Our group is internationally renowned for developing and validating innovative approaches to the pain assessment of older persons who present with dementias and serious limitations in ability to communicate.
As an example, the Pain Assessment Checklist for Seniors with Limited Ability to Communicate (PACSLAC), developed in the lab, has been translated in several languages and has been used around the world. As a second example, knowledge translation work has involved the development of a pain self-management program for seniors which has been made available through the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP).
This work is presented in a book published by IASP. We have also studied cognitive behavioural pain management interventions for older persons. Members of this cluster have been successful in attracting several million dollars of research funding in recent years.
Thomas Hadjistavropoulos, Ph.D., ABPP, FCAHS, Department of Psychology, University of Regina
Michelle Gagnon, Ph.D. University of Saskatchewan
Natasha Gallant, Ph.D, Department of Psychology, University of Regina
Abigail Wickson-Griffiths, Ph.D, Faculty of Nursing, University of Regina
Kylie Arsenault, Psychology
Louise Castillo, Psychology
Andy McLennan, Psychology
Rhonda Stopyn, Psychology
Vivian Tran, Psychology
Emily Winters, Psychology
Hadjistavropoulos, T. & Makris, U.E. (2022). Pain evaluation and management in patients with limited ability to communicate because of dementia. In H. T. Benzon, J. P. Rathmell, C. L. Wu, D.C. Turk, C.E. Argoff, R. Hurley, and A. L. Nicol (Editors), Practical management of pain (6th Edition), pp. 1052-1058, Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Elsevier.
Castillo, L. I. R., Hadjistavropoulos, T., & Brachaniec, M. (2021). The effectiveness of social media in the dissemination of knowledge about pain in dementia. Pain Medicine. 22, 2584–2596.
Guliani, H., Hadjistavropoulos, T., Jin, S. & Lix, L.M. (2021). Pain-related health care costs for long-term care residents. BMC Geriatrics, 552 (221). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-021-02424-
Stopyn, R., Hadjistavropoulos, T., & Loucks, J. (2021). An eye tracking investigation of pain decoding based on older and younger adults’ facial expressions. Journal of Nonverbal Behavior, 45, 31-52.
For more information, contact Cluster Leader Dr. Thomas Hadjistavropoulos at Thomas.Hadjistavropoulos@uregina.ca
The Winter 2026 CAH Newsletter has stories about:
Research on menopause with Canada Research Chair Dr. Jennifer Gordon, upcoming CAH spring public events, CAH relaunching research participant pool, CAH Director inducted as Fellow of the RSC, and more!
https://research.uregina.ca/cah/newsletters/issue-41/
Congratulations to #URegina's @DrThomasHadjist, newly elected as a Fellow of the @src_rsc. His groundbreaking work is improving care for older adults with #dementia and chronic pain worldwide.
📺 Watch the video below, and learn more in Discourse: 📖 https://bit.ly/3WWYQbC
Two #URegina researchers have been elected Fellows of the @src_rsc — the country’s highest academic honour. 👏
Congrats to Dr. @rncarleton and @DrThomasHadjist, whose research is improving lives across Canada and beyond.
Learn more in Discourse:
Two U of R academics honoured | Discourse Magazine
Two University of Regina researchers elected Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada
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📅 Mark your calendars! Join us on Dec 10 for a webinar that explores how building design & operation can protect older adults’ health against extreme heat and wildfire smoke events.
🔗 Don’t miss out—register today: https://shorturl.at/IQwQg
Deeply honoured to join the Royal Society of Canada. I am grateful to an extraordinary team of collaborators and trainees who have helped advance our research on pain in dementia. Proud of what we’ve built, and motivated for what’s next.
Do you know of an innovative approach to health or wellness services for older adults in Regina?
Nominate an individual/organization for the CAH Innovation in Health & Wellness Award! Nomination deadline extended to Nov. 30.
For more info & online form: https://tinyurl.com/478zbvpp
