Rohini Kuner, Universitaetsklinikum Heidelberg, organizes „International Pain Summer School” 2016

The International Pain Summer School 2016, which took place from 4^th to 8^th July, 2016 at the Schlosswirtschaftshotel, Herrenchiemsee, Prien am Chiemsee, Germany, was organized by Rohini Kuner, Principal Investigator of ncRNAPain beneficiary Universitaetsklinikum Heidelberg, and attracted 47 national as well as international doctoral students and junior postdoctoral trainees. The Summer School focused on neural circuits of pain, assessing structure-function properties of neural circuits and pathways involved in nociception and pain.

The School was structured into core courses, special lectures, methods-oriented workshops, trainee data blitz talks, debates, virtual projects for trainees to train as `principal investigator´. The gender-balanced faculty was comprised of scientifically acclaimed scientists representing multiple facets of pain and interactions with other disciplines such as fear & anxiety, depression, synaptic plasticity, immunology and imaging. Basic and clinical research went hand-in-hand in ascertaining optimal educational and scientific perspectives. Throughout the summer school, the trainees had abundant opportunities to closely interact with international pain research experts in a relaxed environment. This was particularly fostered during the common meals and afternoon periods of free time.