The U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has awarded a $2.4 million grant to two New York researchers, including one from the New York University (NYU) College of Dentistry.
Brian Schmidt, DDS, MD, PhD, director of the Bluestone Center for Clinical Research at NYU, and Nigel Bunnett, PhD, a professor at Columbia University, will use the three-year grant to study how nerve cell receptors generate chronic pain. The ultimate goal is to create chronic pain treatments that are not addictive and produce fewer side effects than contemporary treatments, such as opioids.
Dr. Schmidt and Bunnet's work will specifically investigate nerve injury, headache, and infectious colitis, three conditions common among military personnel and veterans. However, the findings may also benefit patients with cancer and other chronic pain conditions, the researchers stated.
