Abstract This proposal requests funding to support the 76th Annual Symposium of the Society of General Physiologists (SGP), titled ‘Mapping the Pain Landscape: From Molecules to Medicine’, to be held on September 27th–October 1st, 2023, at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole, MA. SGP symposia are globally appreciated as leading meetings for physiologists, biophysicists, and neuroscientists of all career stages and professional fields. The meeting theme is timely and designed to call attention to an emerging or impactful research area, within the domain of physiology. The 2023 meeting will bring together ~150 scientists and trainees to discuss cutting-edge fundamental and applied research relating to the role of membrane proteins in pain perception and treatment strategies. This pertinent theme was chosen to provide a venue for scientists to share and discuss new discoveries that can contribute to combatting pain, a major source of distress and burden on the health care system, and the cause of the enduring opioid epidemic. SGP symposia are large enough to represent a diverse range of research areas, and small enough to maximize individual discussions and foster collaborative interactions between students, postdoctoral fellows, early-career investigators, and established leaders in their fields. The organizers, Drs. Theanne Griffith (UC Davis), Valeria Vásquez (U. of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis), and Frank Bosmans (U. of Ghent) represent an eager triumvirate of physiologists with expertise in experimental and computational approaches for pain research. They have assembled an all-star international group of 24 speakers, from interdisciplinary subfields that are mutually synergistic. Dr. Cheryl Stucky (Medical College of Wisconsin) will deliver the ‘Friends of Physiology’ keynote lecture, the first woman to do so in seven years. Roundtable discussions on topics of diversity in the pain field and professional development, as well as poster sessions, are included in the meeting program. SGP is known for providing outstanding administrative support, ensuring a successful meeting will be held in a superb and historic venue.

Narrative This proposal requests funds to support the 76th Annual Symposium of the Society of General Physiologists (SGP) titled ‘Mapping the Pain Landscape: From Molecules to Medicine’ from September 27th to October 1st, 2023, at the Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL) in Woods Hole, MA. The SGP annual symposium has an established international reputation as a leading meeting for physiologists, biophysicists, cell biologists, and neuroscientists at all career stages and professional arenas. We intend to continue this tradition and focus this edition on 1) inspiring young investigators to conduct pain research; 2) communicating new concepts to increase our understanding of the role of membrane physiology in pain; and 3) connecting fundamental research to human health and treatment of disease.