PRISM: Pain, Resilience, & Intersectionality: Strengthening Mechanisms of change
The PRISM Lab, led by Dr. Alli Smith, is dedicated to advancing equitable, patient-centered pediatric pain research through the study of pain, resilience, and intersectionality. We seek to understand how individual, interpersonal, and systemic factors shape the experiences of children, adolescents, and young adults living with chronic pain, particularly those whose voices have historically been underrepresented in research and healthcare.
Current areas of focus include understanding the experiences of transgender and gender-diverse youth with chronic pain, developing and evaluating provider education to support affirming and inclusive care, promoting readiness and engagement in intensive pain rehabilitation, and advancing meaningful patient engagement in research, as collaborators, not just participants!
About our name
PRISM reflects both our scientific and philosophical approach. Just as a prism refracts light into multiple colors, we recognize that pain is shaped by multiple intersecting influences that cannot be fully understood through a single lens. Through research, education, and partnership, the PRISM Lab works to transform pediatric pain care by centering lived experience, advancing health equity, and strengthening pathways to resilience and recovery.