The reproducibility and translatability of pre-clinical studies remains a challenge as we seek to better understand and treat chronic neuropathic pain. In this session, we will offer positive and practical solutions to improve the impact of pre-clinical experiments on the pain field. Alfonso Romero-Sandoval will reflect on his recent efforts to conduct multi-center rodent behavioral experiments. He will consider the lessons we can take from the results and how they might help us further improve how we standardize and validate in vivo outcome measures in pain research. Andrew Rice will discuss the utility of ethologically relevant behavioral measures in animal models; he will focus on diverse tactics for cross laboratory validation of such measures using the innate rodent behaviors of burrowing and predator avoidance as examples. Finally, Dr. Duncan Lascelles will discuss the measurement of pain and the role of clinical studies in non-rodent models, including the potential utility of using owned pet animals with naturally occurring pain conditions.