The Pain Beat (Episode 21)-Lens Talk About It: The Intricate World of Eye Pain

Manager's note: The Pain Beat, launched and supported by a generous grant from the MAYDAY Fund, with additional funding from the Rita Allen Foundation, brings together the world's leading pain investigators with the purpose of sparking dialogue and debate around important ideas in pain research. Guided by Lite Yang, Scientific Director and co-producer, and Rebecca Seal, Chair Editorial Board of PRF, the podcasts feature open and spirited discussions about the hottest topics in pain and how the field moves forward.

Here we dive into a topic that's both surprisingly complex and often overlooked—eye pain. Our eyes are among the most sensitive structures in the human body, yet the mechanisms behind ocular pain remain poorly understood. In this episode, we have the pleasure hosting clinicians who are treating patients with eye pain every day speak with their colleagues and collaborators, who are preclinical pain researchers working to unravel the underlying biology. What emerged was a fascinating conversation about the different types and distinct mechanisms driving eye pain. Our guests explored the organ's intricate structures and their relationships to sensation as well as the role of different brain regions in shaping how we ultimately perceive and experience ocular discomfort.

Dr. Sue Aicher, Ph.D., Oregon Health and Science University,

Dr. Anna Matynia, Ph.D. University of Houston college of Optometry,

Dr. Brooke Harkness, O.D., M.S., FAAO, Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health and Science University,

Dr. Lindsey Delott, M.D., University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center

Dr. Anat Galor, M.D., M.S.P.H., Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at University of Miami,

Moderator was Dr. Sejiro Littleton, Ph.D., Duke University

This episode was produced by Lite Yang, and edited by Dieu Ni Daon. Music by Kevin Seal of Seal Party.