PainScouts: Scientific training and exchange

This constellation offers the unique opportunity to pass on expert knowledge from several disciplines directly and in condensed form to clinician scientists or doctoral students. In addition, the lively exchange makes it possible to incorporate innovative ideas and expanding aspects at all levels into one's own perspective and thus into the procedure. For special questions, the right contact person can be found easily. Furthermore, due to the different approaches in pain research, versatile techniques, skills and know how are imparted.

Basic scientific training

Our aim at KFO 5001 is to provide all doctoral students or clinician scientists with a sound and comprehensive training in scientific work:

• The Graduate School of Life Sciences (GSLS) offers doctoral candidates in medicine or the life sciences a structured skills program in which not only general basic knowledge of research work is taught, but also concrete instructions for completion of a doctoral thesis are given.
• The Integrative Clinician Scientist College (ICSC) and the Center for Clinical Research (IZKF) offer clinician scientists – adapted to their needs – appropriate skills. These advanced training courses and seminars include, for example, topics such as biostatistics, good clinical practice, scientific writing or instructions on scientific presentations.

Specialist training

Every month, a meeting of all PainScouts and all interested members of the KFO research unit takes place at a Jour fixe. At first, new methods and procedures were explained. This is now followed by the presentation of individual projects and their progress. Subsequently, the contents will be discussed across disciplines and training. This offers the opportunity for a mutual and lively exchange on the topic of pain resolution. 

To intensify the basic training, the principal investigators offer specifically selected hands-on classes to all PainScouts in their respective expert fields. These offer methodological insights into techniques specifically used in pain research such as the quantitative sensory testing, imaging of nerve pain, cultivation of sensitive neurons from stem cells of patients, investigation in preclinical models of pain or pain measurement in fruit flies.

Journal Club

In addition, several research groups organize a weekly Journal Club on fixed days. Headed by respective project leader, the workgroup members or the PainScouts present a current article from clinical research or basic research on a selected topic. If you are interested in attending, please register in advance. The events will be held in English.