The Chronic Pain Research Alliance (CPRA) is the country’s first and only research-led collaborative advocacy effort dedicated to changing the lives of those with Chronic Overlapping Pain Conditions (COPCs).  The CPRA is an initiative of The TMJ Association.

Our Mission

With the ultimate goal of advancing timely diagnoses and effective evidence-based medical management for individuals affected by COPCs, the CPRA works with invested stakeholders to:

1. Promote high-quality research on chronic overlapping pain conditions
2. Translate research findings into information for patients and educational training programs for clinicians
3. Drive the development of safe and effective treatments for these conditions   

Our Vision for the Future

With the advancement of CPRA programs, we envision a future where individuals with COPCs will receive a timely and accurate diagnosis, followed by high-quality, comprehensive medical care and safe and effective treatment that is informed by the latest and most innovative scientific evidence.

In the process, these future goals will also be attained:

• Increased federal and private investment in COPCs research that is coordinated, standardized and collaborative
• Informed and educated health care providers
• Informed and empowered patients
• Development of safe and effective therapies specific to COPCs
• Maximized taxpayer dollars and decreased costs

CPRA’s Major Achievements & Milestones

January 2024: CPRA Director joins the Advisory Study Team for Duke University’s study, “A Novel Clinically-Relevant Mouse Model of Chronic Overlapping Pain Conditions for Screening Analgesics,” funded by the National Institutes of Health

December 2023: CPRA Director invited to serve on the Committee for the NASEM Forum on Temporomandibular Disorders

November 2023: CPRA Director interviewed by Dr. Michael Lenz on “Conquering your Fibromyalgia” Podcast 

November 2023: CPRA Director participates on USASP Patient Involvement Task Force to develop recommendations for patient engagement in pain research and USASP activities

October 2023: CPRA Director begins service as Co-Chair of the ENGAGE Initiative at the National Institutes of Health, which has been charged with developing a vision and framework for including public voices in the design and planning of all NIH-funded clinical research, as well as widespread dissemination of study findings

October 2023: CPRA Director joins Dr. Michele Buonora as co-investigator of the IMPOWR-YOU Partner Engagement Project, funded by the National Institutes of Health

October 2023: CPRA Director gives keynote address, “The Urgent Need to Develop Pain Therapeutics: A Patient’s Perspective,” at the National Institutes of Health HEAL Pain Partnering Meeting

July 2023: CPRA Director invited to participate as Planning Committee member for the February 2024 NIH HEAL Science Meeting

April 2023: CPRA Director joins Study Advisory Committee for the University of Alabama at Birmingham study, “CSI:OPIOIDS (Clinical Context of Suicide Following Opioid Transitions),” funded by the Department of Veterans Affairs

April 2023: CPRA Director participates on a panel presentation, “Recent findings regarding reasons for the differences in pain experience and treatment between men and women,” which summarized findings from a recent publication that she co-authored at the USASP Annual Meeting

March 2023: CPRA Director is interviewed by 13-year-old chronic pain sufferer Leighann Talbert for her “The Invisible Podcast,” dedicated to spreading awareness of invisible pain-causing diseases

February 2023: CPRA Director gives presentation, “Partnering with Patients on Pain Research – What’s the Benefit?” at the Washington University Anesthesiology Research Seminar

January 2023: CPRA Partners with the National Institutes of Health and dozens of other partners in the new HEAL Connections initiative to ensure widespread dissemination of new research findings for people with chronic pain

November 2022:  CPRA Director joins advisory committee for the University of Michigan’s HEAL Initiative National K12 Clinical Pain Career Development Program 

November 2022: CPRA Director begins serving as the Director of Patient Engagement on the Executive Committee of the ACTTION public-private partnership with the US Food and Drug Administration 

September 2022: CPRA Director gives presentation on COPCs at the International Pelvic Pain Society Meeting

September 2022: CPRA Director moderates panel and gives presentation on patient engagement in clinical pain research at the International Association for the Study of Pain Biannual Meeting

