NUS Nursing Research Seminar: From Biobehavioral Mechanisms to Translational Interventions: Advancing Pain and Symptom Management Across the Lifespan

Presented by Prof Xiaomei S. Cong, from Yale University School of Nursing, and hosted by NUS Nursing’s Prof Wang Wenru, the seminar will highlight translational research examining the biobehavioral, e.g., brain–gut–microbiome mechanisms of pain and related symptom experiences across the lifespan. Drawing on studies of pain and stress in infants, pain in young adults with irritable bowel syndrome, and pain in older adults, the presentation will illustrate how mechanistic insights can inform innovative, patient-centered interventions. Examples will include nurse-led self management interventions and home-based transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS) strategies, with an emphasis on leveraging emerging technologies and interdisciplinary approaches to translate mechanistic discoveries into scalable strategies for pain and symptom management.