National Pain Awareness Week: Meet Dr. Fiona Campbell

Dr. Fiona Campbell is the Medical Director of the Chronic Pain Program in the Department of Anesthesia & Pain Medicine at the Hospital for Sick Children. Learn about her work to remove barriers to care and more!

1. Why did you pursue a career in pain medicine?

 My undergrad degree was in psychology, and I went to medical school to become a psychiatrist. Given the impact of pain on mental health, and the role of psychology in pain treatment, I feel I have come full circle. People working in the pain field often have a personal story driving their interest; mine was that my mum was in a catastrophic car accident while I was in medical school. She sustained life-threatening injuries and spent three months in the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, from which she made a remarkable recovery; other than severe neuropathic pain from a spinal cord injury, which never resolved.

2. What is something that you’re working on (or researching) now that you’re excited about?

I want to ensure we implement our National Action Plan for Pain in Canada and strengthen our relationship with the government. I will continue advocating for better access to care, pushing for a public awareness campaign, better education and training and more research. Given that I am in the twilight of my career, I am looking forward to spending more time with my ever-expanding family, seeing my friends, playing tennis, riding my bike and staying active!

3. What are some of your career highlights that you can share with us? 

Improving the lives of kids living with chronic pain (and their families) together with being a medical director of the Chronic Pain Program in our SickKids Department of Anesthesiology & Pain Medicine has been very fulfilling. My research collaborations, education innovations and opportunities to mentor are also immensely gratifying. My gradual evolution into leadership positions, particularly in the policy space, has been an unexpected career highlight. This began locally with raising awareness of pain as an important health issue at SickKids–leading to the creation of evidence-based policy and practice guidelines. I then became involved with provincial, and now national pain initiatives. In 2013, I became the inaugural co-chair of what is now known as the Ontario Chronic Pain Network. During my tenure as President of the Canadian Pain Society, I was invited by the Federal Minister of Health to co-chair the Canadian Pain Task Force, which last year published “The Action Plan for Pain in Canada” that provides 150 recommendations to the government on priority actions to address pain. Perhaps my biggest career highlight however is having incredible colleagues—including patient partners, without whom my work would not be possible, and who bring me joy.   

4. In your opinion, what impact would an increased focus on pain medicine and research have on patient care?

Pain is the most common reason for seeking health care. It affects 8 million Canadians and is disabling, under-treated, invisible and stigmatizing; it is also an expensive public health issue costing the Canadian economy $40B in 2019. Increasing the focus on pain medicine and pain research will improve the lives of Canadians by ensuring that people with pain are recognized and supported and that pain is understood, prevented, and effectively treated.

5. What’s your advice for someone thinking about entering the field?

You will need to be passionate, compassionate, collaborative, persistent and resilient! 

Find and reach out to clinicians and researchers who share your interest and can mentor and provide support along the way. Partner with people who have lived and living experience of pain; this is insightful and will help drive the research agenda in meaningful ways. Do not be afraid to jump in! Take care of yourself; eat well, sleep well, exercise, nurture your friends and family, and do things that bring you joy!