Posted: 7/15/2010
Renewed funding of a National Institutes of Health (NIH) T32 grant for $1,083,800 over five years allows postdoctoral training in biobehavioral pain research at the Johns Hopkins University to address the complex challenge of pain. Grant # T32 NS07020, which is jointly funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke and the National Institute of Nursing Research, will provide funding for four postdoctoral trainees. Principle investigators for the grant are Hopkins School of Nursing (SON) professor Gayle Page, DNSc, RN, FAAN and Hopkins School of Medicine professor Dr. Jennifer Haythornthwaite.
The Interdisciplinary Training Program in Biobehavioral Pain Research is a two-year postdoctoral program that prepares fellows to work within an interdisciplinary research team to study the challenges of pain. This is achieved by integrating training in two or more areas of expertise: behavioral/social science, neuroscience, or clinical research.
“Training future pain researchers to work collaboratively is vital to creating effective research teams in the future,” says Page. “I know that this grant will continue contributing to great progress in interdisciplinary research and our understanding of patient pain.”
The program is comprised of coursework, mentored research experiences in at least two of the areas of expertise, an individual research project, preparation of an extramural grant application, and experience in writing and publishing papers. Each fellow is collaboratively mentored by two faculty, each representing a different area of expertise in behavioral/social science, neuroscience or clinical research.
The core faculty team consists of 23 faculty members of the Johns Hopkins University who are funded by NIH, engaged in the training of young investigators, and committed to interdisciplinary collaboration. The team includes five scientists who conduct behavioral pain research, 12 who conduct clinical researcher, and 13 who conduct research in the neuroscience of pain. In addition to Page, two SON faculty members are part of the team: Jerilyn Allen, RN, ScD, FAAN, Professor and Associate Dean for Research; and Sharon L. Kozachik, PhD, RN, Assistant Professor, Department of Acute and Chronic Care.