Funded Projects

Explore our currently funded projects. You may search with all three fields, then focus your results by applying any of the dropdown filters. After customizing your search, you may download results and even save your specific search for later.

Project # Project Title Research Focus Area Research Program Administering IC Institution(s) Investigator(s) Location(s) Year Awarded
1R01DA059465-01
The Impact of Central Sleep Apnea in Patients Receiving Medications for Opioid Use Disorder New Strategies to Prevent and Treat Opioid Addiction Sleep Dysfunction as a Core Feature of Opioid Use Disorder and Recovery NIDA UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH PATEL, SANJAY R Pittsburgh, PA 2023
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Sleep Predictors of Opioid-Use Disorder Treatment Outcomes Program (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
NOFO Number: RFA-DA-23-059
Summary:

Medications used to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) such as methadone and buprenorphine can cause central sleep apnea—a condition in which an individual momentarily stops breathing during sleep. This project will evaluate whether central sleep apnea, by worsening sleep quality and causing low blood oxygen levels, leads to nighttime arousal and emotional distress, which in turn increases the risk of relapse in individuals receiving treatment for OUD.

1RM1DA059365-01
Improving Quality and Equity of Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Using a Multi-State Medicaid Research Network Translation of Research to Practice for the Treatment of Opioid Addiction Optimizing the Quality, Reach, and Impact of Addiction Services NIDA UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH DONOHUE, JULIE MARIE (contact); BARNES, ANDREW JAMES Pittsburgh, PA 2023
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Research to Foster an Opioid Use Disorder Treatment System Patients Can Count On (RM1 - Clinical Trial Optional)
NOFO Number: RFA-DA-23-046
Summary:

Medicaid covers the cost of treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) for most individuals who need it, including minoritized populations and those with risk factors related to low income, education, and employment. The Medicaid Outcomes Distributed Research Network has supported efforts to improve OUD treatment by developing novel measures of treatment quality and examining effects of treatment quality on overdoses. Using this network, this project will leverage university-state partnerships in 12 states to inform quality improvement initiatives and Medicaid policy. The research will develop provider-level quality measures for OUD using Medicaid administrative data and measure patient-reported outcomes. The research will also look for approaches to use claims-based quality measures and practice-level quality improvement strategies to improve treatment outcomes for people with OUD.

1R61DA059889-01
Methadone Patient Access to Collaborative Treatment (MPACT) Translation of Research to Practice for the Treatment of Opioid Addiction Optimizing the Quality, Reach, and Impact of Addiction Services NIDA UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA MEYERSON, BETH Tucson, AZ 2023
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Translating Research to Practice to End the Overdose Crisis (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Optional)
NOFO Number: RFA-DA-23-053
Summary:

Current practices and culture in treatment programs for opioid use disorder, including treatment with methadone, may contribute to treatment interruption and relapse risk. This project will develop and test a staff-level intervention for opioid treatment programs to increase methadone treatment retention and decrease in-treatment overdose and patient- and staff-reported posttraumatic stress symptoms. The intervention includes components to address trauma in patients and staff as well as separate supervisory structures for counselors/case managers and medical providers.

1UG3DA059409-01
Improving Buprenorphine Retention with Transcutaneous Auricular Neurostimulation for Patients with Co-occurring Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Opioid Use Disorder New Strategies to Prevent and Treat Opioid Addiction Optimizing Care for People with Opioid Use Disorder and Mental Health Conditions NIDA UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI SPRUNGER, JOEL GREGORY Cincinnati, OH 2023
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Therapeutics Development for Opioid Use Disorder in Patients with Co-occurring Mental Disorders (UG3/UH3 - Clinical Trial Optional)
NOFO Number: RFA-DA-23-049
Summary:

Drug checking services provide individuals who use drugs with information about the true contents of their purchases, and thus may help prevent overdoses. However, current technologies are either costly, technically complex, and non-portable or subject to false signals and restricted in their detection capabilities. This project will continue development of a new, simple-to-use, point-of-care analytical technology (DoseCheck) that can rapidly detect established drug threats in a sample and recognize newly emerging drugs. The project will also attempt to adapt DoseCheck to provide rapid results in emergency overdose situations and improve the analytical capabilities of medical examiners in under-resourced jurisdictions.

