Chronic Pain, Hippocampus, and Healing: A Poetic Journey

The course, led by Associate Professor Sam Illingworth—a renowned poet, author, and science communicator—delved into the power of poetry as a tool for making science more relatable and engaging. 

Today, we are delighted to present a new poem from an invaluable member of the I&I PPI team. Karen Mooney, Patient and Public Involvement Lay Lead wrote a poem “inspired by research proposing that chronic pain is driven and maintained by maladaptive negative emotional learning.” 

“The hippocampus,” she added, “plays a crucial role in the transition from acute to chronic pain.”

A Story of Pain

Will it hurt?

Initially? Probably.

After that? Well, now that depends.

 

Some say it’s in the lap of the gods.

So, will you adopt Oizys,

that malevolent, pain full child of Nyx

to live in long-term distress?

 

You can block his pathway…

 

Or tell yourself a different story,

one of health and healing with Asclepius.

 

You can write your own script.

Selected poems from participants on the Science Communication through Poetry course have been compiled in a new book titled "Entangled Stanzas". This anthology brings poetry and science together, showcasing the work of participants who transformed scientific ideas into deeply human narratives.  

From tardigrades’ resilience to the unsettling weakening of ocean currents, these poems make complex concepts tangible and relatable. Contributors from fields like astrophysics, criminology, and sociology offer fresh perspectives on global challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss, alongside personal reflections on mental health and discovery.  

You can read Entangled Stanzas via the Scottish Poetry website here.

Learn more about the Science Communication through Poetry course at Edinburgh Napier University.

Learn more about Patient and Public Involvement in the Inflammation and Immunity Driver Programme.