Launching the IASP 2026 Global Year of Neuropathic Pain: What is Neuropathic Pain and Why Does it Matter?

Fiona Talkington is a distinguished BBC radio presenter, best known for hosting the award-winning program Late Junction. She has presented live concerts from venues such as the Royal Albert Hall and Wigmore Hall and produced documentaries and talk shows for the BBC. Fiona holds a Master of Arts in Literature and the Visual Arts and a Master of Science in Creative Writing for Therapeutic Purposes (CWTP). She received the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit for her contributions to the arts and an honorary doctorate (D.Litt) from the University of Reading.  

Drawing on her personal experience with chronic neuropathic pain, Fiona serves as a patient partner in PAINSTORM and co-produces its podcast, PAINCAST.  

She has also participated in numerous SIGs for IASP and has facilitated numerous workshops for students and research groups with her focus on the communication and expression of chronic pain for individuals and in healthcare settingsand expression of chronic pain for individuals and in healthcare settings. In addition, Fiona has a forthcoming publication with Bloomsbury on the role of creative arts in enhancing communication between patients and clinicians. 

Harry Hebert is a Principal Investigator (Tenure Track) at the University of Dundee, specializing in chronic pain pharmacoepidemiology with a focus on neuropathic pain. He holds a BSc (Hons) in Genetics from the University of Nottingham (2009), an MSc in Human Molecular Genetics from Imperial College London (2010), and a PhD in Genetic Epidemiology from the University of Manchester (2015). Following his doctoral studies, Harry worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the Chronic Pain Research Group under Professors Blair H. Smith and Lesley Colvin at Dundee. Appointed to his current role in 2024, he leads the PAINSTORM Dundee study, funded by the Advanced Pain Discovery Platform (APDP), and conducts research into gabapentinoid reclassification in the UK and risk factors for mortality among individuals with chronic pain and substance use disorders. His career goal is to improve the lives of people living with chronic pain by leading research that influences clinical guidelines, policy, and practice. 

Jo Josh is a freelance communications professional specializing in translating medical and research information into plain language for mainstream audiences. Her background includes news and feature production for print and broadcast media, brand marketing, and crisis management. Since 2018, Jo has worked with the British HIV Association (BHIVA) on communications and advocacy with media, health systems, government, and HIV community organizations.  

She suffers from HIV-related peripheral neuropathy and edited language for “ACT OPEN,” a randomized controlled trial of online acceptance and commitment therapy for neuropathic pain in people living with HIV. In 2022, Jo provided plain language translations of research papers for IASP and is one of three patient partners for the PAINSTORM consortium (https://www.painstorm.co.uk), a three-year research project into the causes and mechanisms of neuropathic pain. She is a member of the Advanced Pain Discovery Platform (APDP).  

Jo’s roles include Data Safety Monitoring on the RIO study (bNAbs), CONNECT research into digital communications in sexual health, and patient communications for Surrey and Sussex Healthcare Trust as a member of its Council of Governors. She is a former Vice Chair of a NICE committee. 

Angelika Lampert, MD, is Director of the Institute of Neurophysiology at RWTH Aachen University, Germany. She coordinates the Sodium Channel Network Aachen and serves as speaker of the Scientific Center for Neuropathic Pain Aachen (SCNAACHEN), focusing on inherited neuropathic pain syndromes such as small fiber neuropathy linked to sodium channel mutations. Her research emphasizes translational basic science, including patient-derived stem cells, Patch-Seq, sodium channel biophysics, and pharmacology. Angelika is co-chair of the IASP Global Year 2026 on Neuropathic Pain. 

Neil is Professor of Evidence-Based Healthcare in the Physiotherapy Division of the Department of Health Sciences. He previously worked as a musculoskeletal physiotherapist and now divides his time between teaching and research. Neil’s research focuses on evidence-based management of persistent pain, and he has published extensively in this area. He leads modules on clinical research methods and evidence-based practice for pre- and post-graduate clinicians. Neil served as Coordinating Editor for the Cochrane Pain, Palliative and Supportive Care (PaPaS) group from 2020–2023 and was a member of Cochrane’s central editorial board. He contributed to the UK NICE 2016 clinical guideline on low back pain and sciatica and currently chairs the IASP Methods, Evidence Synthesis and Implementation Special Interest Group (MESIGIG). Neil is Scientific Coordinator of the ENTRUST-PE network, supported by ERA-NET Neuron Cofund, and co-chair of the IASP Global Year 2026 on Neuropathic Pain. 

Andrew Rice is Professor of Pain Research at Imperial College London and President of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP). He earned his medical degree from St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School in 1982 and his research doctorate from St. Thomas’ Hospital Medical School in 1991. Andrew underwent specialist training in Oxford and at St Thomas’ Hospital before joining Imperial College in 1995. He led the Pain Research Group at Imperial College from its inception in 1995 until 2026. His research spans neuropathic pain in infectious diseases (HIV, Herpes Zoster, HTLV-1, leprosy), diabetic neuropathy, and peripheral nerve trauma and amputation, with a focus on improving translational research and evidence synthesis.  

Andrew chaired the IASP Presidential Task Force on Cannabis and Cannabinoid Analgesia and the Scientific Programme Committee for the 2020 World Congress on Pain. He previously served as an IASP Councilor and was elected President-Elect in 2022. Andrew is an Honorary Consultant in Pain Medicine at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, stepping aside from clinical practice in 2023 to fulfill his presidential duties. 

http://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/a.rice

Dr. Mohammad Zunaid is an Assistant Professor in Bangladesh Civil Service under Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Bangladesh. He holds an MBBS, BCS (Health), and MD in Anesthesiology. Mohammad was an IASP Pain Fellow at Siriaj Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand, and serves as a WFSA Mentor in Anaesthesia and Pain. He contributed to Pharmacotherapy and non-invasive neuromodulation for neuropathic pain: a systemic review and meta-analysis as a Co-author. He is a member of the IASP Membership & Chapter Committee and the Presidential Task Force for the Global Year 2027.