1R01NS131165-01A1
Validation of Neuropilin-1 Receptor Signaling in Nociceptive Processing Preclinical and Translational Research in Pain Management Discovery and Validation of Novel Targets for Safe and Effective Treatment of Pain NINDS NEW YORK UNIVERSITY KHANNA, RAJESH New York, NY 2023
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Discovery and Validation of Novel Targets for Safe and Effective Pain Treatment (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NOFO Number: RFA-NS-22-034
Summary:

Neuropilin 1 receptor (NRP1) is a protein receptor that is active in neurons and is hypothesized to be a key mediator of sensory neuron sensitization that can lead to pain. This project will study the cellular mechanisms by which NRP1 leads to sensitization and which cell types—sensory neurons, microglia, or both—are responsible for NRP1’s role in pain. The findings can help validate NRP1 in sensory neurons and the spinal cord as a target to treat pain following nerve injury.

1R01DE033318-01
Understanding the Association Between Sublingual Buprenorphine and Oral Health Outcomes Novel Therapeutic Options for Opioid Use Disorder and Overdose Oral Complications Arising From Pharmacotherapies to Treat Opioid Use Disorders NIDCR UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY ROJAS RAMIREZ, MARCIA VANESSA (contact); OYLER, DOUGLAS Lexington, KY 2023
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Oral Complications Arising from Pharmacotherapies to Treat Opioid Use Disorders (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NOFO Number: RFA-DE-23-015
Summary:

Sublingual buprenorphine is a standard treatment for opioid use disorder and is considered safe and effective. However, in 2022 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration advised that buprenorphine is linked to oral disease. However, the underlying studies did not measure when oral disease started, how it progressed, or if other risk factors were present. How sublingual buprenorphine may impact oral health also remains unclear. This project will follow adults in two U.S. states who take sublingual buprenorphine or other medications for opioid use disorder to understand if and how these medications increase the extent, onset, and progression of oral disease, accounting for other risk factors.

1UG3NS135170-01
Predictive Biosignature for Endoscopic Therapy for Chronic Pancreatitis Pain Clinical Research in Pain Management Discovery and Validation of Biomarkers, Endpoints, and Signatures for Pain Conditions NINDS NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DOAN, LISA (contact); CHEN, ZHE SAGE; GONDA, TAMAS ADAM; PARK, HYUNG; WANG, JING New York, NY 2023
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Discovery of Biomarkers and Biomarker Signatures to Facilitate Clinical Trials for Pain Therapeutics (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional)
NOFO Number: RFA-NS-22-050
Summary:

Chronic pancreatitis is a painful condition often caused by long-term alcohol use, and patients often require treatment with strong pain medications, including opioids. Therefore, alternative treatments for chronic pancreatitis are needed. This project will use machine learning approaches to create a prediction tool based on electroencephalography analyses, sensory tests, and psychological questionnaires that can help determine which patients with chronic pancreatitis will benefit most from a specific type of treatment called endoscopic therapy.

4R33NS113315-02
Biomarker Signature to Predict the Persistence of Post-Traumatic Headache Clinical Research in Pain Management Discovery and Validation of Biomarkers, Endpoints, and Signatures for Pain Conditions NINDS MAYO CLINIC ARIZONA CHONG, CATHERINE DANIELA Scottsdale, AZ 2023
NOFO Title: Discovery of Biomarkers, Biomarker Signatures, and Endpoints for Pain (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Optional)
NOFO Number: RFA-NS-18-041
1R01DA059376-01
Social Safety Net Programs as Interventions to Reduce Opioid-Related Harms in Reproductive-Age Women New Strategies to Prevent and Treat Opioid Addiction Preventing Opioid Use Disorder NIDA COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES MARTINS, SILVIA SABOIA New York, NY 2023
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Preventing Opioid Misuse and Co-Occurring Conditions by Intervening on Social Determinants (R01 - Clinical Trials Optional)
NOFO Number: RFA-DA-23-051
Summary:

Social safety net programs and Medicaid that provide basic necessities such as shelter, health care, and food to people with low incomes are particularly important for women parents who use drugs. This project will examine the separate and combined impact of state social safety net program eligibility and administration on opioid-related behavioral outcomes for women parents experiencing poverty. Findings from this research will provide actionable recommendations for changes to these programs that may promote health and well-being for these women.

1K01DA059641-01
Adapting and Implementing a Chronic Disease Self-Management Program for Primary Care Patients with Opioid Use Disorder and Serious Mental Illness Cross-Cutting Research Training the Next Generation of Researchers in HEAL NIDA UNIVERSITY OF UTAH SIANTZ, ELIZABETH Salt Lake City, UT 2023
NOFO Title: Career Development Awards in Implementation Science for Substance Use Prevention and Treatment (K01 - Clinical Trial Required) 
NOFO Number: PAS-22-206
Summary:

Many people with opioid use disorder (OUD) also have a serious mental illness and other chronic conditions, which can be difficult for individuals and primary care providers to manage. A chronic disease self-management program is an established health care model in which peers help to educate patients about their condition(s) and build problem-solving skills to manage their health. Such programs have been effective in other populations and settings, but they have not been adapted for primary care patients who have OUD and SMI. This project will adapt and test a chronic disease self-management program for this population to understand its feasibility, acceptability, impact, and how best to put such programs into place widely in primary care settings.

