Research Spotlights

Explore the projects helping to make a difference in the opioid crisis.

Showing 10 results

A New Pain-Suppression Center in the Brain

Scientists identified a group of neurons in mice that blunt pain within the brain. Such neurons could be promising targets for new non-addictive therapies for chronic pain.

June 4, 2020

Topics: Novel Targets

Researcher manipulating a plastic replica of the spine.

Piecing Together the Puzzle of Chronic Low Back Pain

A computer model may be able to inspire new insights and treatments.

June 2, 2020

Topics: Back Pain Consortium Research Program

Graphic depicting the Collaborative Care Model process.

When Addiction and Mental Illness Collide

Can a team-based approach improve treatment for people with both opioid use disorder and mental health conditions?

May 20, 2020

Topics: Collaborative Care

Illustration depicting the holistic treatment approach of the researchers' project.

‘To Walk in the Beauty Way’: Treating Opioid Use Disorder in Native Communities

Research explores the integration of medication-based treatment with the healing traditions of American Indian and Alaska Native communities.

May 15, 2020

Topics: Behavioral Research, Stigma in Pain Management and Opioid Use Disorder, Increasing Participant Diversity, Inclusion, and Engagement in HEAL Research

A mother and her newborn baby boy are indoors in a hospital. The mother is holding her baby while laying in the hospital bed. Their doctor is smiling down at the baby.

Personalizing Pain Management for Women

NIH HEAL Initiative study aims to improve outcomes for mothers after cesarean deliveries.

May 5, 2020

Topics: Pain Management Effectiveness Research Network (ERN)

Three women stand next to each other in front of a fence at a horse farm.

Could a Telehealth Program Improve Outcomes for Justice-Involved Women?

An NIH HEAL Initiative project is studying whether a telemedicine system to connect women with treatment providers and peer support before their release from jail can help the women stay in treatment and recover from opioid use disorder once in the community.

April 29, 2020

Topics: JCOIN

A smiling woman next to the words, “First, I’ll teach you how pain is affected by — and how it affects — your actions, feelings, and thoughts.”

Prescribing a Website for Chronic Pain

Research funded by the NIH HEAL Initiative® is studying whether a web-based program can help people cope with chronic pain.

April 17, 2020

Topics: Pain Management Effectiveness Research Network (ERN)

An animation of an African American man in a doctor’s office. He is holding his back and his facial expression shows he is in pain.

High Tech Simulations Aim to Reduce Disparities in Pain Care

An NIH HEAL Initiative® study is using a computer simulation program with virtual patients to help real doctors understand their biases when assessing their patients’ risk of opioid misuse.

April 15, 2020

Topics: Stigma in Pain Management and Opioid Use Disorder, Advancing Health Equity

The NIH HEAL Initiative’s six research focus areas are grouped in two themes: enhancing pain management and improving treatment for opioid misuse and addiction. Learn more about the NIH HEAL Initiative’s research focus areas.

The Opioid Crisis: All Hands on Deck

The NIH HEAL Initiative® — an aggressive research effort led by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) — aims to prevent opioid overdose deaths and improve how we understand and treat both pain and opioid addiction.

April 6, 2020

Topics: Stigma in Pain Management and Opioid Use Disorder, Enhancing Diversity in the HEAL Workforce

Traditional pain scale from 0 to 100, visualized with cartoon faces

Searching for a Way to Predict Pain

Doctors can’t predict how much pain a person will feel after surgery, making tailored treatments difficult. One NIH HEAL Initiative researcher hopes to develop a blood test to predict how sensitive people will be to pain.

March 31, 2020

Topics: Pain Biomarkers