What does a 14th-century painting have to do with artificial intelligence and neuroscience? For McGill University PhD candidate Hannah Derue, the answer is it has a role to play in addressing chronic pain and the need to better understand and express it.
Derue, a researcher at McGill’s Alan Edwards Centre for Research on Pain, is the founder of PAin+, a neuroscience-based startup that uses AI and art to help people communicate and manage chronic pain. In an unusual but groundbreaking partnership, her company leveraged the open access image program at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., to develop a tool that could change how clinicians and patients understand pain, and how art institutions support public health.
“Our platform lets people visualize their pain experience,” said Derue. “You start with a digitized artwork or a blank canvas, then use simple text prompts to shape the image to reflect what your pain feels like.”
The collaboration began at a neuroscience conference in 2023, when Derue, who lives with multiple chronic pain conditions, visited the gallery and had a chance meeting with Justyna Badach, the Head of Imaging at the National Gallery of Art. The two immediately connected over personal experiences with chronic pain.
“My husband had a spinal cord injury and lives with re-occurring pain,” said Badach. “Trying to explain that pain to doctors was often impossible. He’d rate it a six out of 10 even when he couldn’t walk. I understood exactly what Hannah was trying to do.”
Using art to express the inexpressible
That first meeting grew into an ongoing collaboration. The National Gallery granted Derue’s team access to over 20,000 digitized artworks, one of the first Ai and neuroscience research projects using its open-access image data. The PAin+ platform uses those images, combined with AI and language processing tools, to allow users to represent their pain through both visuals and text.
Chronic pain, defined as pain lasting longer than three months, affects one in five people. Yet it’s notoriously difficult to measure. Derue said that standard tools like numeric pain scales are often too simplistic for a complex, personal experience.
“There isn’t a blood test for pain,” she said. “We’re not trying to force pain into a purely quantitative framework. Instead, we lean into its qualitative nature. By doing so, we can capture more depth and nuance, giving users and providers a clearer picture.”
Users can start with a work of art or create an image from scratch, then adapt it using natural language prompts. Over time, the platform analyzes text inputs for emotional and linguistic patterns, helping users and clinicians identify flare-up triggers or changes in pain over time.
Two audiences, one solution
During early interviews with people dealing with chronic pain, Derue’s team discovered a striking divide: some users were eager to express their pain more vividly while others wanted to use art as a form of escape.
“In the context of the opioid crisis, where many medications designed for acute pain don’t work for chronic conditions, we’re exploring non-drug, arts-based interventions that support more personalized care,” said Derue.
Rather than forcing a single approach, PAin+ chose to support both. Users can engage with the artwork in whatever way they choose, be it for reflection, reinterpretation or relief.
Badach said the gallery was enthusiastic about supporting the project.
“This fits our mission to support creativity and innovation,” she said. “Museums aren’t just about history; they’re about human experience.”
Derue credited McGill with helping turn the project from a research idea into a startup. Through McGill Engine, the Healthy Brains, Healthy Lives initiative, the Clinical Innovation Platform and the Office of Innovation + Partnerships, PAin+ secured more than $75,000 in early funding.
“As a neuroscience PhD, I didn’t expect to end up founding a company,” said Derue. “I wouldn’t have come this far without McGill’s support. To anyone who has a bold or unconventional idea for their research, there’s a supportive community ready to help.”
The company recently received commercialization funding from HBHL and entered its six-month proof-of-concept testing phase this fall. The team is working with McGill’s pain management unit and other collaborators to begin pilot testing the platform in real-world settings.
Art, health and the future of interdisciplinary science
The collaboration was recently showcased at the MuseumNext global conference, held online, where Derue and Badach presented to an international audience of museum professionals.
“The response was incredible,” said Badach. “Museums from around the world were excited to see how art could intersect with health and human well-being.”
She said the U.S. National Gallery, which is one of the earliest adopters of open access and free to the public, is committed to using its collection in ways that reach communities beyond traditional gallery walls. “People don’t just visit museums for education. They come for calm, for connection, for healing. Projects like this help us serve that need.”
Looking ahead
While PAin+ is currently focused on chronic pain, Derue believes the platform could support people facing other invisible health challenges. “This approach could easily extend to conditions like anxiety or depression – any experience that’s difficult to articulate,” she said.
“This isn’t just about tech, it’s about connection. And I think that’s where science and art, together, are at their strongest.”