Future Leaders in Pain Research

2008 Grant Recipient: Gregory O. Dussor, PhD

University of Arizona Health Sciences Center
Tucson, AZ
Cutaneous nociceptors respond to mediators released from skin cells

Please state which institution you are currently conducting research.

The University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ, USA

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

While the project that this Grant funded was ultimately not as successful as we initially hoped, we were able to use the knowledge, skills, and equipment made possible by this Grant to develop another project. This new project has become the focus of the laboratory and has already led to several senior-author publications, a small Foundation Grant, and an R01 from NIH/NINDS. I feel that both the resources gained through this award and the ability to list being honored by The American Pain Society as a Future Leader in Pain Research have contributed to making me competitive for the additional grants received for my current projects.

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.

The current focus of my research is headache disorders such as migraine. Migraine is the most common neurological disorder and yet receives far less press coverage and funding than other less common neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Migraine and other forms of headache are also some of the most common types of chronic pain states but receive far less attention in the pain research community than other types of pain. As we move through the Global Year Against Headache (October 2011- October 2012) as declared by the International Association for the Study of Pain, we hope that the work that we and others are conducting into the pathophysiology of headache will make a difference into the understanding of these difficult to treat types of pain and will encourage more press and resources be devoted to headache. And while the work in my laboratory will hopefully result in more grants and publications, thus contributing to my personal and professional development, these are not the primary goals of our studies. We hope that our work can lead to the development of new therapies for headache disorders such as migraine that will ultimately bring relief to the large numbers of patients who are not being adequately treated by current therapies.

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

I am still an APS member and have attended meetings annually since being awarded this grant. The APS has given me an opportunity to present my work to a pain-focused audience and to network with other basic scientists and clinicians studying pain. Further, through their emails and website, the APS keeps me current on important issues in pain research and treatment. All of these benefits of APS membership are critical to my professional development.