Cutting edge science in pain treatment in order to improve patients' lives

The European Pain Federation EFIC® in cooperation with the pharmaceutical company Grünenthal announced that six young research scientists in the field of pain will be awarded an EFIC-GRÜNENTHAL Grant (E-G-G). This biennial grant, totalling € 200,000, supports up-and-coming pain scientists in translating their experimental project ideas into funded pain research projects.

Pain treatment still a challenge

Pain is one of the most common reasons for which people seek medical attention. It is a major healthcare problem in Europe impacting both the individual suffering from symptoms limiting their quality of life and for the society through its economic burden. The estimated direct and indirect healthcare costs for chronic pain disorders in European Member States vary between 2% and 3% of GDP across the EU. For 2015 this estimate would result in € 294 - 441 billion. Although acute pain may reasonably be considered a symptom of disease or injury, chronic and recurrent pain is a specific challenge and can even be considered as a disease in its own right.

For the tenth time now, the European Pain Federation EFIC® together with the pharmaceutical company Grünenthal supports young pain scientists. Research Grants are supported by up to € 40,000 per project. Awards are decided by the EFIC® Scientific Research Committee, a multi-disciplinary team of renowned experts in the field.

“I am quite optimistic about the increasing interest in pain research as illustrated by a growing number of young people involved in preclinical and clinical pain studies“, expresses Dr Luis Villanueva, Chair of the Scientific Research Committee. He continues: „The EFIC-GRÜNENTHAL Grant represents an original and helpful support to young scientists at early stages of their career. The E-G-G program thus contributes to develop innovative clinical research to help millions of people suffering from pain.”

The E-G-G winners 2016

The Scientific Research Committee of the European Pain Federation EFIC® reviewed 70 applications submitted in the competition of the E-G-G 2016 program and judged six project proposals to be the best for funding. Global criteria for selection took into account the highest scores, but also other important aspects including excellence and diversity in terms of subjects, areas of research, originality and potential clinical impact.

The winners are:


Susanne BECKER, Mannheim, Germany Altered cognitive-emotional networks in chronic pain: the modulatory role of dopamine.
Piero CHIACCHIARETTA, Chieti, Italy Intersubject variability of brainstem modulation of the endogenous analgesia and phenotypical characterization of the nociceptive profile in humans. A cortical-brainstem connectivity study.
Joukje OOSTERMAN, Nijmegen, The Netherlands Disentangling pain and fatigue: a clinical and neurocognitive approach.
Max ORTIZ CATALAN, Gothenburg, Sweden Motor execution as a treatment for Phantom Limb Pain.
Roi TREISTER, Haifa, Israel Can training increase reporting accuracy and study power in human pain trials.
Anne-Priscille TROUVIN, Paris, France Peripheral and central effects of TNF in inflammatory pain. Evolution of pain and conditioned pain modulation after anti-TNF therapies in rheumatoid arthritis. The RAPID study.


The prize winners will be presented during the Opening Ceremony of the 10th Congress of the European Pain Federation EFIC®, taking place in Copenhagen, Denmark from 6 – 9th September 2017.

In addition, on the following day former E-G-G winners will have the opportunity to give insights into the results of their awarded projects at the Symposium “New Findings in Clinical Pain Research”.

For further information please visit www.e-g-g.info

About the European Pain Federation EFIC®

With headquarters in Diegem/Brussels, the European Pain Federation EFIC® is a multidisciplinary professional organisation in the field of pain research and medicine, consisting of the 37 chapters of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP®), which are the IASP® approved official National Pain Societies in each country. Established in 1993, the European Pain Federation EFIC® constituent chapters represent Pain Societies from 37 European countries and more than 20,000 physicians, basic researchers, nurses, physiotherapists, psychologists and other healthcare professionals across Europe, who are involved in pain management and pain research. For more information, please visit www.europeanpainfederation.eu.