French Pain Research Network

Twenty years ago, the French pain community organized itself into a network which was accredited by INSERM. The aim of the French Pain Research Network (RFRD) is to strengthen the existing links between basic and clinical research, thereby raising the profile of research in the field of pain and developing innovative research projects to propose new therapeutic strategies for the management of pain patients. The network is made up of 25 teams (University, Inserm, CNRS, Hospital...) from more than 15 different cities (Bordeaux, Brest, Clermont-Ferrand, Grenoble, Lyon, Marseille, Montpellier, Nice, Paris, Saint-Etienne, Strasbourg, Toulouse, Grenoble, Dijon, Orléans...), representing nearly 330 scientists (researchers, lecturers, doctors, staff, PhD students, post-docs) in fundamental (67%), clinical (20%) or translational (13%) research. The network's expertise ranges from multidisciplinary approaches in preclinical research (from molecules to behavior) to clinical research and pain management and treatment in specialized facilities.

A symposium is organized each year to bring together the players in this network, and will be held in Lyon on April 23, 2025, as a satellite to the EFIC congress (https://europeanpainfederation.eu/efic2025/). The symposium will bring together around 100 people from the academic (CNRS, INSERM, University, Hospital) and private sectors, as well as students. The symposium, which is free of charge, is an opportunity to present the latest advances in French pain research in the form of oral presentations on topics ranging from the fundamental to the clinic, with the participation of invited international speakers.