Imaging Pain and Analgesia: Mentoring in Basic and Applied Research

这项K24提案是要求在人类疼痛和止痛处理的中枢神经系统机制领域支持以患者为导向的指导。疼痛在美国仍然是一个重要的健康问题，功能成像已经改变了我们对疼痛处理的洞察领域，它提供了对中枢神经系统可塑性、变性和参与健康和疾病疼痛处理的新电路的新见解。在哈佛系统内的综合多学科计划中，以提供健全、坚实和支持性环境的方式培训年轻科学家，将有助于未来这一领域的科学家招生。该提案概述了一项指导计划，该计划涉及我们正在进行的疼痛和止痛成像神经科学(P.A.I.N.)研究的4个方面。这些研究包括：(1)人类疾病的机制(例如，偏头痛和三叉神经疼痛；儿童疼痛)；(2)新技术的开发(例如，手术室中客观测量的技术)；(3)治疗干预措施(例如，新药评估)；以及(4)使用功能磁共振成像的临床试验。此外，该提案还规定了具体的培训内容，以加强他的指导能力，其中包括麻省理工学院和哈佛大学的管理课程和认知科学课程。候选人在指导临床医生和基础科学家方面有良好的记录，包括K奖，并在我们的研究计划中拥有强大的合作者网络。应聘者完全致力于指导，在他职业生涯的这一点上处于非常有利的地位。提供客观的疼痛和止痛指标将是减轻疼痛和痛苦以及开发止痛药的重要一步。

This K24 proposal is a request for support for patient-oriented mentoring in the domain CNS mechanisms in pain and analgesic processing in humans. Pain continues to be a significant health problem in the US and functional imaging has already changed the domain of our insights into pain processing by providing novel insights into CNS plasticity, degeneration, and novel circuitry involved in pain processing in health and disease. Training of young scientists in a manner that provides a sound solid and supportive environment in an integrated, multidisciplinary program within the Harvard system will contribute to future enrollment of scientists in this domain. The proposal outlines a plan for mentoring that relates to 4 aspects of ongoing research in our pain and analgesia imaging neurosicence (p.a.i.n.) group at Harvard and include: (1) Mechanisms of Human Disease (e.g., migraine and trigeminal pain; pediatric pain); (2) Development of New Technologies (e.g., technologies for objective measures in the operating room); (3) Therapeutic Interventions (e.g., novel drug evaluation); and (4) Clinical Trials using fMRI. In addition the proposal defines specific training components that would enhance his mentoring abilities that include management courses and courses in cognitive sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard University. The candidate a track record in mentoring both clinicians and basic scientists, including K awards, and have a strong network of collaborators involved in our research program. The applicant is fully committed to mentoring and is in a very good position to do this at this point in his career. Providing objective indices of pain and analgesia would be a significant step forward in alleviating pain and suffering and the development of analgesics.