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Contact Details

Phone
+64 4 832 3256
Email
hemakumar.devan@otago.ac.nz
Position
Senior Lecturer
Department
Department of Medicine (Wellington)
Qualifications
BPT (Chennai) MPhty (Distn)(Otago) PhD (Otago)
Research summary
Chronic pain, Self-management, Behavioural Intervention Technologies, Knowledge Translation
Teaching
Undergraduate and postgraduate research supervision
Memberships

Leadership roles (Invited):

  • 2021 – current NZ representative to lead the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) – Young Pain Leaders Global Taskforce
  • 2018 – current Council member, NZ Pain Society (Lead patient advisory group establishment and social media communications)
  • 2020 – current Steering committee member, Pain@Otago Research Theme (Lead Early Career Research initiatives)
  • 2020 – current Management committee member, Division of Health Sciences, Otago Early-Mid Career Researchers’ Group (Lead Social Media and Science Communication initiatives)

Research

Dr Devan's primary research interest is to foster self-management support to empower people with persistent pain and their whānau (family and significant others).The programme has three main themes.

The first theme is a digital health programme (Pain BITS – Behavioural Intervention Technologies), to support self-management via technology, which involves co-creation of digital resources (website, apps and social media) by and for people living with persistent pain.

The second theme focuses on partnering with Māori, Pasifika and Asian communities to co-develop culturally responsive pain management services (online and in-person) to address inequities to pain management. As part of this theme, he is currently co-leading a project to develop a community-led pain support programme for Māori with pain.

The third theme aims to improve societal representations of people with pain using art-based integrated knowledge translation approaches (e.g. stories, illustrations and films).

Strategically, his goal is to address health inequities and improve health outcomes for people with persistent pain and their whānau.

Additional details

Regular reviewer for:

  • Disability and Rehabilitation
  • Prosthetics and Orthotics International
  • Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
  • Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation
  • Journal of Medical and Internet Research
  • Physical Therapy Reviews
  • New Zealand Journal of Physiotherapy

Publications

Devan, H., Perry, M., Dean, S. G., Tennakoon Dassanayake, S., Liu, J., & Hale, L. (2026). A mixed method evaluation of behavioural change techniques in iSelf-Help: A co-designed online group pain management programme in Aotearoa New Zealand. Journal of Pain, 43, 106280. doi: 10.1016/j.jpain.2026.106280 Journal - Research Article

Finn, D. P., McGuire, B. E., Beggs, S., Boerner, K. E., Davis, K. D., Defrin, R., … Devan, H., … Roche, M. (2026). Recommendations for the inclusion and study of sex and gender in research [Perspective]. Nature Neuroscience, 29, 256-266. doi: 10.1038/s41593-025-02164-1 Journal - Research Article

Perry, M. A., Kanagasabai, P., Devan, H., Ergler, C., Gray, L., & Boland, P. (2025). Belonging in urban park and playgrounds: Wellbeing perspectives of disabled children and their families. Wellbeing, Space & Society, 9, 100321. doi: 10.1016/j.wss.2025.100321 Journal - Research Article

Devan, H. (2025, July). Equity in pain management: We are all in this together. Plenary presentation at the Rehabilitation Medicine Society of Australia and New Zealand (RMSANZ) 8th Annual Scientific Meeting in conjunction with the New Zealand Rehabilitation Society (NZRA), Ōtautahi Christchurch, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Davies, C., Devan, H., Kokiri Whānau, & Te Morenga, L. (2025). 'Let us enjoy the fruits of our own labour, we have our own solutions': Creative co-design methods and narratives of Māori whānau with chronic pain. Kōtuitui, 20(4), 1303-1320. doi: 10.1080/1177083X.2025.2525326 Journal - Research Article

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