FPM Queensland evening lecture

Welcome from the invited speaker

Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with, or resembling, actual or potential tissue damage. It is always a personal experience influenced to varying degrees by biological (including psychological), social and environmental factors.

Our neurotype (the characteristic way in which our brains process sensory stimuli leading to how we think, learn, behave, experience and interact with ourselves and the world around us) is one such factor.

Neurodivergence (particularly autism and ADHD) are strongly associated with chronic pain, hypermobility, dysautonomia, autoimmune conditions, endometriosis and many other conditions. This is due to the common genetic factors along with the complex interplay neurodivergence and other neurobiological differences, connective tissue differences including hypermobility, immune function and life experiences including trauma.

But it’s not just our patients, it’s us too. Doctors are more likely than the general population to be neurodivergent and, while I don’t have the data, I hypothesise that even more so in pain medicine physicians. While this is likely a factor in the wonderful, unique and eclectic nature of our profession and can result in an enhanced ability to understand and communicate with our patients, it is not without complications.

In this session we will review the complex relationship between pain and neurodivergence and then spend time exploring working with neurodivergent patients and colleagues, possible while neurodivergent ourselves.

Dr Emily Farrell, invited speaker

Location and venue

This evening meeting will be held online via Zoom. A link will be sent to your email prior to the meeting, please contact [email protected] if you don’t receive a link by the 17 August 2026.

Program

7pm - Introduction

7-8pm - Presentation

8-8.30pm - Questions

All times are Queensland time (AEST).

Invited speaker

The evenings talk will be delivered by Dr Emily Farrell BApHSci (IPHC), BMBS, FRACGP, GAICD, GCSpMed, FFPMANZCA

Dr Emily Farrell is a Brisbane-based specialist pain medicine physician who has found herself predominantly working (publicly and privately) with neurodivergent, traumatised and otherwise socially marginalised patients with chronic pain. She is a late-diagnosed AuDHDer with a diverse career and life path that (in retrospect) reflects this. Prior to medicine she worked in First Nations healthcare and policy, gained her FRACGP in 2010 while working on the far north coast of NSW and then worked as a GP with special interest in disparate areas such as sexual health and family planning, sports medicine and orthopaedics and general medicine. There was also a little “side-quest” doing visual arts at TAFE prior to having children and unknowingly acquiring her own circus.

Cost and registration

Registration is now open and free, please register online with your college ID. All other delegates including allied health members and other medical specialties can also register online. Please select “Create Account” at the top of the page and enter your details. Once you are set up, search for the event and register. You will also be able to use your ID number and password to register for future meetings. If you require assistance, please contact us.

Continuing professional development (CPD)

Participants in the ANZCA and FPM CPD Program will automatically have their attendance auto-populated to their CPD portfolio within 14 days of the conclusion of the meeting.

ANZCA and FPM CPD Program
This event is claimable by ANZCA and FPM CPD participants within the knowledge and skills category.

Category 2: Knowledge skills
Category 2: Knowledge skills – learning session

If you're not a member of our CPD program
Delegates who are not participants of the ANZCA and FPM CPD Program should check with their respective colleges/providers regarding CPD. A certificate of attendance is available from the event organiser.