June 2022: CPRA Director participates in panel on chronic pain research hosted by the Association for Psychological Science

May 2022: CPRA Director gives presentation on COPCs at the US Association for the Study of Pain Annual Meeting

April 2022: CPRA Director joins advisory board for Stanford University study, “Comparative Effectiveness of Online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy vs. an Online Single-Session Pain Relief Skills Class for Chronic Pain,” funded by PCORI 

May 2022: CPRA Director gives lecture on COPCs to pain psychology students at Pomona College

March 2022: CPRA Director gives 3 presentations on COPCs and receives the Patient Advocacy Award at the American Academy of Pain Medicine Annual Meeting

March 2022: CPRA Director joins advisory board of University of Michigan study, “Design and Methodological Development for a Patient Preference SMART”, funded by PCORI

February 2022: CPRA Director joins advisory board of Stanford University study, “Comparative Effectiveness of Online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy vs. An Online Single-Session Pain Relief Skills Class for Chronic Pain,” funded by PCORI

January 2022: CPRA Director joins Working Group on Engagement of Stakeholders and Persons with Lived Experience for Yale University study, ” Integrative Management of Chronic Pain and Opioid Use Disorder for Whole Recovery – Yale and Organizations United (IMPOWR-YOU),” funded by the National Institutes of Health

December 2021: CPRA Director participates in the Academy of Medical Sciences’ FORUM on chronic pain research

October 2021: CPRA Director co-chairs international ACTTION-IMMPACT meeting to develop recommendations for the inclusion of patients as partners in the design and conduct of clinical pain research 

September 2021: CPRA Director joins the research study team for Stanford University study, “Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of an Open Source Software Program to Support Patient-Based Estimation of Clinically Meaningful Levels and Change Scores for Patient Reported Outcome Measures,” funded by the US Food and Drug Administration

June 2021: CPRA Director participates in a by-invite-only listening session with the White House convened to obtain input on the development of ARPA-H (Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health)

May 2021: CPRA Director co-chairs Health Equity Communications Working Group of the National Institute for Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) to develop recommendations for the NINDS and neurological research community to facilitate the widespread communication and dissemination of study findings on neurological disease to diverse communities 

May 2021: CPRA Director joins the Community Partner Committee of the NIH HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term) Initiative

March 2021: CPRA Director joins research study team for Stanford University study, “Characterizing Risk-Benefit Tradeoff in Opioid-Based Chronic Pain Treatment,” funded by the US Food and Drug Administration

March 2021: CPRA Director participates in panel for NIH HEAL Workshop: Harnessing the Power of Patients and Stakeholders to Advances the Research Goals of the NIH HEAL Initiative  

March 2021: CPRA Director gives presentation on the patient journey at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Workshop “Innovation in Drug Research and Development for Prevalent Chronic Diseases” 

February 2021: CPRA Director joins Study Advisory Committee for Stanford University study, “Prognostic Biomarkers for High-Impact Chronic Pain,” funded by the National Institutes of Health 

September 2020: CPRA Director and CPRA advocates interviewed for RELIEF article, “Chronic Overlapping Pain Conditions: What do They Share in Common, and What are the Risk Factors?“

October 2020: CPRA Director participates in NIH HEAL Workshop: Developing Meaningful Endpoints for Pain Clinical Trials Workshop

September 2020: CPRA Director joins the Women and Pain Advisory Council of HealthyWomen

August 2020: CPRA Director gives presentation at the NIH HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term) Workshop: Engaging Patients in the Research Process  

August 2020: CPRA Director interviewed for article on patient engagement in research, “Fully Engaged: The Importance of Involving Patients in Research“

June 2020: CPRA Director gives a presentation on patient perspectives on chronic pain at the NIH HEAL Workshop, “Managing Chronic Pain in Individuals with Co-Occurring Opioid Use Disorder and Other Psychiatric Disorders“

May 2020: CPRA Director, Christin Veasley, invited to serve as a co-chair of the Temporomandibular Joint Disorders (TMJD) Multi-Council Working Group, National Institutes of Health

April 2020: CPRA Director participates in panel presentation on “Assessing Impact: Quality of Care Metrics in Opioid-Treated Chronic Non-Cancer Pain” at the American Society of Addiction Medicine annual meeting. 

