International Symposium on Pediatric Pain

International Symposium on Pediatric Pain

IASP’s Pain in Childhood Special Interest Group hosts the biannual International Symposium on Pediatric Pain (ISPP). ISPP is the premier international, interdisciplinary conference on pain in infants, children, and adolescents. It attracts a global audience of professionals and scholars and provides attendees with the latest research in the management of acute, procedural, and chronic pediatric pain.

The International Symposium on Pediatric Pain (ISPP) was first held in 1988 in Seattle, USA and has been organised biannually ever since. See below for an overview. Program brochures for ISPPs from 2000 onward are located here (IASP login required), available as one PDF for each conference.

ISPP 2023

ISPP 2023 will be held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. October 1-5. 2023.
This year’s theme is Better Together, Innovation Through Partnerships. Under the direction of the Scientific Program Committee, led by Jennifer Rabbitts and Julia Wager, there will be rigorous science, real-life stories, and knowledge sharing to build capacity in the pediatric pain community.

Attendees will include:

      • Pediatricians
      • Anesthetists
      • Clinicians
      • Researchers
      • Patients With Lived Experience
      • Nurses
      • Psychologists
      • Physiotherapists
      • Occupational Therapists

We hope to foster partnerships and innovation through joint learning of the best international research. Attendees will learn from innovative leaders in pediatric pain science, clinical care, and those with lived experiences, through keynote plenary lectures, concurrent sessions, and workshops.
ISPP 2023 will be co-hosted by the Center for Pediatric Pain Research and Solutions for Kids in Pain, in partnership with Discover Halifax.

Early Bird Registration Deadline: 2 June
Register Now >

Pain Education Day: Knowledge Mobilization, Taking Knowledge Outside the Box

Pain Education Day, 1 October, is a patients included event hosted by Solutions for Kids in Pain (SKIP) in partnership with the Centre for Pediatric Pain Research (CPPR) and the Pain in Child Health (PICH) training program.
The special topics Pain Education Day will provide a deep dive into knowledge mobilization for anyone interested in learning more about how to bridge the gaps between research and practice, and policy. This event is for researchers, health professionals (from all disciplines), administrators, policymakers, trainees, patient partners, and others. Anyone from around the world or locally who wants to learn how to make a difference for children in pain is encouraged to register.
Learn More >

Past International Symposiums on Pediatric Pain

      • 2023 Halifax, Canada (October 1-5)
      • 2022 Auckland, New Zealand
      • 2019 Basel, Switzerland
      • 2017 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
      • 2015 Seattle, USA
      • 2013 Stockholm, Sweden
      • 2010 Acapulco, Mexico
      • 2006 Vancouver, Canada
      • 2003 Sydney, Australia
      • 2000 London, England
      • 1997 Helsinki, Finland
      • 1994 Philadelphia, USA
      • 1991 Montreal, Canada
      • 1988 Seattle, USA