Nicole Bailey & John (Kip) Kramer • September 09, 2026 • 37:39

Pain, Perception, and Possibility

Pain is universal—understanding it is anything but simple. In this episode of Body Banter, pain researcher Kip Kramer and medical student and chronic pain advocate Nicole Bailey take us inside the fascinating, often misunderstood world of chronic pain. Kip explores the science behind how pain works and the search for better treatments, while Nicole shares her powerful journey from severe, life-altering pain to reclaiming her identity, finding purpose, and turning her lived experience into a strength. Together, they reveal why understanding pain takes more than biology—it takes empathy, patient-centred care, and listening to the people who live with pain every day.

Nicole Bailey is a chronic pain advocate and a second year medical student at the University of British Columbia (UBC). Nicole serves as Vice Chair of Pain BC’s Board of Directors, the world’s largest pain specific charity, and has worked directly with people living with chronic pain as a Pain Health Coach and Peer Support Group Facilitator. She also has a research background focused on pain, including a Masters in Experimental Medicine from UBC. Living with chronic pain from a traumatic spine injury, hypermobility, and multiple surgeries, she is passionate about transforming pain care through advocacy, education, and lived experience.

Ted Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipHorxi_n80

Dr. John (Kip) Kramer is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and Principal Investigator at ICORD (International Collaboration on Repair Discoveries). His research focuses on the neurobiology of pain, using neurophysiological, anatomical, and neuroimaging techniques such as EEG and fMRI to investigate both acute and chronic pain.

Website: https://icord.org/researchers/dr-john-kramer/

Anatomy is for everybody and every body.

Pain, Perception, and Possibility

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