February 2020: CPRA Director serves as a member of the Programmatic Panel for the Chronic Pain Research Program within the Department of Defense

February 2020: CPRA Director joins External Scientific Advisory Group of the Back Pain Consortium (BACPAC) Research Program, within the National Institutes of Health HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term) Initiative

February 2020: CPRA Director presents the patient’s perspective on The Need for Comprehensive Chronic Pain Measurement at National Institutes of Health conference on the measurement of pain

February 2020: CPRA Director presents A Patient’s Perspective on the Critical Need to Align the Target at a Keystone Symposia

August 2019: CPRA Director presents on The Dilemma of Research at a briefing on chronic pain to the California State Legislature

August 2019: CPRA Director, Christin Veasley, begins service on the Advisory Council for the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke at the National Institutes of Health 

July 2019: CPRA Director joins the Data Safety and Monitoring Board for Duke University’s new clinical trial: Vestibulodynia: Understanding Pathophysiology and Determining Appropriate Treatments

June 2019: CPRA releases, in partnership with the International Pelvic Pain Society, the first Continuing Medical Education (CME) program on Chronic Overlapping Pain Conditions, hosted by the International Association for the Study of Pain.

March 2019: CPRA Director, Christin Veasley, gives presentation on The Perspective of People with Pain at the first meeting of the National Institutes of Health HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term) Multidisciplinary Working Group and Challenges in the Development of Pain Therapies at the HEAL Partnership Committee

January 2019: CPRA Director, Christin Veasley, begins service on the National Institutes of Health HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term) Multidisciplinary Working Group and HEAL Partnership Committee

December 2018: CPRA Director provides patient perspective on Why This Workshop Matters at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Workshop on Nonpharmacological Approaches to Pain Management

November 2018: CPRA Director presents the patient’s perspective on The Need for Predictive Markers in Non-Addictive Pain Management at the NIH Workshop on Discovery and Validation of Biomarkers to Develop Non-Addictive Therapeutics for Pain

November 2018: CPRA Director, Christin Veasley, gives keynote address on the National Pain Strategy at the For Grace Change Agent Pain Summit

October 2018: CPRA Co-founders Terrie Cowley and Christin Veasley serve as co-chairs of Patient Advisory Board for new Northwestern University Study: Center for Chronic Pain and Drug Abuse 

September 2018: CPRA Director, Christin Veasley, gives presentation on the need to include COPCs and patient-centeredness in new pain care models at Banbury Center Conference

September 2018: CPRA Director, Christin Veasley, gives presentation at U.S. Patient Day in recognition of September Pain Awareness Month

August 2018: CPRA Director, Christin Veasley, serves as a member of the Planning Committee for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Workshop: Nonpharmacological Approaches to Pain Management, to be held December 4-5, 2018

February 2018: CPRA secures grant to develop the first Continuing Medical Education program on COPCs, to be released in summer 2018

February 2018: CPRA works with advocacy organizations and members of Congress to encourage co-sponsorship of the Opioids and STOP Pain Initiative Act (S. 2260 & H.R. 4733) link: https://www.congress.gov/115/bills/s2260/BILLS-115s2260is.pdf 

February 2018: CPRA Director, Christin Veasley, serves on the Advisory Committee to the National Institutes of Health Director – Working Group on Ethical Considerations for Industry Partnership on Research to Help End the Opioid Crisis  

January 2018: CPRA Director, Christin Veasley, participates on planning committee for IMMPACT meeting: Research Design Considerations for Chronic Pain Clinical Trials Addressing Central Sensitization and Multiple Comorbidities  