1R61DA059948-01
Workforce and System Change to Treat Adolescent Opioid Use Disorder Within Integrated Pediatric Primary Care Translation of Research to Practice for the Treatment of Opioid Addiction Optimizing the Quality, Reach, and Impact of Addiction Services NIDA INDIANA UNIV-PURDUE UNIV AT INDIANAPOLIS HULVERSHORN, LESLIE A (contact); AALSMA, MATTHEW; ADAMS, ZACHARY WILLIAM Indianapolis, IN 2023
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Translating Research to Practice to End the Overdose Crisis (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Optional)
NOFO Number: RFA-DA-23-053
Summary:

The overdose crisis has expanded rapidly among adolescent populations in recent years, largely due to illicit substances containing lethal amounts of the highly potent synthetic opioid fentanyl. However, a provider shortage limits access to effective treatment for adolescents with opioid use disorder and other substance use disorders (SUD). Although primary care is a promising setting for expanding delivery of SUD treatment to adolescents, many primary care providers lack the training, resources, and support systems to deliver these services confidently and effectively. This project will leverage a large-scale rollout of integrated behavioral health care in a statewide health system. The research will test whether embedding behavioral health specialists into primary care visits, introducing case management and electronic clinical decision support tools, and reducing stigma will increase delivery of SUD treatment to adolescents.

1R61DA059895-01
Promoting Retention in Opioid Treatment among Women Experiencing Intimate Partner Violence: A Novel Stepped Care Model Targeting PTSD Translation of Research to Practice for the Treatment of Opioid Addiction Optimizing the Quality, Reach, and Impact of Addiction Services NIDA YALE UNIVERSITY SULLIVAN, TAMI P (contact); EDELMAN, E JENNIFER; JOHNSON, DAWN M New Haven, CT 2023
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Translating Research to Practice to End the Overdose Crisis (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Optional)
NOFO Number: RFA-DA-23-053
Summary:

Women with opioid use disorder (OUD) are disproportionately impacted by physical, sexual, and psychological intimate partner violence and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Yet, treatment approaches that address all these conditions together in OUD treatment settings are lacking. To address this gap, this project will evaluate delivery of two evidence-based interventions to address PTSD (Present-Centered Therapy+ and Helping to Overcome PTSD through Empowerment) for women seeking OUD treatment who have experienced intimate partner violence. It will also determine if integrated treatment can help retain the women in medication treatment for OUD.

1UG3DA058544-01A1
Antibody-based therapy for fentanyl-related opioid use disorder Novel Therapeutic Options for Opioid Use Disorder and Overdose Focusing Medication Development to Prevent and Treat Opioid Use Disorder and Overdose NIDA MCLEAN HOSPITAL DESAI, RAJEEV INDRAJIT (contact); BREMER, PAUL T Belmont, MA 2023
NOFO Title: Development of Medications to Prevent and Treat Opioid and/or Stimulant Use Disorders and Overdose (UG3/UH3 - Clinical Trial Optional)
NOFO Number: PAR-22-200
1RF1NS135580-01
Validation of Prenatal Rabbit Hypoxia Ischemia as a Model of Cerebral Palsy-Induced Pain Preclinical and Translational Research in Pain Management Development and Optimization of Non-Addictive Therapies to Treat Pain NINDS UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND QUINLAN, KATHARINA ANN (contact); DETLOFF, MEGAN R Kingston, RI 2023
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Development and Validation of Non-Rodent Mammalian Models of Pain (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NOFO Number: RFA-NS-22-070
Summary:

Cerebral palsy (CP), the leading cause of childhood disabilities in the United States, refers to a group of neurological disorders that appear in infancy or early childhood and permanently affect body movement and muscle coordination. The experience of pain is one of the most common, poorly understood, and inadequately treated conditions in CP, impairing health and quality of life for both patients and caregivers. To understand why pain and motor dysfunction occur together, a model that accurately replicates both is needed. This project will validate an established, rabbit model of CP motor dysfunction for use in studying and developing effective treatments for CP-associated pain.

