Our story: Tackling chronic pain together
Discover the mission behind PainNet, born from a critical need to address the global challenge of chronic pain. Learn about our collaborative spirit and how we're working with leading universities to make a real difference in research, education, and community engagement.
Why PainNet was started
Pain is the most common reason people seek medical help, with at least one in every five people worldwide living with chronic pain. This figure is set to increase with an ageing global population. As such, pain and pain-related disorders are a leading cause of disability and disease burden globally.
The societal and economic costs associated with chronic pain are enormous, estimated at up to €12 billion per year in some European countries. Current painkillers (analgesics) are ineffective or inadequate in up to 70% of patients and are often associated with significant adverse side effects. Unquestionably, the treatment and management of chronic pain represents one of the most significant global challenges of the 21st Century.
The people behind PainNet
PainNet was founded by four ENLIGHT universities - University of Galway (Ireland), Bordeaux (France), Bern (Switzerland) and Ghent (Belgium). Our mission is to create a sustainable, international, and uniquely interdisciplinary platform within the ENLIGHT community.
We integrate expertise across research, education, and community engagement, bringing together dedicated individuals and teams from these institutions to drive our success and tackle the complexities of chronic pain.
Our main purpose: Collaborative impact
PainNet’s main purpose is to foster collaborative, cross-sector approaches and embed stakeholders into its initiatives. By doing so, we aim to drive innovative strategies that can meaningfully improve health outcomes and quality of life for individuals living with chronic pain.
This collaborative spirit helps our universities work together on activities and events, ensuring a unified and impactful approach to addressing this global health challenge.
Meet our team
PainNet brings together a established and early career researchers and academics with stakeholder and patient groups to work together to improve the understanding and management of pain. The Network is coordinated across the four universities by four lead academics and supported by five pillars.
Dr. Michelle Roche
PainNet Coordinator
University of Galway, Ireland
Prof. Pascal Fossat
University of Bordeaux, France
Prof. Thomas Nevian
University of Bern, Switzerland
Prof Stefaan Van Damme
University of Ghent, Belgium
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