Transformative Addiction Research Partnership Announced
Robert C. Robbins, MD, president of the University of Arizona, and Kayse Shrum, DO, president of Oklahoma State University, on April 29 announced the two institutions’ academic medical centers have joined forces to combat the opioid crisis and chronic pain through research, treatment and education.
The partnership will share institutional resources from three research centers – the University of Arizona Health Sciences Comprehensive Pain and Addiction Center, the National Institute on Drug Abuse-funded Center for Excellence in Addiction Studies at UArizona Health Sciences, and the OSU Center for Health Sciences’ National Center for Wellness & Recovery – to advance pain and addiction research and accelerate positive health outcomes in Arizona, Oklahoma and across the country.
The partnership was announced during a day-long event at the Health Sciences Innovation Building on the UArizona Health Sciences campus in Tucson, Arizona. Speakers from both universities highlighted key components of the partnership, including research goals, paraprofessional training programs, community outreach, education and clinical efforts.
A new partnership between academic medical centers at the University of Arizona and Oklahoma State University involves sharing research assets and knowledge, as well as the preclinical and clinical expertise gleaned from years of research and treatment by scientists and clinicians at both academic medical centers. From left: Todd Vanderah, PhD, Frank Porreca, PhD, Michael D. Dake, MD, Kayse Shrum, DO, Robert C. Robbins, MD, Johnny Stevens, PharmD, Don Kyle, PhD.
Michael D. Dake, MD, senior vice president for the University of Arizona Health Sciences, and University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins, MD, gave opening remarks during the event on April 29.
Frank Porreca, PhD, Don Kyle, PhD, and Todd Vanderah, PhD, respectively, lead the Center of Excellence for Addiction Studies, the National Center for Wellness and Recovery and the Comprehensive Pain and Addiction Center – the three main entities in the partnership.
Nora D. Volkow, MD, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the National Institutes of Health, virtually visited the Health Sciences Innovation Building with pre-recorded comments supporting the new partnership.
Reporters from several national media outlets logged in to virtually attend a press conference and ask questions about the new partnership. From left: Robert C. Robbins, MD, Kayse Shrum, DO, Todd Vanderah, PhD, Frank Porreca, PhD, Don Kyle, PhD, Michael D. Dake, MD, Johnny Stephens, PharmD.
Ophelia Spencer, Ben Brady, PhD, and Alyssa Padilla discuss the UArizona Health Sciences Comprehensive Pain and Addiction Center’s paraprofessional training programs, Project FUTRE and PeerWORKS, during a luncheon for community partners.
John Streicher, associate professor of pharmacology in the College of Medicine – Tucson, gives a presentation on his research into improving opioid therapy by uncovering the molecular signaling cascades of the opioid receptors.
Michael D. Dake, MD, hosts a tour of the Arizona Simulation and Technology Education Center for Okahoma State University President Kayce Shrum, DO, and OSU Center for Health Sciences President Johnny Stephens, PharmD.
Mohab Ibrahim, MD, PhD, medical director of the Comprehensive Pain and Addiction Center, associate professor of anesthesiology in the College of Medicine – Tucson and director of the Chronic Pain Management Clinic, emceed the afternoon sessions, which featured scientific presentations from researchers at both institutions.
Don Kyle, PhD, CEO of the National Center for Wellness and Recovery at Oklahoma State University, and Kelly Dunn, PhD, executive director of the NCWR’s Addiction Treatment Center, chat with Frank Porreca, PhD, professor of pharmacology and principal investigator on the “Center of Excellence for Addiction Studies” grant, during a coffee break.
Beth Wiese, a doctoral candidate in the College of Medicine – Tucson’s Department of Pharmacology, presented her research during an afternoon poster session.