Five young scientists win EFIC-Grünenthal Grant 2018

Brussels/Aachen (ots) -

- Five creative ideas aimed at advancing research in pain have been
selected to receive funding from the prestigious EFIC-Grünenthal
Grant (E-G-G) 2018.
- The selected teams of young scientists will start executing there
innovative projects with the ambitious objective to improve the lives
of people in pain.

The European Pain Federation EFIC® and the pharmaceutical company
Grünenthal have announced the five research projects that will
receive funding as part of the EFIC-Grünenthal Grant (E-G-G). With a
total value of EUR200,000, this biennial grant supports young
scientists in their quest to turn creative ideas into research
projects that deliver life-changing pain management approaches.

Pain is a major healthcare problem

One in five European citizens suffers from chronic pain. In
addition, the European population is aging which will increase the
number patients suffering from pain in the near future. Pain has a
negative impact on the quality of life and creates a substantial
economic and social burden. The direct and indirect healthcare costs
of chronic pain within the European Union countries is estimated to
2-3% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This is the challenge that
the European Pain Federation EFIC® and Grünenthal are seeking to
tackle together through the EFIC-Grünenthal Grant (E-G-G).

The E-G-G aims to raise awareness about unmet needs in pain
management and to support young pain scientists in exploring novel
ideas for research projects. It awards grants of up to EUR 40,000 per
project. The recipients are selected by the independent EFIC®
Scientific Research Committee, a multi-disciplinary team of experts
in the pain field. The committee vote criteria include originality of
the projects and the potential clinical impact. In addition to the
provided financial support, the winning projects have also the
opportunities to discuss and finetune their ideas and projects with
leading experts in pain research.

"There are far too many patients who receive inadequate treatment
because it can be very difficult to diagnose and manage pain," says
Barbara Przewlocka, Chair of the Research Committee Working Group on
Grants and Prizes. "That's why I'm so proud to see the growing
interest in pain research. The E-G-G helps young scientists who are
beginning their careers and gives them an opportunity to explore
creative approaches to clinical research with the potential to
improve pain therapy."

The E-G-G winners 2018

In a two-step evaluation, 6 selected reviewers and 4 members of
the EFIC® Research Committee Working Group on Grants and Prizes
reviewed 61 applications that were submitted as part of the E-G-G
2018 program. They selected five projects for funding.

The winners are:

- Robin Bekrater-Bodmann, Germany
Prosthesis embodiment induced by multimodal sensory feedback: neural
correlates and its potential for the treatment of phantom limb pain
in lower-limb amputees

- Alex Clark, United Kingdom
Investigating the pathophysiology of SPTLC1 mutations that cause
painful hereditary sensory neuropathy type 1 using human iPSC-derived
sensory neurons

- Eleonora Galosi, Italy
Disclosing mechanisms underlying painful diabetic neuropathy. A
clinical and skin biopsy study with new emerging sensory biomarkers

- Elena Makovac, United Kingdom
What is the role of baroreceptors in descending pain modulation?

- Jonas Zaman, Belgium
The missing link between fear learning and pain levels: an
investigation into sensory discrimination

The winners will be officially recognised during the opening
ceremony of the 11th Congress of the European Pain Federation EFIC®.
This event takes place in Valencia, Spain, from 4 to 7 September
2019.

The day after this ceremony, representatives from previous E-G-G
winning projects will share insights into the results of their
research activities 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®

Headquartered in Diegem/Brussels, the European Pain Federation
EFIC® is a multidisciplinary professional organization in the field
of pain research and medicine, consisting of the 37 chapters of the
International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP®), 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: www.europeanpainfederation.eu

About Grünenthal

Grünenthal is a global leader in pain management and related
diseases. As a science-based, privately-owned pharmaceutical company,
we have a long track record of bringing innovative treatments and
state-of-the-art technologies to patients worldwide. Our purpose is
to change lives for the better - and innovation is our passion. We
are focussing all of our activities and efforts on moving towards our
vision of a world free of pain.

Grünenthal is headquartered in Aachen, Germany, and has affiliates
in 30 countries across Europe, Latin America and the US. Our products
are available in more than 100 countries. In 2018, Grünenthal
employed around 4,900 people and achieved sales of EUR 1.3 bn.

More information: www.grunenthal.com

Follow us on:
LinkedIn: Grunenthal Group
Twitter: @grunenthalgroup
Instagram: grunenthal

Contact:
Sam Kynman
Executive Director
European Pain Federation EFIC®
Grensstraat 7, Mailbox 3
B-1831 Diegem
Fax: +32 2 251 48 10
Email: sam.kynman@efic.org
www.europeanpainfederation.eu

Stepan Kracala
Head Global Communications Grünenthal
DE-52099 Aachen
E-Mail: Stepan.Kracala@grunenthal.com
Phone: +49 241 569 1335

Original-Content von: Grünenthal Group, übermittelt durch news aktuell