Our faculty is very productive in National Institute of Health (NIH) and industry-funded efforts.
Patient recruitment also continues for the North American Malignant Hyperthermia (MH) Registry and genomic analysis for susceptibility to MH.
Research Nurse Manager
Clinical Studies RN
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Clinical Studies Coordinator
Clinical Research Technician
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Research Administrative Coordinator II
Research Administrative Coordinator I
The Pain Mechanisms Lab cultivates an open scientific community that transforms pain treatment through innovative research.
The Pain Outcomes Lab spearheads groundbreaking translational research, leverages large-scale data analytics, AI, and clinical trials to revolutionize pain care.
Chronic Pain After Surgery
The Peters Lab is leading research that’s focused on preventing chronic pain after surgery (CPAS) by providing a standard of medical care perioperatively. Chronic pain after surgery (CPAS) is now recognized as a major public health concern which can affect between 10 and 50% of patients depending on the type of surgery. Currently, there is no standard of medical care provided perioperatively to prevent CPAS. This is due in part to an incomplete knowledge of the risk factors and biological mechanisms that are responsible for postoperative pain transitioning from an acute stage that resolves with wound healing to a more chronic pain state.
Neuropathic Pain and Deep Brain stimulation
Under grant NS074357 from the National Institute of Neurodegenerative Disorders and Stroke, the Martin Lab is studying the effects of deep brain stimulation in rats with neuropathic pain. Deep brain stimulation has recently received renewed interest as a treatment modality for a number of CNS disorders including chronic, intractable pain. We are interested in finding brain regions in which electrical stimulation reverses classical symptoms of nerve-injury associated pain in rats, such as mechanical hypersensitivity.
Chronic pain is a major public health issue
The Ririe Lab studies chronic pain, a major public health issue affecting 30% of the adult population in the U.S.A (1). The burden is immense with lost productivity, utilization of health care resources and a cost over 600 billion dollars per year (2). Nerve injury induces neural activity that establishes altered processing and long term behavioral effects. Despite this, incomplete understanding of ongoing chronic pain has resulted in inadequate treatment options.
Study and characterization of the mammalian somatosensory system
Dr. Boada’s overall goals are focused on the study and characterization of the mammalian somatosensory system physiological functions, in normal as well pathological conditions. Specifically, the molecular basis of the mechanical transduction on primary sensory neurons and the circuits, architecture, and sensory integration in secondary order sensory neurons in the spinal cord.
Normal resolution of pain after surgery
With grant grant GM109333 from the National Institute of General Medicine Sciences, the Romero-Sandoval Lab is studying the role of CD163 in the normal resolution of pain after surgery and its potential therapeutic effects to prevent or treat chronic postsurgical pain. Under this initial hypothesis, our studies have originated multiple projects encompassing a multidisciplinary approach.
| Project | Research Faculty |
|---|---|
| MIRHIQL Resource Center for Improving Quality of Life with Chronic Pin (MRC) | Multi-PI: Meredith Adams, MD; Robert W. Hurley, MD, PhD |
| HEAL Initiative: Early Phase Pain Investigation Clinical Network - Specialized Clinical Centers | PI: Meredith Adams, MD (Subaward) |
| COVID-19 Pandemic Mitigation, Community Economic and Society Vulnerability, and Opioid Use | Multi-PI: Meredith Adams, MD; Elaine Hill, PhD (Subaward) |
| Identifying Opioid Response Phenotypes in Low Back Pain Electronic Health Data | PI: Meredith Adams, MD |
| Wake Forest IMPOWR Dissemination Education and Coordination Center (IDEA-CC) | PI: Meredith Adams, MD |
| WF DISC: Navigating Data Solutions for Chronic Pain and Opioid Use Disorder | PI: Meredith Adams, MD |
| Dexmedetomidine Opioid Sparing Effect in Mechanically Ventilated Children (Dose Trial) | PI: Andora Bass, MD |
| Schwann Cell Activation in Oral Cancer Perineural Invasion and Neuropathic Pain | PI: M. Danilo Boada, PhD (Subaward) |
