PICH strives to engage researchers and clinicians in the field of paediatric pain through different events targeted at sharing knowledge and improving current research and clinical practices. Some of our events include PICH2GO conferences, as well as smaller PICH mentoring events focused on providing insight and mentorship to PICH trainees from senior PICH members.

PICH2GO

PICH2GO is a series of dynamic educational and networking events co-hosted by PICH and children’s hospitals from around the globe. Featuring world-renowned keynote speakers, PICH2GO makes the world a less painful place for children through collaborative events that bring together patients, families, clinicians, researchers, and decision-makers.

PICH2GO Toronto

Nov 9-10, 2016

Over the course of two days, PICH2GO Toronto will provided attendees with diverse and engaging education and networking opportunities to further pediatric pain clinical practice and research. The Coping Circus invited local trainees to work with hospital clinicians and researchers to disseminate evidence based practices to patients and families. The Researcher Networking Dinner was held at the Chelsea Hotel for all PICH trainees and faculty, and a workshop on powerful speaking for scientists. PICH2GO’s final events included the Conquering the Hurt Conference followed by the “Art from the Heart” Aboriginal Children’s Hurt and Healing (ACHH) Exhibit.

PICH2GO Calgary

Unravelling the Puzzle of Pediatric Pain: From Neurons to Narratives

Nov 24 – 25, 2016

PICH2GO Calgary was hosted at Alberta Children’s Hospital and consisted of 4 events over a 2 day period :

  1. Coping Circus
  2. Trainee Welcome Reception (Networking segment)
  3. Clinician conference Unraveling the Puzzle of Paediatric Pain: From Neurons to Narratives
  4. Research Dinner

PICH2GO Indigenous

Oct 11-12, 2017 – Funded by the CIHR meeting grant

PICH2GO Indigenous was held in Halifax, Nova Scotia. focused on providing interactive sessions on pain in Indigenous children. PICH2GO Indigenous offered  interactive sessions focused on pain in Indigenous children. Panelists included : Dr. Carrie Bourassa, Dr. Marcia Anderson, Dr. Chris Mushquash, Dr. Debbie Martin, Dr. Margot Latimer, and John Sylliboy.

PICH2GO Copenhagen

Partnering Against Paediatric Pain – Early pain and its long-term consequence

March 25-26, 2018

This was the first international PICH2GO event, held in Copenhagen, Denmark. PICH partnered with the University Hospital Copenhagen and the Pain in Early Life (PEARL) group and presented another dynamic event focused on paediatric pain.

PICH2GO Toronto

Moving the Field of Paediatric Pain Forward: From Cells to the Patient

November 13, 2018

PICH2GO Toronto included a line-up of dynamic speakers presenting emerging topics in the field of paediatric pain that span approaches in basic science and clinical research. This event was co-hosted by Dr. Melanie Noel and Dr. Tuan Trang.

PICH2GO Montreal

Legacy and Future of Pain in Child Health

November 15, 2019

PICH2GO Montreal was held at Shriners Hospital for Children. Speakers presented on emerging topics in the field of paediatric pain. It included a keynote lecture, interactive panel discussion, trainee blitz presentations, and didactic lectures. This event was hosted by Drs. Jennifer Stinson, Melanie Noel, Catherine Estelle-Ferland, Argerie Tsimicalis, Krista Baerg, Lindsay Jibb, Marsha Campbell-Yeo and Megan McMurtry.

Virtual PICH2GO

Knowledge Mobilization 

June 22, 2021

The one-day PICH2GO event focused on innovative knowledge dissemination techniques was held virtually on Tuesday June 22, 2021 in collaboration with the Shriner’s Hospital in Montreal and Solutions for Kids in Pain (SKIP). The event featured keynote presentations, KT activity session, quickfire presentations from KT experts, and a virtual cocktail hour. The PICH2GO planning committee members included Lindsay Jibb, Melanie Noel. Argerie Tsimicalis, Kathryn Birnie, Nicole Alberts, Christelle Poulin-Harnois, Thierry Pauyo, Maria Pavlova, Nynke Van Den Hoogen, Don Daniel Ocay, Nicole Mackenzie, Karen Hurtubise, Praveenah Sivabalan, and Cynthia Nguygen.

PICH2GO Montreal

  

Imaginging a Pain Free World

May 9-10, 2022

The PICH2GO event is focused on innovative pain management strategies and will be held in partnership with CHU Sainte-Justine and Shriner’s Hospital in Montreal. The event will feature keynote presentations and workshops on Virtual Reality (Dr. Sylvie LeMay), the CARD game (Dr. Anna Taddio), and Hypnosis for pain management (Dr. David Ogez and Dr. Jennifer Aramideh).

Webinars

PICH webinars are an amazing way to connect with trainees and faculty across the globe. Each month, a webinar is given on a topic about paediatric pain. The trainee provides a PowerPoint presentation about their research and a moderator asks questions and facilitates discussion.

Trainees and faculty from all over the world tune in and ask questions through the online platform as the presentation is given live. All PICH trainees are expected to give a least one webinar during their training.

Viewing information and Zoom links for each webinar are sent out a week prior and are only open to PICH trainees and PICH faculty.

