Mission & Goals
The Translational Research Initiative for Pain and Neuropathy at Virginia Commonwealth University is dedicated to bridging the gap between basic science research, clinical research, and management of pain and neuropathy.
Mission
To bridge the gap between basic science and clinical research of pain and neuropathy at VCU with the overarching goal of improved patient care and quality of life
Goals
- Promote academic collaboration and interaction between basic and clinical researchers
- Increase the number and quality of multidisciplinary collaborative pain research projects
- Advance a mechanism- and system-based clinical pain and neuropathy research program
- Facilitate and encourage clinical trials of new or repurposed medications for pain and neuropathy
- Advocate for training the next generation of pain and neuropathy researchers
Programs
The TRIPN initiative advances its mission of bridging the gap between basic science and clinical research on pain and neuropathy through the following programs:
Research Meetings
Our monthly research meetings are held on the last Thursday of each month at 4:00 PM in McGlothlin Medical Education Center, 12th floor conference rooms 12-101 and 102, at 1201 E Marshall St, Richmond, VA 23298.
Our meetings include:
- Research Presentation (25-30 minutes) followed by questions and answers
- Research Update (10-15 minutes) from fellows, students, and junior investigators. These can be informal research updates, case studies, preliminary data, or other updates followed by questions and answers.
Please contact Teri Dulong-Rae by email at teri.dulongrae@vcuhealth.org to schedule your presentation at our research meetings, specifying whether you would like to give the long format presentation or the brief research update.
View a full schedule of our meetings and speakers: (link coming soon)
Travel Support
The TRIPN initiative provides travel support to meetings for graduate students, residents, and postdoctoral fellows. We will advertise each meeting for which we plan to provide funding on our TRIPN mailing list. To join our mailing list, please email Teri Dulong-Rae at teri.dulongrae@vcuhealth.org.
Please send all requests for travel funding to Teri Dulong-Rae at teri.dulongrae@vcuhealth.org (email) with your CV and a brief description of your project and goals for the conference you would like to attend.
News and Updates
NIH HEAL EPPIC-NET (Early Phase Pain Investigation Clinical Network)
Download a copy of the meeting presentation here.
Please join our mailing list to receive regular news and updates on pain and neuropathy research at VCU as well as invitations to our monthly research meetings and notifications of research conferences at VCU and other institutions. To join our mailing list, please email Teri Dulong-Rae at teri.dulongrae@vcuhealth.org.
Pilot Translational Research Grants
More information coming soon!
TRIPN encourages a broad and innovative research portfolio by submitting individual and multi-investigator grants to NIH, private foundations, and industry.
Yearly TRIPN Symposium
November 5, 2019
7:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Virginia Commonwealth University MCV Campus
Join us for our first annual symposium, a series of lectures and discussions on translational research, pain and neuropathy at Virginia Commonwealth University. Registration is free.
Research Meetings
Translational Research Initiative for Pain and Neuropathy (TRIPN) monthly research meetings are held on the last Thursday of each month at 4:00 PM in McGlothlin Medical Education Center, 12th floor conference rooms 12-101 and 102, at 1201 E Marshall St, Richmond, VA 23298.
Our meetings include:
- Research Presentation (25-30 minutes) followed by questions and answers
- Research Update (10-15 minutes) from fellows, students, and junior investigators. These can be informal research updates, case studies, preliminary data, or other updates followed by questions and answers.
- Research Collaborative: discussion of funding opportunities and research proposals with group feedback.
Please contact Teri Dulong-Rae by email at teri.dulongrae@vcuhealth.org to schedule your presentation at our research meetings, specifying whether you would like to give the long format presentation or the brief research update.
Click the panels below to see information about each meeting.
Date: September 24, 2020
Research Presentation: Formulated Curcumin Reduces Paclitaxel-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Mice Through a7-Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors Modulation
Martial Caillaud, PhD
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology; Virginia Commonwealth University
Date: February 27, 2020
Research Collaborative:
Discussion of research proposal led by Giulia Donvito, Ph.D., protocol in development: "Bench to Bedside: developing a protocol to test a novel CIPN-prevention agent (U24)"
Date: January 30, 2020
Research Presentation:
Predictors of Taxane-induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Patients with Cancer
Daniel Hertz, PharmD, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Pharmacy
University of Michigan, College of Pharmacy
Date: December 19, 2019
Research Presentation: EPPIC NET U24 Funding and Pain Research at VCU
Daniel L. Riddle, P.T., Ph.D., FAPTA
Otto D. Payton, Professor of Physical Therapy, Orthopedic Surgery and Rheumatology
Virginia Commonwealth University
Research Update: Inflammatory regulation of hippocampal pathophysiology following TBI, and its role in regulating neurological outcomes
Kristy J. Dixon, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Surgery
Virginia Commonwealth University
Date: November 21, 2019
Research Presentation:Development of New Approaches to Treatment for Acute and Chronic Pain in Sickle Cell Patients
Martha Kenney, MD
Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology and Pediatrics
UNC Chapel Hill
Research Update: Drug abuse and pain research at VCU (P30); UG3 Awareds for LAAM Grant
Kennedy Goldsborough, Doctoral Student
Find out more about the symposium here.
