Project Area: Population health research
Project Summary
This PhD project will develop and evaluate “Pain Cafés”—a new, community‑based model of support for older adults living with chronic pain. Pain Cafés are informal sessions held in local community spaces, offering education, peer support, and opportunities for social connection. The project will use co‑design methods to work with older adults, healthcare professionals, and community organisations to shape the Pain Café model. It will then pilot the cafés in community settings to assess feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes. The final phase will develop an implementation framework to support national scale‑up. This project is ideal for a Scholar interested in ageing, chronic pain, community health, co‑design, and implementation science.
Skills Required
(If applying for this project you will be asked to outline how you meet the skills required below)
Essential Skills
- Undergraduate or master’s degree in a health‑related discipline (e.g., physiotherapy, psychology, public health, occupational therapy, nursing, social science).
- Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
- Interest in ageing, chronic pain, and community health.
- Ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders.
- Strong organisational skills and ability to manage multiple project components.
Desirable Skills
- Experience with qualitative research (e.g., interviews, focus groups).
- Experience working with older adults or community organisations.
- Knowledge of co‑design or participatory research methods.
- Experience with data analysis software (e.g., NVivo, SPSS, R).
- Interest in implementation science or health service innovation.
Supervisory team:
Prof Karen McCreesh, PI/Primary Supervisor
Professor in Physiotherapy at the School of Allied Health at the University of Limerick
Prof Kieran O’Sullivan, Professor in Physiotherapy in the School of Allied Health at the University of Limerick.
Dr Nóirín Lennox, Associate Professor A in Medical Education, School of Medicine, University of Limerick
Dr Laura Keyes, Director of the multidisciplinary Centre for Implementation Research at the University of Limerick
Prof Brian McGuire, Professor of Clinical Psychology, Centre for Pain Research, University of Galway
Prof Karen McCreesh (University of Limerick)
Karen McCreesh is Professor of Physiotherapy at the University of Limerick and an experienced clinician-researcher in musculoskeletal health and rehabilitation. Her research focuses on improving the assessment and management of persistent musculoskeletal pain. She has extensive experience supervising doctoral students and leading collaborative research that links academic research with clinical and community practice.
Prof Kieran O’Sullivan (University of Limerick)
Kieran O’Sullivan is Professor of Physiotherapy at the University of Limerick and a leading researcher in persistent musculoskeletal pain, behaviour change, and person-centred care. His work explores how psychological, social, and behavioural factors influence pain and recovery, with a strong focus on translating research into practical interventions that improve outcomes for people living with chronic pain.
Dr Nóirín Lennox (University of Limerick)
Nóirín Lennox is Associate Professor of Medical Education at the School of Medicine in UL. She is a Health psychologist with extensive clinical experience delivering pain management programmes for people with chronic pain. Her research examines the design and delivery of psychological interventions and the intersection between mental and physical health.
Dr Laura Keyes (University of Limerick)
Laura Keyes is Director of the Centre for Implementation Science at the University of Limerick. As an implementation science expert, Dr Keyes will support the project in using implementation research methodologies across the programme of work. The Centre will also provide training and networking opportunities in implementation science.
Prof Brian McGuire (University of Galway)
Brian McGuire is Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Galway and an internationally recognised expert in pain psychology. His research examines the psychological and social dimensions of chronic pain, including coping, resilience, and quality of life. He has extensive experience in interdisciplinary pain research and in developing community-based approaches to support people living with long-term pain.
This project will be based in the University of Limerick
