Reading Emotion Symposium

External Event - 12th to 13th Jun 2018

Pain is a complex cognitive and emotional experience, which means that understanding the structure of our pain experience is far from easy. Our beliefs and expectations about pain alter perceptual, emotional and behavioural responses and, as such, can play a critical role in adapting to long term pain conditions. The symposium will consider pain’s meaning, how this shapes the experience of the individual in pain and how this, in turn, shapes their interactions with the environment. We will take an inter-disciplinary approach to these questions, drawing from Philosophy, Anthropology, Psychology and Neuroscience. 

We will also attempt to translate these perspectives into the clinical domain, The second day will be organised as an interactive discussion led by Dr. Salomons, Dr. Ravindran, and Dr. Thacker, examining how our understanding of pain-related beliefs and expectations might be integrated into clinical practice. 

Audience:
The symposium is designed to bring together people interested in the philosophical, neuroscientific, and clinical examination of the elements which structure pain experiences, asking how propositional and affective states (e.g. beliefs and feelings) alter the pain experience and how such knowledge should properly inform clinical practice. 

Venue: Nike Lecture Theatre, Agriculture Building, University of Reading 

Speakers:

• Professor Murat Aydede
  Professor of Philosophy, University of British Columbia
• Dr David Bain
  Reader in Philosophy, University of Glasgow
• Professor Emma Borg
  Professor of Philosophy, Director of Reading Centre for Cognition Research, University of Reading
• Dr Deepak Ravindran
  Lead Consultant, Pain and Musculoskeletal Medicine, Pain Management Unit, Royal Berkshire Hospital, Reading
• Dr Tim Salomons
  Associate Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Director CINN Pain Laboratory, University of Reading
• Dr Mick Thacker
  Associate Professor of Allied Health Sciences, London South Bank University
• Dr Katja Wiech
  Associate Professor of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford
• Dr Amanda Williams
  Reader in Health Psychology, University College London

To register please visit https://sites.google.com/site/readingemotions/