Funded Projects

The Early Phase Pain Investigation Clinical Network (EPPIC-Net) conducts comprehensive analyses of observable traits (deep phenotyping) and aims to identify molecular and physiological signatures to help characterize specific pain conditions. To achieve these goals, researchers collect complex data using technologies such as magnetic resonance imaging of the brain, actigraphy, and electroencephalography. There is a need to train researchers to be able to extract key information from high-powered computing resources now widely available.  This research will complement the goals of EPPIC-Net by enhancing development of novel statistical methods to analyze complex data generated by EPPIC-Net pain studies.

Few integrated treatments are available that simultaneously address the fundamental causes of chronic pain and opioid misuse/opioid use disorder and focus on well-being among individuals with chronic pain and opioid misuse/opioid use disorder. This research will inform development of patient-centered interventions that increase quality of life and engagement in valued activities, are culturally appropriate for use by diverse patient populations, and reduce stigma related to chronic pain and opioid misuse/opioid use disorder. The results of this project will be used to inform future research focused on developing mobile health treatments for individuals with chronic pain and opioid use disorder, and for developing culturally appropriate treatments for chronic pain and opioid use disorder in Hispanic/Latino individuals.

Many molecular gates known as ion channels control the flow of electrical signals to sensory neurons and are thus key mechanisms and targets for understanding and interrupting pain signals. Recent breakthroughs in structural and computational biology shave illuminated specific molecular shapes of ion channels, which permits the improved design and refinement of small, stable protein-like molecules (peptide antigens). These peptides can stimulate an immune response that can then be targeted with a bioengineered antibody to match the peptide antigen. This project will test bioengineered antibodies in a rat model of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy within a region of the rat spinal cord that transmits signals to and from the brain.

The goal of this project is to discover potential targets for emergency department-based interventions that could enhance access to addiction treatment among Black and Latino individuals, who face significant disparities in access to ongoing addiction treatment. Through qualitative interviews with Black, Latino, and non-Latino White patients receiving emergency department-initiated buprenorphine, the research will identify patterns of barriers and facilitators for continuation of opioid use disorder treatment outside of the emergency department through a referral. The study will also evaluate differences in factors previously identified as predictors of worse treatment outcomes in these patient groups, including opioid overdose, polysubstance use, major depressive disorder, and stigma.

Negative Affect (NA) and stress are key features of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) and often lead to drug use and relapse. The Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) dominates physiological responses to emotions and stress, yet its function and how it unfolds over time and in real-world settings remains understudied in the context of OUD. With new wearable technologies, ANS function can be measured through heart rate variability (HRV) and can be recorded continuously via wearable sensors, providing a non-invasive method to examine physiological mechanisms underlying stress and NA in real-world settings and in real-time. The present research will serve as a pilot study to assess 1. The role of autonomic function (indexed by HRV) as a marker of NA and stress in people with OUD 2. Participants’ adherence to wearing sensor devices and response rates to daily questionnaires. To achieve these objectives, we will monitor participants for 14 days and quantify self-reports measures of stress, overall daytime HRV patterns, and the magnitude, frequency, and duration of reduced HRV instances. Our findings can help advance technologies to address the opioid epidemic, and our understanding of physiological markers as objective measures and predictors of NA and stress in OUD.

Cancer remains a leading cause of death among Hispanic/Latino populations in the United States. Compared with non-Hispanic Whites, Hispanic/Latino cancer patients are more likely to experience poor quality of life and inadequate cancer-related care, including less effective pain relief and poor patient‒provider communication. Additionally, Hispanic/Latino populations often have inadequate access to pain treatment, due to both social disparities and language barriers. However, most behavioral and psychosocial oncology research continues to focus on non-Hispanic Whites, and empirically validated and effective treatment interventions, particularly psychosocial interventions, are often not available in Spanish. This project will generate a Spanish-language version of the painTRAINER internet-based coping skills training program that is both linguistically and culturally sensitive and will evaluate its feasibility and acceptability in Hispanic/Latino patients with persistent cancer-related pain.

This research is designed to further understand implementation of medication-delivery programs in jail and/or community treatment programs based on perceptions of staff delivering medications for opioid use disorder and related services. The primary study uses a mainly quantitative approach to examine medication-delivery program implementation in jail and/or treatment settings. The study compliments ongoing research by incorporating a qualitative approach to assess perceptions of diverse staff through two interviews each with 80 individuals working in jail and/or treatment facilities involved in an ongoing study. Qualitative methods will add depth and nuance to our understanding of how medication-delivery programmatic outcomes relate to correctional staff perceptions.

This research seeks to develop a high-resolution spinal cord stimulation therapy for treating chronic neuropathic pain of the lower extremities, groin, and lower back. Systems that use wireless communication methods require robust strategies to prevent various forms of cyberattacks on implantable devices. The focus of this project's research will be to develop a new cybersecurity risk-reduced architecture for Bluetooth low-energy implant communication.

Chronic low back pain affects millions of Americans and is difficult to treat. Currently, there are no reliable methods to determine the best treatment options for patients, or to objectively evaluate the effectiveness of various interventions. This research will develop an imaging technology that uses machine learning to make automated assessments of spine characteristics, pain response, and patient-reported outcomes in people with chronic low back pain. This award will be used to recruit and support two postdoctoral fellows from populations underrepresented in biomedicine. The research will focus on whether use of the imaging tool helps clarify clinical diagnoses, as measured by the level of agreement between radiologists before and after using the tool.

There is a clear public health imperative to improve the care and outcomes of people who experience severe acute and chronic pain. The Early Phase Pain Investigation Clinical Network (EPPIC-Net) is charged with conducting deep phenotyping and biomarker studies for specific pain conditions – and with conducting high-quality phase II clinical trials to test novel non-opioid pain treatments with academic and industry partners. This research will extend EPPIC-Net’s current portfolio to develop novel and efficient data-analytic methodologies for complex medical data, such as those that are expected to be generated by the clinical trials conducted by EPPIC-Net.

Most opioid misuse begins during adolescence and young adulthood. Adolescence is the best time for prevention interventions in settings like school-based health centers (HCs), yet few programs focus on preventing initiation of opioid misuse. This study harnesses the power of video game interventions and incorporates components of effective substance use prevention programs to develop an evidence-informed intervention to prevent the initiation of opioid misuse in adolescents. In partnership with the national School-Based Health Alliance (SBHA), researchers will develop and test a new video game intervention, PlaySmart. It will build on our previous video game intervention that has demonstrated efficacy in improving attitudes and knowledge related to risk behaviors. The study will evaluate the game in a randomized controlled trial in 10 school-based HCs and examine strategies for implementing PlaySmart in school-based HCs nationally. This research has considerable potential for wide implementation, reach, and impact on high-risk adolescents through school-based HCs.

The parent project’s Housing First initiative can be divided into two interconnected goals: (1) to reduce the likelihood of substance misuse and the development of an opioid use disorder and (2) to provide youth with housing stability and opioid and related risk prevention services that will assist them in exiting homelessness. The proposed supplement project complements the goals of the parent grant project by exploring two additional components that are related to exiting homelessness and reducing substance misuse or the development of opioid use disorder: (1) to further investigate youth’s interactions with social service providers, via qualitative methods, with the goal of cultivating a detail understanding actionable practices as it relates to fostering successful interactions between substance using homeless youth and service providers and (2) to evaluate, via quantitative methods, the extent to which ethnic identity protects youth from the negative effects of discrimination, substance misuse, and the development of a opioid use disorder.