Vrije Universiteit Brussel

Authors Daniel E. Coral, Femke Smit, and Ali Farzaneh contributed equally. Affiliations include Lund University Diabetes Centre, Maastricht University, Erasmus MC University Medical Center, University Medical Center Mainz, Novo Nordisk A/S, Université de Lille, George Washington University, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Institut d’Investigació Biomèdica de Girona, University of Girona, CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Dr. Josep Trueta University Hospital, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, University of Exeter, and University of Dundee.

Thao Vu's journey from Vietnam to Australia, nurtured by educators, led her to become an educational leader at Monash University, driven by her belief in people's potential. Huong Nguyen, also from Vietnam, pursued a career in drug discovery research at Monash, supported by mentors and scholarships.

Toby Moorsom's chronic pain journey highlights the effectiveness of non-invasive, non-pharmacological therapies, including exercise, physiotherapy, and cognitive behavioural therapy, in managing pain. Research supports these approaches as safer and effective alternatives to opioids, with many patients preferring to avoid medication due to side effects. Virtual reality (VR) is emerging as a promising NINP therapy, offering significant pain relief and functional improvements.