Office for Science and Society [Joe Schwarcz's bio]
When you are in pain, nothing else matters. You just want relief. And the right chemicals can provide it. Tracing mankind's efforts to conquer pain makes for a fascinating romp through chemical history. Fret not, it is painless.
How the mind can alter pain (April 4, 2012)
Speaker: Catherine Bushnell, Ph.D., Harold Griffith Professor of Anesthesia, McGill University [Catherine Bushnell's bio]
This lecture will discuss the mechanisms by which psychological state alters pain and how this may be changed in chronic pain conditions.
Pain, friends, sex and your mother: complexity and opportunity in pain science and treatment (April 11, 2012)
Speaker: Jeff Mogil, Ph.D., Canada Research Chair in Genetics of Pain, E. P. Taylor Chair in Pain Studies, Department of Psychology, McGill University [Jeff Mogil's bio]
This lecture presents the latest advances in pain genetics, evidence that the sexes may differ qualitatively in their neural processing of pain, and intriguing evidence that pain can be powerfully modulated by social interactions and communication, even in mice.
Why a broken heart really does hurt (April 18, 2012)
Speaker: Jennifer Bartz, Ph.D., Department of Psychology, McGill University [Jennifer Bartz's bio]
Perspectives from neuroscience on pain and the overlap between physical and social pain.
Helping people with pain resume occupational involvement (April 25, 2012)
Speaker: Michael Sullivan, Ph.D., Canada Research Chair in Behavioural Health, Department of Psychology, McGill University [Michael Sullivan's bio]
This presentation will highlight some of the psychosocial factors that have been shown to contribute to occupational disability in individuals with pain conditions.
Just say know: what marijuana has taught us about pain control (May 2, 2012)
Speaker: Mark A. Ware, M.D., FRSQ Senior Clinical Research Scholar, Director of Clinical Research, Alan Edwards Pain Management Unit [Mark Ware's bio]
This presentation explores the science behind the extraordinary claims that are made around marijuana and pain management, from demon drug to miracle herb, and suggests there are some intriguing avenues of new research opening up that offer some new ways to treat pain.
The pain-reward connection (May 9, 2012)
Speaker: Petra Schweinhardt, Ph.D., Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, and Faculty of Dentistry, McGill University [Petra Schweinhardt's bio]
Pain and reward are two motivational processes that oppose each other. This talk will explore how pain and reward processing interact.