Skip to Main Content Go to Sitemap
SickKids

Pain Management, Research and Education Centre

The Pain Management, Research and Education Centre (Pain Centre) is a leading international paediatric centre specializing in pain prevention and treatment. We aim to prevent and minimize pain for all children in a family-centered environment by fostering collaboration, excellence, integrity, and innovation between interprofessional teams that integrate clinical care, education, and research.

The SickKids Pain Centre is one of only two institutions in the country with certification from ChildKind, an international organization that recognizes health-care institutions that provide excellent pain care for children. The Centre is also Central Canada’s regional hub for the national mobilization network, Solutions for Kids in Pain (SKIP)

Pain Centre Organizational Chart. PDF version available below image

Pain Centre Organizational Chart (PDF)

The SickKids Pain Centre is co-directed by  Dr. Fiona Campbell,  and  Dr. Jennifer Stinson, and includes prominent scientists, clinician leaders, and partners from top national and international paediatric organizations. The Centre collaborates with top international research scientists to lead ground-breaking projects across the fields of clinical and basic science.

We host the internationally recognized training program  Pain in Child Health (PICH) and lead outstanding local and global initiatives in paediatric pain (hosting educational events, creating educational materials for healthcare professionals, kids, and families, and funding research competitions).

We are committed to providing accessible formats as part of our commitment to Accessibility. Captions are available on this video through YouTube.

Request alternative format for this video

We ensure safe and effective pain practice for children by providing leadership for local and global paediatric pain initiatives. We’re continuously building on our culture of appropriate expectations for pain through pain management, research, and education initiatives. 

Education and training resources

Calendar

Invisible burdens – the intersection of mental health and pain disparities

This cross talk session will feature a panel of experts discussing the intersection of mental health and pain disparities, providing attendeees with a unique opportunity to engage in thought-provoking discussions and network with panel speakers following the panel talk. Register before Oct. 31, 2024!

When: Nov. 4, 2024, 12 to 1:30 p.m.
Where: Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning

Register for the talk

Calendar

Annual Pain Centre Conference

This year's conference theme is "Building bridges to reduce disparities in paediatric pain". The conference schedule features a lineup of outstanding speakers, panel discussions, a morning networking session and insights from new trainees in a rapid-fire session. Register before Oct. 24, 2024!

When: Nov. 5, 2024, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Where: Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning

Register for the conference

We work with all types of health-care professionals, providing access to the most current evidence-based recommendations, resources and training opportunities.

Pediatric Pain Management Standard

Solutions for Kids in Pain (SKIP) and the Health Standards Organization (HSO) are pleased to announce Canada’s first national Pediatric Pain Management standard, establishing a set of guidelines for the delivery of pain management for children from birth to 19 years. The standard provides guidance to health care organizations on how to deliver equitable and quality pain management across hospital settings.

Solutions for Kids in Pain

The SickKids Pain Centre is a regional hub for Solutions for Kids in Pain, a national knowledge mobilization network, whose mission is to improve children's pain management by mobilizing evidence-based solutions in Canadian health institutions.

Pain in Child Health (PICH)

PICH is an international, innovative cross disciplinary research training consortium with a community of scholars in pediatric pain.

Project ECHO

Paediatric Project ECHO has four accredited curricula delivered by SickKids - paediatric pain management, complex care, obesity management, and palliative care. Each live ECHO session aims cultivate an all-teach, all-learn community of practice and includes a didactic presentation, Q&A and a case discussion. Find out more about what other ECHO participants have to say, annual reports and academic posters on the Paediatric Project ECHO Impact page.

Annual Pain Centre Conference

The Annual Pain Centre Conference targets health-care professionals/trainees, researchers, policy makers and patients and families and addresses key themes in EDI, mental health and COVID-19. 

Pain Centre membership for healthcare professionals

In partnership with patients, researchers, and front-line clinicians, the free SK Pain Centre membership includes prominent scientists and clinician leaders, and partners with impactful national and international paediatric organizations.

Clinical Practice Guidelines

Pain in Child Health (PICH) program

The PICH research training initiative at SickKids has transformed Canada into a world leader in paediatric pain research, bringing the international paediatric pain research community together across several collaborative efforts.

PICH has cultivated a tight-knit community of scientists and trainees dedicated to learning and informing changes in practice to minimize pain and suffering of children around the globe.

Visit the PICH website

Online Paediatric Pain Curriculum 

The Online Paediatric Pain Curriculum (OPPC) is a free, mobile friendly, broad education platform created by over 40 authors based on the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) core curriculum to learn about pain with clinical, basic science and ethical themes. It consists of 13 modules that take 20–25 minutes each and offers a certificate of completion. It has been used internationally and has reach in low-to-middle income countries.

Research

The Pain Centre administers pain-focused grant competitions and directs outcome evaluation for Pain Centre-sponsored research initiatives.

Pain Centre Seed Grant 2024

The Pain Centre is accepting funding applications for clinical rseearch projects focused on the study of sex and gender disparities in children experiencing pain. This call is in alignment with the IASP 2024 Global Theme.

The Centre will fund one seed grant with a maximum budget of $10,000 for a duration of 12 months. Submit your application to pain.centre@sickkids.ca by 5 p.m. on Oct. 21, 2024.

Read the full 2024 Seed Grant Guidelines (PDF)

Internal researchers

Associate scientists

Research Associates

  • Dr. Chitra Lalloo

Project Investigators

  • Dr. Fiona Campbell
  • Dr. Naiyi Sun
  • Dr. Danielle Ruskin
  • Dr. Sasha Litwin

External researchers

Sign up for a free Pain Centre membership

Both health-care professionals and patients & families can register for a free SickKids Pain Centre membership! Get access to resources, opportunities and events in pain management, education/knowledge mobilization and research.

Register online through the links below!

For health-care professionals   For patients and families

And don't forget to sign up for our newsletter - get Pain Centre news and resources delivered to your inbox.

Contact us

Have a question? Get in touch with us today by emailing pain.centre@sickkids.ca

Follow us on Twitter @SKPainCentre

Back to Top