Education

IDEA (Innovation, Discovery, and EducAtion) Series

The IDEA Series is a forum for pain clinicians and scientists to meet, learn about the latest discoveries, and brainstorm big solutions to big problems facing pain care. Programming includes external speakers, works-in-progress reviews, journal clubs, and educational sessions. It is attended by CIPC core faculty and research group members. All are welcome. Meetings will be held monthly. More information will be posted soon.

Pitt Pain Incubator Club

The Pitt Pain Incubator Club is an after-work gathering of trainees, faculty, and students with a like-minded interest in pain medicine and one of the first programs in the nation of its kind. Similar to a journal club, the group is entirely devoted to new medical device development in the pain space. The club meets quarterly, and all students, residents, fellows, and faculty any department in the University of Pittsburgh are welcome to attend. So far we have had participants from the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and the School of Engineering. Group tasks include device brainstorming and troubleshooting, discussion of intellectual property considerations, and discussion of committee assignments to further promising ideas. This group has already led to the filing of one provisional patent through Pitt’s Innovation Institute and several other promising ideas in progress, as well as a potential published manuscript outlining this program. Anyone at Pitt with an interest in pain medicine innovation who wishes to join the club, please reach out to Trent D. Emerick, MD, MBA, FASA.