January 2018: CPRA publishes first patient self-help guide on COPCs https://chronicpainresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/CPRA_Patient_Guide.pdf

November 2017: CPRA Director, Christin Veasley, gives presentation on chronic pain and COPCs to select group of elite Hollywood screenwriters at the National Academy of Sciences’ Science & Entertainment Exchange 

October 2017: CPRA Director, Christin Veasley, featured as a panelist at The Hill Event – America’s Opioid Epidemic: Strategies for Prevention https://thehill.com/event/354536-americas-opioid-epidemic-strategies-for-prevention/

October 2017: CPRA Director, Christin Veasley, gives presentation on chronic pain and COPCs at Blaustein Pain Grand Rounds, Johns Hopkins Hospital

September 2017: CPRA Director, Christin Veasley, speaks about the patient perspective on pain research at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine meeting — Advancing Therapeutic Development for Pain and Opioid use Disorders through Public-Private Partnerships link: http://www.nationalacademies.org/hmd/Activities/Research/NeuroForum/2017-OCT-11.aspx

July 2017: CPRA Director, Christin Veasley, gives presentation on patient perspectives on conducting meaningful chronic pain research at the 3rd meeting hosted by the National Institutes of Health to develop a public-private partnership to develop new non-addictive pain medications and treatments for opioid use disorder

July 2017: CPRA Director, Christin Veasley, participates in IMMPACT Meeting: Recommendations for the Assessment of Pain Outcomes in Clinical Trials of Chronic Pelvic Pain and Irritable Bowel Syndrome link: http://www.immpact.org/meetings/Immpact20/participants20.html  

June 2017: CPRA Director, Christin Veasley, gives presentation on COPCs to group of patients, caregivers, advocates, pharmaceutical representatives, scientists and clinicians at U.S. Patient Day, hosted by Grunenthal

June 2017: National Institutes of Health releases the first Federal Pain Research Strategy – CPRA’s Director, Christin Veasley, participates as member of the Steering Committee and Chronic Pain Research Workgroup link: https://www.iprcc.nih.gov/federal-pain-research-strategy-overview

June 2017: CPRA co-facilitates effort of 70 advocacy organizations in writing to the White House Commission on Combating Addiction and the Opioid Crisis, calling for the need of the federal government to advance pain research, treatment and surveillance 

April 2017: CPRA meets with members of Congress to discuss and prioritize FY 2017 federal research priorities for COPCs

February 2017: CPRA publishes educational patient brochure on COPCs http://chronicpainresearchalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/CPRA_Brochure_Web.pdf

November 2016: CPRA Director, Christin Veasley, gives presentation on Comparative Effectiveness Pain Research at the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute Annual Meeting

September 2016: CPRA Director, Christin Veasley, gives presentation on COPCs Treatment at The TMJ Association’s 8th Scientific Meeting

September 2016: CPRA Director, Christin Veasley, presents at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Committee on Pain Management and Regulatory Strategies to Address Prescription Opioid Abuse https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/23694/pain-management-and-prescription-opioid-related-harms-exploring-the-state

July 2016: CPRA works collaboratively with the pain advocacy community and members of Congress to include Section 108 on pain research in the Comprehensive Addiction Recovery Act of 2016 https://www.congress.gov/114/plaws/publ198/PLAW-114publ198.pdf 

April 2016: CPRA meets with members of Congress to discuss and prioritize FY 2017 federal research priorities for COPCs

April 2016: CPRA co-facilitates effort of 72 advocacy organizations in writing to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, encouraging implementation of the National Pain Strategy

March 2016: Department of Health and Human Services releases the National Pain Strategy – CPRA co-founders, Terrie Cowley and Christin Veasley, participate as members of the Oversight Panel link: https://www.iprcc.nih.gov/sites/default/files/documents/NationalPainStrategy_508C.pdf

