The Autoimmune Registry hosts a monthly webinar to bring together patient advocacy groups related to autoimmune diseases. For this month, we invited Nicole Hemmenway, Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Pain Foundation, who will present an overview of the goals of the foundation, with a focus on patient relations and their research initiatives, such as the INvisible Project.

Details: Wednesday, November 19, 2025, from 12-1 pm Eastern via Zoom

Agenda:

12:00 - 12:05: Convene

12:05 - 12:10: Introductions

12:10 - 12:40: Overview of U.S. Pain Foundation, Patient Relations, and Research Initiatives

12:40 - 1:00: Q&A

Nicole Hemmenway

Chief Executive Officer

U.S. Pain Foundation

Nicole Hemmenway is the Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Pain Foundation, a patient-led nonprofit dedicated to serving the tens of millions of Americans who live with chronic pain. A passionate advocate and nonprofit leader, Nicole draws on both her professional expertise and lived experience with pain to guide the organization’s mission: to empower, educate, connect, and advocate for individuals with chronic illness or serious injury that causes pain, as well as for their care partners and providers.

Under her leadership, the U.S. Pain Foundation has expanded peer support programs, developed landmark national surveys on the pain experience, and amplified the voices of patients through initiatives like the INvisible Project. She is a frequent speaker at conferences, medical schools, and policy forums, where she emphasizes the importance of compassion, equitable access to care, and the integration of patient perspectives in research and policymaking.

In recognition of her efforts to improve the lives of people with chronic pain, Nicole was featured in a 2015 campaign in USA Today and honored with the 2017 Unsung Hero Award. She is also the author of No, It Is Not in My Head: The Journey of a Chronic Pain Survivor from Wheelchair to Marathon. Nicole lives in the Nashville area with her husband and three sons.