Napa Pain Conference Expands to International Audience to Become One of the Largest Pain Meetings

Renowned physician and entrepreneur Dr. Eric Grigsby successfully gives back to multiple communities with pain conference
Dr. Eric Grigsby, CEO and Founder of Neurovations

​​​​​​​​​​​At Neurovations - a patient care and innovation company - the staff was deep in planning the Napa Pain Conference (NPC) when COVID-19 hit. The question on the CEO’s mind was how to give the same sense of collaboration, world-class presentations, and a feeling of the beautiful Napa Valley - online. 

“We have a long history of creating inclusive, equitable, and bias-free programs to educate clinicians. Neurovations Education curates our faculty for excellence, perspective, and accomplishment, not for a particular institution or company affiliation. Our attendees trust us and trust that the information they receive will be real, truthful, and ultimately in the best interest of their patients,” said CEO and Founder of Neurovations Dr. Eric Grigbsy. “Past speakers have included Bruce Beutler, MD, 2011 Nobel Prize winner in Medicine, and Jennifer Doudna, Ph.D., the Kavli Prize winner in Nanoscience 2018 and developer of CRISPR technology,” he continued. 

“I was committed to continuing the NPC platinum level of excellence, but I knew everything had to change,” said Dr. Grigsby. “This is an incredibly challenging time for everyone. Businesses and private medical clinics are closing, some folks are out of work or sick. We all miss being with our colleagues at meetings to share clinical and personal stories on how to do better by our patients and for ourselves. It was decided to take the Napa Pain Conference online, live-streamed from the Napa Valley, and to make it free. It was just the right thing to do to reconnect our doctors, rebuild morale, and have a little fun,” he stated.

Just weeks earlier, to help his own community, Dr. Eric Grigsby, supplied infrastructure for a mobile COVID-19 testing unit. He was able to rapidly convert N3 Laboratories, a part of his Neurovations company, to help handle and process COVID-19 tests throughout Napa Valley. Dr. Grigsby and his wife Dr. Mary Rocca also own Rocca Family Vineyards in Napa. Through that business, they well understand the needs of the farmworker and winemaking community, many of whom are medically underserved.

“We needed testing that could overcome the barriers of language, location, and even lack of adequate health insurance. It was definitely challenging and took partnerships and long hours from the community, volunteers, and my own family and staff,” he said. 

Over 1,300 registered for NPC from 36 countries, making this the largest Napa Pain Conference. There were high levels of engagement throughout the event that boasted active chats, discussion forums, eposters, and vendor halls. The event even featured a wine college in partnership with Rocca Family Vineyards. Attendees were able to pre-purchase two bottles of Rocca Family’s award-winning 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, one from each of their two estate vineyards in the Napa Valley. They also received vials of soil from each of the vineyards to compare and contrast and understand the influence of soil and terroir on the wine.

“We walked attendees through aspects of (organic) farming, and the effects of terroir on the wine grapes, and ultimately, the wine. It was exciting to watch people see, smell, and taste the differences. Since both wines were 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, from the same vintage, farmed by the same vineyard team, and crafted by the same winemaker, the resulting differences between the Grigsby and Collinetta Vineyard were due to terroir- the sum of soil, sun, orientation, and location.  It’s always so interesting to see the light turn on as people have the opportunity to compare like this,” said Dr. Mary Rocca, vintner, and wife of Dr. Grigsby.

“This truly was an incredible experience. We are only a few months away from our next event in November, Neuromodulation: The Science. Neuromodulation is an exploding field, aimed at discovering ways to modify the brain, spinal cord, and nerve function to treat diseases like Parkinsonism, epilepsy, depression, and many others. This meeting brings together the world’s best scientists in this field for several days of sharing and collaborating,” said Dr. Grigsby.

NTS partners with Neuromodec, a New York-based community building and advocacy organization for Neuroscience. The goal is to advance research and disseminate knowledge and implementation of new findings, including optimized approaches for diseases such as chronic headache, spasticity, chronic pain, and paralysis.

Source: Neurovations