1R01DE033322-01
Comparative Risk of Oral Complications Associated with Medications for Opioid Use Disorder: A Mixed-Methods Approach Novel Therapeutic Options for Opioid Use Disorder and Overdose Oral Complications Arising From Pharmacotherapies to Treat Opioid Use Disorders NIDCR UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH ROY, PAYEL JHOOM (contact); BUTLER, ANNE MOBLEY Pittsburgh, PA 2023
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Oral Complications Arising from Pharmacotherapies to Treat Opioid Use Disorders (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NOFO Number: RFA-DE-23-015
Summary:

Recently, concerns have been voiced that medications to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) may contribute to dental problems, including cavities and tooth loss. These concerns may contribute to barriers preventing use of these medications. A better understanding of the effects of these medications on oral complications is critical. This project will use national databases to link dental, medical, and pharmacy claims data for Medicaid- or commercially-insured new users of various medications for OUD to determine and compare oral health outcomes. The project will also examine the perspectives and experiences of people with OUD on oral health.

2SB1NS119103-04
Novel non-narcotic analgesic for acute and chronic pain Cross-Cutting Research Small Business Programs NINDS SOUTH RAMPART PHARMA, LLC NAISMITH, ROBERT New Orleans, LA 2023
NOFO Title: HEAL Commercialization Readiness Pilot (CRP) Program: Embedded Entrepreneurs for Small Businesses in Pain Management (SB1 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NOFO Number: PAR-23-069
4UH3NS123964-02
Disease Modifying Analgesia with CA8 Gene Therapy Preclinical and Translational Research in Pain Management Development and Optimization of Non-Addictive Therapies to Treat Pain NINDS UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE LEVITT, ROY C Coral Gables, FL 2023
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Non-addictive Analgesic Therapeutics Development [Small Molecules and Biologics] to Treat Pain (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional)
NOFO Number: RFA-NS-21-010
1R01DA059469-01
Investigating Mechanisms Underpinning Outcomes in People on Opioid Agonist Treatment for OUD: Disentangling Sleep and Circadian Rhythm Influences on Craving and Emotion Regulation New Strategies to Prevent and Treat Opioid Addiction Sleep Dysfunction as a Core Feature of Opioid Use Disorder and Recovery NIDA EMMA PENDLETON BRADLEY HOSPITAL CARSKADON, MARY A (contact); MCGEARY, JOHN E; RICH, JOSIAH D Providence, RI 2023
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Sleep Predictors of Opioid-Use Disorder Treatment Outcomes Program (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)
NOFO Number: RFA-DA-23-059
Summary:

Sleep and circadian rhythms are understudied risk factors for opioid use disorder (OUD) and its treatment. Opioids affect sleep quality in a way that can inhibit recovery. The two most effective medications for OUD also cause sleep problems. This project will increase understanding about underlying circadian and behavioral mechanisms, such as changes in craving and/or the ability to regulate emotions, that link poor sleep with suboptimal opioid treatment response outcomes.

1RM1DA059395-01
HEALing Measurement Center: Enhancing Opioid Use Disorder Recovery Through Measurement Based Care Translation of Research to Practice for the Treatment of Opioid Addiction Optimizing the Quality, Reach, and Impact of Addiction Services NIDA UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH CLOUTIER, RENEE M (contact); ALDRIDGE, ARNIE PAUL; PRINGLE, JANICE L; SCOTT, KELLI Pittsburgh, PA 2023
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Research to Foster an Opioid Use Disorder Treatment System Patients Can Count On (RM1 - Clinical Trial Optional)
NOFO Number: RFA-DA-23-046
Summary:

This project will enhance the measurement, quality, and equity of care delivered in 20 community opioid treatment programs in Pennsylvania by co-designing and implementing measurement-based care tools and systems. The research will inform future use of measurement-based care for opioid treatment in partnership with key stakeholders, as well as explore alternative avenues improving health outcomes, including helping patients remain in treatment.

1R61DA059947-01
Developing and Testing Innovative Care Pathways for Screening and Treatment of OUD/PTSD in Jails Translation of Research to Practice for the Treatment of Opioid Addiction Optimizing the Quality, Reach, and Impact of Addiction Services NIDA UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS FOR MEDICAL SCIENCES ZIELINSKI, MELISSA JEAN (contact); ZALLER, NICKOLAS D Little Rock, AR 2023
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Translating Research to Practice to End the Overdose Crisis (R61/R33 Clinical Trial Optional)
NOFO Number: RFA-DA-23-053
Summary:

Many people in jail have both opioid use disorder (OUD) and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Among people with OUD released from jail, only few engage in treatment and medication therapy once they are back in the community, and opioid overdose is a leading cause of death in this population. This project will test whether identifying and initiating treatment of PTSD in people receiving OUD treatment in jail can increase these individuals’ likelihood of starting and staying in medication treatment after release and thus reduce overdose risk.

