Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
Holding a Chair in Population Health Science, Blair is an academic general practitioner, currently also practising clinically as a Consultant in Pain Medicine, NHS Tayside. He is Clinical Co-director of Tayside Clinical Trials Unit. Graduating at the Universities of Glasgow (MBChB, 1987) and Aberdeen (MEd Distinction 1998; MD 2000), he held an NHS Primary Care Career Scientist Award (2000 to 2005) and was Professor of Primary Care Medicine at the University of Aberdeen until 2011.
His research on chronic pain and neuropathic pain has been published widely, specifically studying its epidemiology, genetics, primary care management and self-management. He was a Chief Investigator on Generation Scotland, a major programme for studying genetics and health, with over 30,000 volunteer participants. He is now actively exploring the opportunities that this and other collaborations bring to researching the biological mechanisms of chronic pain, from the laboratory to the community. He has established the Chronic Pain Research Group at the University of Dundee, based in the Division of Population Health and Genomics.
He is Co-Chair of the International Association for the Study of Pain's Global Alliance of Pain Patient Advocates (GAPPA) and a Past Chair of the Neuropathic Pain Special Interest Group (NeuPSIG). He was formerly Treasurer of the Society for Academic Primary Care, and sat on the Editorial Board of the British Journal of General Practice, both from 1997 to 2007. He chaired the NHS Scotland / SGHD Chronic Pain Steering Group until June 2011, and established its Research Subgroup and the Scottish Pain Research Community (SPaRC). He was appointed to his current post in August 2011.
Blair served as the Scottish Government's National Lead Clinician for Chronic Pain (2014 to 2021), and is Specialty Adviser to the Chief Medical Officer. He aims to facilitate improvement in the management of pain, in an evidence-based yet practical way.
In 2017, Blair received the award for Best Postgraduate Supervisor from the Dundee University Students' Association. In 2018, he was awarded the British Pain Society Medal and Annual Lecture, for "outstanding contribution to the field of pain". He was listed by Clarivate as a "Highly Cited Researcher" (top 0.1% globally) in the Web of Science Report, 2020; and again in Highly Cited Researchers 2021 and 2022. He was recognized as an Expertscape World Expert in Chronic Pain (top 0.05% globally), based on publications 2011 to 2021. In 2023, he was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE).
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Education/Academic qualification
PG Diploma in Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Award Date: 1 Jun 2001
Doctor of Medicine, Epidemiology of Chronic Pain, University of Aberdeen
Award Date: 1 Jan 2000
Master of Education, Distinction, University of Aberdeen
Award Date: 1 Jan 1998
Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, University of Glasgow
Award Date: 1 Jan 1987
External positions
Specialty Adviser to Chief Medical Officer, Scottish Government
1 Sept 2016 → …
National Lead Clinician for Chronic Pain, Scottish Government
1 Apr 2014 → 31 Mar 2021
Consultant in Pain Medicine, NHS Tayside
1 Apr 2013 → …
Surgeon Lieutenant Commander
2000 → 2005
Keywords
- R Medicine (General)
- Chronic pain
- Primary Care Medicine
- RA0421 Public health. Hygiene. Preventive Medicine
- Epidemiology
- Genetic epidemiology
Fingerprint
- 1 Similar Profiles
Network
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A Meta-Analysis of the Genome-Wide Association Studies on Two Genetically Correlated Phenotypes Suggests Four New Risk Loci for Headaches
Meng, W., Reel, P. S., Nangia, C., Lathika Rajendrakumar, A., Hebert, H. L., Guo, Q., Adams, M. J., Zheng, H., Lu, Z. H., 23andMe Research Team, Ray, D., Colvin, L. A., Palmer, C. N. A., McIntosh, A. M. & Smith, B. H., Feb 2023, In: Phenomics. 3, p. 64-76 13 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile9 Downloads (Pure) -
Cross-sectional study examining the epidemiology of chronic pain in Nepal
Higgins, C., Sharma, S., Bimali, I., Hales, T. G., Cameron, P. A., Smith, B. H. & Colvin, L., Mar 2023, In: PAIN Reports. 8, 2, 10 p., e1067.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile3 Downloads (Pure) -
Development and external validation of multivariable risk models to predict incident and resolved neuropathic pain: a DOLORisk Dundee study
Hebert, H. L., Veluchamy, A., Baskozos, G., Fardo, F., Van Ryckeghem, D., Pearson, E. R., Colvin, L. A., Crombez, G., Bennett, D. L. H., Meng, W., Palmer, C. N. A. & Smith, B. H., Feb 2023, In: Journal of Neurology. 270, p. 1076-1094 19 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile8 Downloads (Pure) -
Epidemiology of neuropathic pain: an analysis of prevalence and associated factors in UK Biobank
Baskozos, G., Hebert, H. L., Pascal, M. M. V., Themistocleous, A. C., Macfarlane, G. J., Wynick, D., Bennett, D. L. H. & Smith, B. H., 10 Mar 2023, In: PAIN Reports. 8, 2, 12 p., e1066.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Downloads (Pure) -
Free-text analysis of general practice out-of-hours (GPOOH) use by people with advanced cancer: an analysis of coded and uncoded free-text data
Mills, S. E. E., Brown-Kerr, A., Buchanan, D., Donnan, P. T. & Smith, B. H., Feb 2023, In: British Journal of General Practice. 73, 727, p. e124-e132 9 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile3 Downloads (Pure)
Prizes
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Best Postgraduate Supervisor
Smith, Blair (Recipient), Jun 2017
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Activities
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Expressions of Pain
Blair Smith (Member), Lesley Colvin (Contributor), Paul Harrison (Contributor) & Chris Lim (Member)
13 Mar 2023Activity: Other activity types › Public engagement and outreach - public lecture/debate/seminar
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World Pain Congress - Plenary Lecture
Blair Smith (Speaker)
16 Jun 2021Activity: Talk or presentation types › Keynote
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International Association for the Study of Pain (External organisation)
Blair Smith (Chair)
2019 → …Activity: Membership types › Membership of committee
Press/Media
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Update to opioid section of SIN 136: Management of Chronic Pain
21/08/19
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
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How to work out in midlife… when everything hurts
27/01/19
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research
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Inspiring teacher honoured with Student-led Teaching Award
31/08/17
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Teaching
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How genetics can uncover links in chronic pain and other conditions
23/02/17
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Research