Dr. Roger Allen presented the 44th Regester Lecture, “Echoes of Pain in the Neuromatrix,” to an audience that filled the venue beyond capacity on November 10, 2016. In the 50+ year history of the Regester Lecture, Dr. Allen was the first professor from the physical therapy program invited to deliver this prestigious address.

The lecture presented findings from a series of UPS faculty/student collaborative research studies that have uncovered a unique delayed relationship between the experience of stress and latent increases in the severity of chronic neuropathic pain. As the mechanism behind this delayed modulation of pain was explored, it revealed new insights into how we cognitively process pain within the “neuromatrix,” the creation of a “virtual self” within our minds, and ultimately the surprising nature of how consciousness actually “perceives” external reality. If you missed attending, would like to listen to the talk again, or share it with someone else, you can access an audio recording of it here.

The Regester Lecture series was established in 1965 to honor John Regester, who joined the Puget Sound faculty in 1924. The address is given by a member of the university who exemplifies the qualities of scholarship and intellectual integrity that professors and students have long associated with Regester, who taught philosophy and served as dean of the university and graduate school. The lecture series is a means of honoring members of the university faculty through an opportunity for them to address the university community on a subject of particular interest to the lecturer. The John D. Regester Lectures are both a recognition of the scholarship and accomplishments of the lecturer and an opportunity for the faculty to develop ideas further and explore them with colleagues and the public.