FPM research webinar: Involving lived experience in pain-related research

Registration

Open to all ANZCA and FPM fellows, trainees, SIMG's and the broader research community.

FPM and ANZCA attendees: Register here

Non-fellow attendees: Contact [email protected]

FPM webinar: Involving lived experience in pain-related research

High-quality pain research is increasingly shaped by partnership. Working with people who live with pain can strengthen study design, improve translation into practice, and build trust with the community.

Whether you are early in your research journey or looking to strengthen existing projects, this session will explore how researchers can meaningfully involve lived experience across the research cycle, and build confidence and capability to engage lived experience in a respectful and meaningful way.

Led by Kate May, Community Representative on the FPM Research Committee, the session will take a practical, experience-driven approach, bringing together theory, real examples and emerging best practice - from early consultation through to deeper collaboration. You’ll hear from speakers who have worked at the interface of research and lived experience, sharing what works, what doesn’t, and what to consider in real-world research settings.

What you'll learn

• Why lived experience partnerships are becoming a cornerstone of high-quality research
• Practical engagement methods researchers can use today
• Common challenges and how to navigate them
• How researchers can foster allyship, power-sharing and supportive research environments

CPD: Category 2: Knowledge and Skills – Learning sessions

Our speakers include

Kate May - Community representative, FPM Research Committee

Kate May is a communications consultant and IUHPE-registered health promotion practitioner based in Melbourne. She brings both professional and lived-experience insights to her work, shaped by years of navigating chronic pain alongside roles in public health, communications, engagement, research, and policy. Kate joined the FPM Research Committee in 2025 to support lived experience insight and community engagement in the Faculty's research priorities. 

Dr Katherine Brain - Board member and research co-lead, Chronic Pain Australia:

Dr Katherine Brain is a lecturer and accredited practising dietitian who leads key research initiatives with Chronic Pain Australia, including the National Pain Survey and the Kids in Pain Survey. Her work focuses on amplifying lived‑experience voices and strengthening consumer‑led chronic pain research across Australia. Katherine completed her PhD on nutrition and chronic pain in 2019, holds several leadership and advocacy roles and works as a Lecturer at the University of Newcastle and Senior Dietitian at Hunter Integrated Pain Service.

Dr Sam Rowbotham - Senior research fellow, Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University:

Dr  Sam Rowbotham is a senior research fellow and interdisciplinary health researcher with a background in psychology. Her work spans citizen science, co-design, partnership development, public engagement, health policy, and program evaluation. She currently manages a Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF) funded research program focused on the co-design of a digital health solution to support young people living with chronic musculoskeletal pain (led by Prof Helen Slater and Prof Andrew Briggs).

Breanna Tory- Chronic pain advocate and psychologist:

Breanna is a psychologist and advocate committed to improving care for young people living with chronic pain. Drawing on lived experience, research, and systems-level work, she focuses on amplifying young people’s voices and challenging the way their pain is often misunderstood or minimised. She has contributed to national and international research, helped establish a national support group for young adults with chronic pain, and consulted on government health initiatives.

More information:

Contact Cathy Langley, FPM Research Committee CSO if you have any questions.