Watch recordings of past PICH webinars

Thursday March 20, 2023 – 3:00pm – 4:30pm EST

Webinar Session Title : Patient Perspectives of Pediatric Pain

Webinar Presenters/Talks
1) Samantha Noyek (Canada) – Photos Sculpt Youth Stories of Their Major Surgery Journeys
2) Delane Linkiewich (Canada) – The Perceptions of Adolescents with Chronic Pain About Peer Support

3) Ryan Parson (UK) – Investigating the perception, understanding and experience of flourishing in adolescent chronic pain using Q-methodology

Webinar Moderator:
Dr. Paula Forgeron
Thursday June 29, 2023 – 3:00pm – 4:30pm EST

Webinar Session Title: Expert Perspectives: Knowledge Mobilization of Existing Tools for Pediatric Pain Assessment and Intervention 

Webinar Presenters/Talks: 

1) Nicole Pope (AUS) – Expert recommendations on using electronic medical records to care for hospitalised children with pain 

2) Olivia Dobson (Canada) – Making Needles Comfortable for Children with Autism: Parent Perspectives on Tailoring Existing Tools
3) Nicole MacKenzie (Canada) – Researchers’ perspectives on factors supporting successful knowledge mobilization in pediatric pain: A mixed-methods approach

Webinar moderator: 

TBD

Tuesday November 14, 2023 – 4:00pm – 5:30pm EST

Webinar Session Title: Predictors and Prevention of Chronic Pain in Youth 

Webinar Presenters/Talks:

1) Sarah Wallwork (AUS) – Identifying and harnessing opportunities for children to learn about pain and injury

2) Jenna Jessa (Canada) – Changes in brain microstructure with the chronification of pain in youth at risk for internalizing mental health conditions

3) Atiqa Priwani (Canada) – Predictors of the development of chronic pain following concussion in youth

Webinar moderator:

TBD

Mentorship

The PICH Mentorship initiative is led by our trainee representatives, Nynke van den Hoogen and Maria Pavlova. This initiative is focused on providing mentorship and networking opportunities for trainees and faculty members. Virtual mentorship events are held 3-4 times year. PICH Mentorship events are open to PICH trainees and PICH faculty.

If you have any suggestions that can help improve the PICH Mentorship initiative, please complete our Mentorship initiative suggestion form.

There are no events scheduled at this time. Stay tuned for details on upcoming events!

Cyber PICH: Virtual panel discussions

Career Development
June 2, 2020

The first Cyber PICH event included a wonderful line up of speakers including Drs. Katie Birnie, Jillian Vinall Miller, Rachael Bosma and Dawn Richards. The panelists shared their experiences and expertise in paediatric pain research career paths, tips on networking and applying for jobs and grants. The event also included a Q&A component and a breakout room for the opportunity for trainees to engage with the panelists in small groups.

Diversity in leadership, research, clinical practice and lived experience
Sept. 8, 2020

The second Cyber PICH event focused on diversity in leadership, research, clinical practice, lived experience. The panelists included Dr. Rebecca Pillai Riddell, Vina Mohabir, Dr. Hance Clarke and Dr. Margot Latimer.

Grant writing skills
January 22, 2021

Dr. Katelynn Boerner (University of British Columbia), Dr. Tuan Trang (University of Calgary), and Dr. Melissa Dalgleish (SickKids Research Institute) shared their expertise on grant writing skills.

Watch a recording of the Grant Writing Skills session
(Passcode: whuA#h91)

Fantastic Careers in Academia and Where to Find Them

October 15, 2021

Dr. Laura Simons, Dr. Joshua Pate, and Dr. Sabine Soltani shared their experiences related to exploring different paths towards academic careers.

Virtual Coffee

Trainees are paired with faculty members for a one-hour mentorship session. The one-hour meeting will be trainee-driven as trainees will come prepared with questions and ideas to discuss. This initiative will gives trainees the opportunity to practice networking, discuss career goals and how to reach them, and/or talk about any post-doctoral or lab visit opportunities.

Sign up for a virtual coffee chat!

Other PICH Events 

Conquering the Hurt Conference : Risk and Resilience

November 3, 2020

The Pain Centre at The Hospital for Sick Children partnered with PICH. The conference included Rapid Fire presentations from our PICH Trainees. The PICH Networking event included Pediatric Pain Trivia hosted by Maria Pavlova and Dr. Nynke van den Hoogen followed by a presentation on Research Continuity in the Face of the Pandemic by Dr. Rebecca Pillai Riddell.

Read the conference report

Conquering the Hurt Conference : Together Through Global Connections

November 2, 2021

The annual Conquering the Hurt Conference is organized by the SickKids Pain Centre in partnership with Pain in Child Health, Solutions for Kids in Pain and the SickKids Garron Family Cancer Centre. The conference included Rapid Fire presentations from our trainees; Delane Linkiewich, Emily Wildeboer, Don Daniel Ocay, Neta Baram, Kaytlin Constantin, and Nicole MacKenzie.

Minding Pain Conference

November 7-8 2022

The SickKids Pain Centre Annual Conference for 2022 was in partnership with the Garry Hurvitz Centre for Brain & Mental Health which took place during National Pain Awareness Week #NPAW at the Peter Gilgan Centre for Research & Learning (PGCRL). The keynote speakers included Dr. Gregory Wells, Dr. Christine Chambers, Isabel Jordan, Dr. Peter Szatmari and Dr. Steven Miller. The presentations included topics covering Mental Health and Pain, Knowledge Mobilization, Health Equity and Pain in the Developing Brain.