Future Leaders in Pain Research

2005 Grant Recipient: Robert R. Edwards, PhD MSPG

Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Baltimore, MD
Individual Differences in Pain Modulation as a Predictor of Long-term Pain and Analgesic Use in Women Following Surgical Management of Breast Cancer

Please state which institution you are currently conducting research.

Brigham & Women’s Hospital / Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

How did receiving the Future Leaders in Pain Research Grant impact your career in pain research?

This award was immensely helpful in providing pilot funding that was eventually used to obtain an R21 (“Individual Differences in Pain Modulation as Predictors of Post-Surgical Pain”: R21 CA120500) which we successfully completed. I have continued to pursue this interest in individual differences in post-operative pain outcomes, and am currently in Year 2 of an R01 (“Biobehavioral risk factors for persistent pain following TKA”: R01 AG034982) that is conceptually related to the original APS award (i.e., identification of the factors that prospectively predict individual differences in pain-related outcomes after surgery).

What is your current research focus? Briefly describe the importance of this work and how it advances the APS goals, mission, and your own personal development.

My research focuses on biobehavioral aspects of acute and chronic pain, an important area of translational research in the multidisciplinary science of pain. I primarily study individual differences in pain responses, and the neurobiological mechanisms by which psychosocial processes shape those individual differences. An important part of APS’ mission is to reduce pain-related suffering; it is my hope that this line of research can contribute to that goal by identifying individuals at the greatest risk for persistent pain-related suffering, and by helping to refine multidisciplinary interventions to reduce that suffering.

Are you still an APS member? If yes, do you feel that it has been of value to your professional development?

Yes, I am fairly involved in APS (on the Scientific Program Committee, etc.), I think that the society does an excellent job of facilitating the careers of young researchers, and I believe that APS membership has been tremendously valuable to my professional development.