2024 NIH HEAL Initiative Awards

The NIH HEAL Initiative^® Awards recognize researchers for Excellence in Research, Mentorship, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, and Community Partnership. Researchers in the early to middle stages of their careers are recognized with a Trailblazer Award or honorable mention.

Browse the five award categories and 2024 awardees.

Trailblazer

The HEAL Trailblazer Award recognizes HEAL-funded researchers in the early stages of their careers who are applying an innovative approach or creativity in their research or HEAL-funded researchers in the middle stages of their careers who are expanding research into addressing the pain and opioid crises in new directions. The 2024 awardees demonstrate the ability to develop or apply novel techniques, approaches, models, or methodologies to HEAL research.

Kathryn Hawk, M.D., M.H.S.

Yale University Department of Emergency Medicine

Funded Project: The National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network

Read Dr. Kathryn Hawk’s Bio

J. Deanna Wilson, M.D., M.P.H.

University of Pennsylvania

Funded Project: Teaching Harm Reduction in Vulnerable Environments (THRIVE): A Peer-Led Intervention Bridging Acute Care Settings and the Discharge to the Community

Read Dr. Deanna Wilson’s Bio

Hernan Bazan, M.D., FACS

South Rampart Pharma, Inc.

Funded Project: Novel Non-narcotic Analgesic for Acute and Chronic Pain

Read Dr. Hernan Bazan’s Bio

Catherine D. Chong, Ph.D.

Mayo Clinic

Funded Project: Biomarker Signature to Predict the Persistence of Post-Traumatic Headache

Read Dr. Catherine D. Chong’s Bio

Jacob Coverstone

Neurovations

Funded Project: PURPOSE: Positively Uniting Researchers of Pain to Opine, Synthesize, and Engage

Read Jacob Coverstone’s Bio

Trailblazer Honorable Mentions

Zachary Adams, Ph.D., Indiana University School of Medicine
Funded Project: Workforce and System Change to Treat Adolescent Opioid Use Disorder Within Integrated Pediatric Primary Care
Allyson Dir, Ph.D., Indiana University School of Medicine
Funded Project: Fatal Overdose Review Teams - Research to Enhance Surveillance Systems (FORTRESS)
Kelli Scott, Ph.D., Center for Dissemination and Implementation Science, Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine
Funded Project: HEALing Measurement Center: Enhancing Opioid Use Disorder Recovery Through Measurement Based Care
Gracelyn Cruden, Ph.D., Chestnut Health Services
Funded Project: Supporting Data-Driven Decision-Making to Support Substance Use Service Expansion Policies and to Prevent Overdoses
Bashar Badran, Ph.D., Medical University of South Carolina
Funded Project: Understanding the Mechanistic, Neurophysiological, and Antinociceptive Effects of Transcutaneous Auricular Neurostimulation for Treatment of Chronic Pain

Excellence in Research

The HEAL Award for Excellence in Research recognizes HEAL-funded investigators who exemplify research excellence, support broad dissemination of key research, and demonstrate leadership in the scientific community. The 2024 awardees’ development of experimental practices, models, and approaches have had a major, transformative impact on the pain and addiction research fields.

Nabila El-Bassel, Ph.D.

Columbia University

Funded Project: CHASE: An Innovative County-Level Public Health Response to the Opioid Epidemic in New York State

Read Dr. Nabila El-Bassel’s Bio

Ali Rezai, M.D.

West Virginia University

Funded Project: Feasibility of Deep Brain Stimulation as a Novel Treatment for Refractory Opioid Use Disorder

Read Dr. Ali Rezai’s Bio

William S. Marras, Ph.D.

Ohio State University

Funded Project: The Spine Phenome Project: Enhancing Patient Diversity

Read Dr. William S. Marras’s Bio

Prasad Shirvalkar, M.D., Ph.D.

University of California San Francisco

Funded Project: Multisite Adaptive Brain Stimulation for Multidimensional Treatment of Refractory Chronic Pain

Read Dr. Prasad Shirvalkar’s Bio

Mentorship

The HEAL Award for Mentorship recognizes HEAL-funded researchers who demonstrate exceptional commitment to the development and mentorship of early career scientists in the pain and addiction research fields. The 2024 awardees support the independent career trajectories of mentees, are committed to creating a supportive environment, demonstrate integrity, are committed to inclusion and diversity, and help prepare researchers to become mentors themselves.