1R01DA059422-01
Validation of a Virtual Still Face Procedure and Deep Learning Algorithms to Assess Infant Emotion Regulation and Infant-Caregiver Interactions in the Wild Enhanced Outcomes for Infants and Children Exposed to Opioids Virtual Assessments to Understand Developmental Trajectories of Substance Use Exposure NIDA UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN MCELWAIN, NANCY L (contact); HASEGAWA-JOHNSON, MARK ALLAN Champaign, IL 2023
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Development and validation of virtual assessments to study children and caregivers in their natural environment (R01- Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NOFO Number: RFA-DA-23-050
Summary:

Both an infant’s ability to regulate their emotions and infant-parent interactions are critical to healthy brain and behavioral development. Accurate assessment of these factors for research in laboratory settings is technically difficult and burdensome for participants. Next-generation methods that can be used at home, including wearable sensors and machine learning approaches, promise to make it easier to assess infants with prenatal substance exposures. This project will use remote sensing technologies and machine learning to characterize dynamic real-time infant emotion regulation and infant-caregiver interactions throughout the day and in the home.

1RM1DE033491-01
Endosomal Mechanisms Signaling Oral Cancer Pain Preclinical and Translational Research in Pain Management Integrated Basic and Clinical Team-Based Research in Pain NIDCR NEW YORK UNIVERSITY SCHMIDT, BRIAN L (contact); BUNNETT, NIGEL W; KHANNA, RAJESH; LEONG, KAM W; YE, YI New York, NY 2023
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative Integrated Basic and Clinical Team-based Research in Pain (RM1 Clinical Trial Optional)
NOFO Number: RFA-NS-22-069
Summary:

Human oral cancer is associated with significant chronic pain, and a comprehensive understanding of the biology and mechanisms underlying this chronic pain is critical for developing better pain management strategies. This project will determine molecular characteristics, including a specific signaling system (endosomal GPCR kinase), associated with chronic oral cancer pain, using tissue samples obtained from patients with this condition. The findings will then be used to inform studies in animal models of human oral cancer pain to enhance understanding how endosomal GPCR kinase contributes to human oral cancer pain.

1K99AT012658-01
A Role for Peripheral NAAA-Regulated Lipid Signaling in the Control of Hyperalgesic Priming Cross-Cutting Research Training the Next Generation of Researchers in HEAL NCCIH UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE FOTIO, YANNICK Irvine, CA 2023
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative Advanced Postdoctoral-to-Independent Career Transition Award in PAIN and SUD Research (K99/R00 Independent Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NOFO Number: RFA-NS-22-022
Summary:

Chronic pain remains a significant global heath challenge. Development of novel safe and effective treatments requires a deeper understanding of the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underlie the development of chronic pain. One protein that has been implicated in controlling the transition from acute to chronic pain is N-acylethanolamine acid amidase (NAAA). This project will evaluate how NAAA controls pain susceptibility after an acute insult and how this affects the emergence of chronic pain.

1UG3NS131785-01A1
Identifying multimodal biomarkers for autologous serum tears in the treatment of chronic postoperative ocular pain Clinical Research in Pain Management Discovery and Validation of Biomarkers, Endpoints, and Signatures for Pain Conditions NINDS CLEVELAND CLINIC LERNER COLLEGE OF MEDICINE - CWRU SAYEGH, RONY ROGER (contact); ROTROFF, DANIEL Cleveland, OH 2023
NOFO Title: HEAL Initiative: Discovery of Biomarkers and Biomarker Signatures to Facilitate Clinical Trials for Pain Therapeutics (UG3/UH3 Clinical Trial Optional)
NOFO Number: RFA-NS-22-050
Summary:

Cataract surgery is commonly performed in older adults; however, some patients subsequently experience chronic eye pain that is difficult to treat. One promising approach that is effective in some, but not all, patients uses the patient's own serum (a component of blood) as eye drops. This project seeks to identify markers that can help predict which patients will respond to serum treatment and monitor their progress. Using advanced technology and data analysis to evaluate patient histories, questionnaires, and different genetic and other molecular characteristics in the eyes and serum it aims to identify potential markers that can then be tested in a clinical study.

1R43HL167661-01A1
Improving Analgesic Effectiveness and Safety with Proactive Precision Pain Management in Thoracic Surgical Patients with Lung Lesions Cross-Cutting Research Small Business Programs NHLBI OPALGENIX, INC. PLUMP, STEVEN R (contact); SADHASIVAM, SENTHILKUMAR Indianapolis, IN 2023
NOFO Title: HEAL INITIATIVE: Development of Therapies and Technologies Directed at Enhanced Pain Management (R43/R44 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
NOFO Number: RFA-NS-20-011