The Center for Translational Pain Medicine (CTPM) is transforming the way we study, diagnose, and treat painful conditions. The CTPM brings together, under one umbrella, a diverse team of basic science and clinical researchers with complementary expertise in pain neurobiology, molecular genetics, neuroimaging, epidemiology, and bioinformatics to make exciting new discoveries in the areas of pain mechanisms and management. The CTPM extends into Duke Anesthesiology’s clinical innovative pain therapy program to achieve a common core mission of improving patient care.

Incorporating basic science, clinical research and pain management with three primary goals:

Dr. Ji in lab

Research

Understanding the pathophysiological processes that mediate persistent pain conditions and translating new discoveries into clinical practice.
University Medical students Learning About The Brain

Education

Creating high-quality educational programming for clinical and research professionals and the public.
Woman receiving facial massage

Patient Care

Providing high-quality comprehensive, primary and specialized care to individuals with a variety of acute and chronic pain conditions, including orofacial pain.

Updates & Announcements

Duke Anesthesiology Awarded Program Project Grant

Two CTPM Faculty Awarded a 2020 DREAM Innovation Grant

Pain Journal Club
First Friday of the month
12 – 1 PM | GSRBIII 6130

Stay up-to-date on the latest pain-related news, research & events:
USASP | IASP | NIH Pain Consortium | Pain Research Forum

Tradition • Innovation • Translation

CTPM News

Satya Achanta, DVM, PhD, DABT

Studying Spinal Cord Stimulation to Treat Lower Back Pain

Congratulations to Dr. Satya Achanta on receiving a $199,756 industry-sponsored grant to evaluate the use of a non-pharmacological therapy to treat lower back pain, which affects a significant number of adults in the United States.
Sven-Eric Jordt, PhD

Examining the Impact of New Tobacco Product Designs

Congratulations to Dr. Sven-Eric Jordt on receiving a $2,395,528 R01 National Institutes of Health grant to investigate the composition of novel tobacco products and their potential role in facilitating nicotine addiction.
Satya Achanta, DVM, PhD, DABT

Pioneering Treatments for Phosgene Inhalation Injuries

Congratulations to Dr. Satya Achanta on being awarded a $1,109,637 UG3 grant from the National Institutes of Health for his research that could mark a pivotal advancement in targeted treatments for injuries from phosgene gas, a terrorism and warfare agent.
Drs. Sven-Eric Jordt and Sairam Jabba

Some E-Cigarette Chemicals Mimic Nicotine, Possibly Bypassing Regulation

A new publication in JAMA, co-authored by Duke Anesthesiology’s Drs. Sven-Eric Jordt and Sairam Jabba, finds that some tobacco companies are replacing nicotine in e-cigarettes with related chemicals to apparently bypass health regulations with inaccurate disclosure of the quantity on packaging.
Dr. Miriam Treggiari, Distinguished Professor

Duke Announces 2024 Distinguished Professors

Congratulations to Duke Anesthesiology’s Dr. Miriam Treggiari, the Paul G. Barash Professor of Anesthesiology, on being among the 32 faculty awarded a distinguished professorship at Duke University for demonstrating extraordinary scholarship in advancing science and improving human health.
Dr. Ru-Rong Ji

Dr. Ji Awarded NIH Grant to Study Checkpoint Inhibitors for Pain Control

Congratulations to Ru-Rong Ji, PhD, on receiving a three year $2,569,851 grant from the National Institutes of Health for research aimed at providing novel insights into distinct actions of checkpoint pathway activators and inhibitors for the management of different types of pain.
Andrea Nackley, PhD

Dr. Nackley Awarded NIH Grant for Innovative Pain Therapy Research

Congratulations to Andrea Nackley, PhD, on receiving a two-year $1,846,202 R61 grant to develop novel Adrb3 antagonists for the treatment of chronic primary pain conditions as part of the NIH’s Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) Initiative.