Ashli J. Sheidow, Ph.D.

Chestnut Health Systems

Funded Project: Improving Access to Substance Abuse Evidence-Based Practices for Youth in the Justice System: Strategies Used by JPOs

Read Dr. Ashli J. Sheidow’s Bio

Aaron Fox, M.D., M.S.

Albert Einstein College of Medicine / Montefiore Medical Center

Funded Project: Onsite PTSD Treatment to Improve MOUD Outcomes (OPTIMO): A Hybrid Type 1 Effectiveness-Implementation Trial of Harm Reduction PTSD Care at Syringe Service Programs

Read Dr. Aaron Fox’s Bio

David Smelson, Psy.D.

University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School

Funded Project: Supporting Treatment Access and Recovery for Co-Occurring Opioid Use and Mental Health Disorders (STAR-COD)

Read Dr. David Smelson’s Bio

Kathleen A. Sluka, P.T., Ph.D., FAPTA

University of Iowa

Funded Project(s): Clinical Coordinating Center for the Acute to Chronic Pain Signatures Program; Fibromyalgia TENS in Physical Therapy Study (TIPS): An Embedded Pragmatic Clinical Trial

Read Dr. Kahleen A. Sluka’s Bio

Daniel Clauw, M.D.

University of Michigan

Funded Project: University of Michigan (UM) HEAL Initiative National K12 Clinical Pain Career Development Program (UM-HCPDP)

Read Dr. Daniel Clauw’s Bio

Claudia Campbell, Ph.D.

Johns Hopkins University

Funded Project: Mentorship of Junior Investigators on HEAL-SKOAP

Read Dr. Claudia Campbell’s Bio

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

The HEAL Award for Interdisciplinary Collaboration recognizes HEAL-funded researchers who bridged relationships across fields of science, resulting in interdisciplinary and cutting-edge research. The 2024 awardees prioritize collaborations integrating diverse levels of analysis, methodologies, ways of thinking, and scientific communities.

Kimberly Fryer, M.D., MSCR

University of South Florida Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Funded Project: CADENCE - Continuous And Data-drivEN CarE

Read Dr. Kimberly Fryer’s Bio

Cecelia Valrie, Ph.D.

Virginia Commonwealth University

Funded Project: Predicting Pediatric Sickle Cell Disease Acute Pain Using Mathematical Models Based on mHealth Data

Read Dr. Cecelia Valrie’s Bio

Community Partnership

The HEAL Award for Community Partnership recognizes HEAL-funded researchers who demonstrate a commitment to community partnerships through community-based participatory research methods, integrating feedback from people with lived experience, and engagement through community advisory boards. The 2024 awardees demonstrate commitment to sustained relationships with the community, characterized by respect, equity, and engagement in multiple phases of the research.

Maria Isabella Natale Castillo

Boston Children's Hospital

Funded Project: 5/24 HEALthy Brain and Child Development National Consortium

Read Maria Isabella Natale Castillo’s Bio

Lara Coughlin, Ph.D.

University of Michigan

Funded Project: Preferences and Predictors Driving Opioid-Involved Polysubstance Use Profiles and Trajectories: Implications for Improving Care

Read Dr. Lara Coughlin’s Bio

Douglas P. Kennedy, Ph.D.

University of Minnesota

Funded Project: Partners for Pain & Wellbeing Equity: A Randomized Trial of Community Supported Complementary and Integrative Health Self Management for Back Pain

Read Dr. Douglas P. Kennedy’s Bio

Isabel Roth, Dr.P.H., M.S.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine

Funded Project: Group-Based Mindfulness for Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain in the Primary Care

Read Dr. Isabel Roth’s Bio

Learn more about the NIH HEAL Initiative

5th Annual NIH HEAL Initiative Scientific Meeting

HEAL-funded researchers, federal officials, people with lived and living experience, and other stakeholders working to address the public health crises of opioid use disorder, overdose, and pain convened February 7-8, 2024, to discuss HEAL research progress, challenges, and opportunities.

View the Livestream

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