| Comprehensive functional phenotyping of trigeminal neurons innervating temporomandibular joint (TMJ) tissues in male, female and aged mice, primates, and humans with and without TMJ disorders (TMJD) | PI: M. Danilo Boada, PhD (Subaward) |
| Developing a Diverse Workforce: Advancing Data Science for Addiction Research and Professional Training (ADAPT) | Multi-PI: Amber Brooks, MD; Meredith Adams, MD; Robert Hurley, MD, PhD: Ariana Nelson, PhD |
| A Mobile Health Behavior Intervention to Reduce Pain and Improve Health-III (MORPH III) | Multi PI: Jason Fanning, PhD/WFU; Amber Brooks, MD (Subaward) |
| My Anesthesia Choice: Implementing an Evidence- based Approach to Increase Shared Decision- making in Anesthesia Care for Patients Undergoing Hip Fracture Surgery | PI: Christopher Edwards, MD |
| Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Peripheral Nerve Stimulation: A Non-Pharmacologic, Non-Addictive Alternative for the Treatment of Postoperative Pain | PI: James Eisenach, MD (Subaward) |
| Eliminating Post-Mastectomy Pain and Opioids with Percutaneous Cryoneurolysis: A Single- Administration, Non Opioid, Non-Addictive, Multiple-month Analgesic | PI: James Eisenach, MD (Subaward) |
| Ketamine to Reduce Postpartum Depression and Pain after Cesarean Delivery | PI: James Eisenach, MD (Subaward) |
| Integrating Tailored Postoperative Opioid Tapering and Pain Management Support for Patients on Long-term Opioid use Presenting for Spine Surgery (MIRHIQL) | PI: Robert Hurley, MD (Subaward) |
| A sequenced Strategy for Improving Outcomes in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis Pain (SKOAP) | Multi-PI: Campbell CM, Castillo RC, Cohen SP, Hurley RW |
| Back Pain Consortium (BACPAC) Research Program Data Integration, Algorithm Development and Operations Management Center | PI: Robert Hurley, MD (Subaward) |
| Precision-based Renin Assessment in Septic Shock Outcomes | PI: Ashish Khanna, MD (CTSI-Intramural) |
| Improving Definition and Innovations for Identification and Prevention of Postoperative Opioid Induced Respiratory Depression (OIRD) | Multi-PI: Ashish Khanna, MD; Richard Urman, MD |
| Chilled Platelet Study (CHIPS) | PI: Ashish Khanna, MD (Subaward) |
| THRIVE: Trajectories of Recovery after Intravenous Propofol vs Inhaled Volatile Anesthesia | PI: Ashish Khanna, MD (Subaward) |
| Oxytocin: A Pain-Disease-modifying Agent in the Nervous System after Injury | Multi-PI: Jeffrey Martin, PhD; James Eisenach, MD |
| Biased Kappa Opioid Agonists as Non-addictive Analgesics |
PI: Jeffrey Martin, PhD |
| Dissecting Neural Circuits Involved in Musculoskeletal Pain | PI: Christopher Peters, PhD |
| Cell-directed Gene Therapy for Pain Recovery after Surgery and Inflammation | PI: E. Alfonso Romero-Sandoval, PhD |
| Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress Responses in Pain | Multi-PI: EA Romero-Sandoval, PhD; MD Boada, |
| A Novel Assay to Improve Translation in Analgesic Drug Development | Multi-PI: E.A. Romero-Sandoval, T.J. Martin |
| Development of Quantitative Tools to Predict Patients with Difficult Intubation to Minimize Treatment-Related Complications. | Multi-PI: M.K. Khalid Niazi, PhD; Scott Segal, MD |
| ARDS in Children and ECMO Initiation Strategies Impact on Neuro-Development (ASCEND) | Multi-PI: Alan Woodruff, MD; Michael Northrop, MD (Subaward) |
| Research | Principal Investigator |
|---|---|
| Medtronic | Laura Dean, MD |
| La Jolla Pharmaceutical | Rohesh Fernando, MD |
| Nevro Corporation | Robert Hurley, MD, PhD |
| Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute | Christopher Edwards, MD |
| Novartis Pharmaceuticals | Ashish Khanna, MD |
| Talphera Inc. | Ashish Khanna, MD |
| Caretaker Medical | Ashish Khanna, MD |
| Retia Medical | Ashish Khanna, MD |
| Renibus Therapeutics | Ashish Khanna, MD |
| Edwards LifeSciences | Ashish Khanna, MD |
| Centre Hospitaler de L’Universite de Montreal | Ashish Khanna, MD |
| Trevena | Ashish Khanna, MD |
| Rehabtronics | Ashish Khanna, MD |
| Kybele Inc. | Medge Owen, MD |
| Grand Challenges Canada | Medge Owen, MD |
| Biotest | Ryan Maves, MD |
| Sound Pharmaceuticals | Ryan Maves, MD |
| Medtronic Pain Therapies-Fellowship | Brandon Williams, MD |
| Medtronic | Wesley Templeton, MD |
| Sound Pharmaceuticals | Ryan Maves, MD |
| Medtronic Pain Therapies-Fellowship | Brandon Williams, MD |
| Boston Scientific-Fellowship | Brandon Williams, MD |
| Abbott Medical Grants-Fellowship | Brandon Williams, MD |