Date: September 26, 2019
Research Presentation: Methadone’s opioid sparing effects
S. Stevens Negus, PhD
Pharmacology and Toxicology
Research Update: Clinical case presentation: Methadone
Egidio Del Fabbro, MD
Hematology, Oncology, and Palliative Care
Date: July 25, 2019
Research Presentation: TrkB.T1 mediates astrocyte activity in rodent models of referred chronic pain
Liya Qiao, PhD
Associate Professor, Physiology and Biophysics
Virginia Commonwealth University
Research Update: Clinical case presentation: Warfarin improves neuropathy in Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance
Egidio Del Fabbro, MD
Professor, Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Care
Virginia Commonwealth University
Date: June 27, 2019
Research Presentation: Targeting sphingosine-1-phosphate receptors in preclinical models of chronic pain
Dana E. Selley, PhD
Professor, Pharmacology & Toxicology; VCU
Research Update: Title Information coming soon!
Aron H. Lichtman, PhD
Professor, Pharmacology & Toxicology; VCU
Date: May 30, 2019
Research Presentation: How the gut bugs the brain for opioids: the microbiome and opioid tolerance
Hamid I. Akbarali, PhD
Professor
Pharmacology & Toxicology; VCU
Research Update: Examining opioid use and misuse among Virginians with traumatic brain injury
Kristin M. Graham, PhD, CRC
Postdoctoral Fellow
Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation; VCU
Date: April 25, 2019
Research Presentation: A Reciprocal Model of Pain and Substance Use: Emerging Research, Transdiagnostic Factors, and Clinical Implications
Joseph W. Ditre, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology
Syracuse University
Date: February 28, 2019
Research Presentation: Using twin designs to study the genetic epidemiology illicit opioid and non-medical use of prescription and OTC analgesics
Nathan A. Gillespie, PhD
Virginia Institute for Psychological and Behavioral Genetics
Virginia Commonwealth University
Research Update: Tat protein contributes to painful HIV-related neuropathy in mice - Effects of analgesic drugs
Kurt Hauser, PhD
Professor and Eminent Scholar,
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Wisam Toma, PhD
Postdoctoral Fellow
Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Date: January 31, 2019
Research Presentation: How the gut bugs the brain for opioids: the microbiome and opioid tolerance
Hamid I. Akbarali, PhD
Professor, Pharmacology and Toxicology
Virginia Commonwealth University
Research Update: Title coming soon!
Wally Smith, MD
Professor of Medicine
Scientific Director, VCU Center on Health Disparities
Virginia Commonwealth University
Date: November 29, 2018
Research Presentation: The NIH HEAL Initiative and Opportunities for Pain and Migraine Research Funding
Michael L. Oshinsky, PhD
Program Director, Pain and Migraine
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS/NIH)
Research Update: Inhibition of astrocyte elevated gene-1 (AEG-1): a novel target for inflammatory pain
Devanand Sarkar, PhD
Professor
Department of Human and Molecular Genetics
M. Imad Damaj, PhD
Professor
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Date: October 25, 2018
Research Presentation: Preclinical Target Refinement of Non-Opioid Therapeutics for Chronic Pain
Ann M. Gregus, PhD
Research Scientist, Department of Biochemistry
Virginia Tech
Research Update: Clinical Study of Nicotine for the Treatment of Pain Associated with Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy
Zhi-Jian Chen, MD, PhD
Assistant Professor of Neuro-Oncology, Department of Neurology
Virginia Commonwealth University
Date: September 27, 2018
Research Presentation: A Randomized Trial of Pain Coping Skills Training for Patients with Pain Catastrophizing who are Scheduled for Knee Arthroplasty: The KASTPain Trial
Daniel Riddle, PT, PhD, FAPTA
Otto D. Payton Professor,
Department of Physical Therapy
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery
Department of Rheumatology
Research Update: Effects of Repeated Antidepressant Treatment on Pain-Depressed Behavior in Rats
Luke P. Legakis, PhD, and S. Stevens Negus, PhD
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
About Us
Leadership
Imad Damaj, PhD
Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology
m.damaj@vcuhealth.org
Egidio Del Fabbro, MD
Palliative Care Endowed Chair and Program Director
egidio.delfabbro@vcuhealth.org
Administration
Teri Dulong-Rae
Program Manager
teri.dulongrae@vcuhealth.org
Advisory Board
John F. Butterworth, IV, MD
Professor and Chair, Department of Anesthesiology
William L. Dewey, PhD
Professor and Chair, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Michael S. Donnenberg, MD
Professor, Department of Internal Medicine
Susan G. Kornstein, MD
Professor and Director of Clinical Research, Department of Psychiatry
Aron H. Lichtman, PhD
Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Steven R. Grossman, MD, PhD
Professor and Chair, Division of Hematology, Oncology and Palliative Care
A. Gordon Smith, MD, FAAN
Professor and Chair, Department of Neurology
Join our Mailing List
Please join our mailing list to receive regular news and updates on pain and neuropathy research at VCU as well as invitations to our monthly research meetings and notifications of research conferences at VCU and other institutions. To join our mailing list, please fill out the form.
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