March 2016: CPRA Director, Christin Veasley, publishes op-ed in The Providence Journal, To Deal with Opioids, Deal with Pain, calling on legislators to increase vital funding for pain research, as well as the development of non-addictive pain medications http://www.providencejournal.com/opinion/20160312/christin-veasley-to-deal-with-opioids-deal-with-pain

February 2016: CPRA’s co-founders, Christin Veasley and Terrie Cowley, publish an op-ed, The Painful Truth about Opioid Abuse, calling for legislators to accelerate critical chronic pain research Hill: http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/healthcare/270336-painful-truth-about-opioid-abuse

January 2016: CPRA Director, Christin Veasley, participates as a patient stakeholder the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute Workshop: Prioritizing Comparative Effectiveness Research Questions for Treatment Options for Chronic Low Back Pain

May 2015: CPRA releases its second white paper, Impact of Chronic Overlapping Pain Conditions on Public Health and the Urgent Need for Safe and Effective Treatment

March 2015: CPRA meets with members of U.S. Congress to discuss and prioritize FY2016 federal research priorities for COPCs

January 2015: The NIH Office of Pain Policy develops a Working Group to guide the process of creating a Common Data Elements program and data-sharing repository for COPCs. CPRA Scientific Advisory Council member serves as co-chair and CPRA co-founders serve as members of the Working Group.

September 2014: With the goal of maximizing the federal research investment in COPCs, the NIH convenes the second federal meeting on COPCs, specifically to develop a NIH Common Data Elements program and federal data-sharing repository. This was called for in FY2015 U.S. Senate report language and included several CPRA Scientific Advisory Council members and CPRA co-founders.

September 2014: Co-sponsored by the NIH, The TMJ Association focuses its 7th Scientific Meeting on the genetic and epigenetic basis of COPCs

June 2014: NIH releases the first federal research Funding Opportunity Announcement on COPCs, co-sponsored by six NIH Institutes, Center and Offices

2013: CPRA obtains 2013 Senate Appropriations LHHS Report language for Chronic Overlapping Pain Conditions in the NIH Office of the Director and HHS Office of the Secretary

March 2013: NIH releases the Overlapping Conditions Workshop summary report. CPRA also provides a brief written summary of Overlapping Conditions Workshop for patients and the public.

August 2012: NIH holds the first federal workshop on COPCs and subsequently publishes the resultant research recommendations

August 2012: Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Bernie Sanders (I-VT) sent a letter to the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Dr. Francis Collins, to commend the upcoming NIH Workshop on Chronic Overlapping Conditions (including Temporomandibular Disorders) and to urge the NIH to “lay out clear and concrete recommendations for an aggressive, trans-NIH research agenda…” to accelerate scientific progress on these conditions.

February 2012: U.S. Senate holds the first hearing on chronic pain, Pain in America: Exploring Challenges to Relief, which includes the testimony of CPRA co-founder Christin Veasley and Scientific Advisory Council members Drs. William Maixner and Philip Pizzo  

September 2011: Co-sponsored by the NIH, The TMJ Association focuses its 6th Scientific Meeting on the mechanism, diagnosis and treatment of COPCs

Fall 2011: The NIH establishes a Trans-NIH Overlapping Chronic Pain Conditions Working Group, which includes 12 NIH Institutes/Centers and whose purpose is to assure coordination of research efforts across NIH on COPCs

June 2011: CPRA co-founded testifies before the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Committee on Advancing Pain Research and Education Committee and submits CPRA’s 2010 white paper for review. As a result, the historic IOM report, Relieving Pain in America: A Blueprint for Transforming Prevention, Care, Education and Research, includes vital information on COPCs.

May 2010: CPRA kicks off the Campaign to End Chronic Pain in Women with a standing room only event on Capitol Hill, releases its first white paper, Chronic Pain in Women: Neglect, Dismissal and Discrimination, and launches website featuring a newly developed video, Through the Maze. The campaign, which continues through 2012, raises awareness of chronic pain conditions that disproportionately impact women, as well as the neglect, dismissal and discrimination faced by women suffering from chronic pain.