Exploring Innovation, Collaboration, and Inspiration at EFIC 2025

The EFIC 2025 Congress in Lyon brought together clinicians, researchers, and people with lived experience from across Europe to share ideas, research, and innovations in the field of pain. Thanks to bursary support from the Irish Pain Society, several Irish delegates had the opportunity to attend and present their work. From powerful keynote sessions to poster presentations and informal networking, this year’s Congress offered valuable insights and renewed energy for those working at the intersection of pain management, research, and patient advocacy. Below, a number of bursary recipients share their reflections and key takeaways from what was a memorable and inspiring experience.

Maura McCarron
Attending EFIC with the support of the Irish Pain Society bursary was a very rewarding experience. Presenting my poster allowed me to engage with leading researchers and clinicians, gaining valuable feedback and new perspectives on my work. One of the highlights of the conference was meeting one of the original developers of a pain education programme I have been researching as part of my PhD. This conversation gave me a deeper understanding of the programme’s evolution and real-world impact and provided inspiration for future directions in my research. I’m grateful to the Society for supporting my attendance at this event and for the chance to gain experience that will support my development as a PhD researcher.

Ann Marie Kiernan
Attending the EFIC 2025 Congress in Lyon was a truly motivating experience for me. It was valuable to see such strong collaboration and sharing of new knowledge and innovation from other clinicians and researchers, and to have collaborative, thought-provoking conversations around important topics relevant to everyone’s fields. One of the standout moments for me was Dr. Melanie Noel’s powerful talk on childhood adversity and its lifelong impact on pain. Her insights really deepened my understanding of the psychological dimensions of chronic pain and the importance of addressing multidimensional aspects impacting on the patient’s experience for best outcomes. I also found Dr. Michelle Roche’s session on the neurobiology of pain and mood disorders incredibly engaging. Having minimal exposure to pain research techniques, her session created clarity in the area and has given me initiative to expand my field of learning to more than just clinical based research. The workshops on integrating technology-based therapies, particularly on extended reality, felt like a perfect fit with my poster topic and sparked several ideas I’m eager to explore back home. Overall, EFIC 2025 not only gave me the chance to share my work but also opened my eyes to the expansive range of approaches that are being taken to manage pain. Gaining insight into the potential future of pain research and medicine has left me excited for what’s possible.

Marian Myatt Clarke
My EFiC 2025 experience began even before take-off from Dublin to Lyon. With poster tubes stowed in most overhead lockers, it was easy to spot other conference-goers. I met a fellow-UCD researcher across the aisle, and we immediately begin a stimulating conversation about pain research. The next day I was privileged to speak about The relevance of grief in chronic pain, substance use and suicide during a workshop.  Then Friday, presenting my IPS-sponsored poster “Can Models & Theories of Grief Help Us Better Understand the Experience of Living with Chronic Pain? A Scoping Review” facilitated a gathering place for dialogue, progressing questions from the workshop, as well as beginning many new conversations about my research. Attending workshops, talks and poster-viewings developed further developed connections that I hope may grow into future research collaborations. I participated in EFiC 2025 not only as a researcher with a background in mental health practice, I was also able to engage in the congress as a person with lived experience- a far more unique role. I hope that my contributions as a speaker, a research poster-presenter and a lived-experience-attendee may promote more opportunities for people with pain to participate in the community of pain research in Europe. I am very grateful for the bursary from the Irish Pain Society that enabled me to present my poster, and I enthusiastically look forward to sharing my research and connecting with you all at the IPS congress in October!

Rachel Fitzpatrick
Attending the EFIC 2025 Congress in Lyon was a valuable and inspiring experience. I had the opportunity to present findings from my final PhD study, which explored the Feeling Better ASD pain programme for autistic children experiencing recurrent and chronic. I thoroughly enjoyed connecting with other professionals in the field of pain. It was inspiring to exchange ideas and insights with experts from around Europe. I’m very grateful to the Irish Pain Society for supporting my attendance and making this valuable opportunity possible.

Julie Sugrue
Attending the 14th Congress of the European Pain Federation EFIC in Lyon, France, with the support of an IPS bursary, was a real privilege and a highlight of my doctoral journey. I had the opportunity to present three posters on my research, which explores how physiotherapists screen for depression in individuals with low back pain, and I also delivered one oral presentation as part of a guided poster walk. These presentations created rich networking opportunities, sparking insightful discussions and valuable feedback that will undoubtedly shape the next stages of my research career. The formal sessions were both enlightening and informative, and I was especially inspired by connecting with new, and re-connecting with familiar, researchers and clinicians from across Europe who share a passion for bridging the gap between mental and physical health. In addition to learning a great deal and re-energising my research trajectory, I made lifelong friends and enjoyed stunning food in a picturesque and welcoming city.  I am sincerely grateful to IPS for their generous support in making my attendance at EFIC possible.