Robert H. Dworkin, Ph.D.

My major research interests are (1) methodologic aspects of analgesic clinical trials and (2) treatment and prevention of chronic and acute neuropathic and musculoskeletal pain. The primary focus of my current research involves the identification of factors that increase the assay sensitivity of randomized clinical trials to detect differences between an efficacious treatment and a placebo control or comparison intervention. In ongoing studies, we are evaluating the research designs and methods, clinical outcome assessments, and statistical analyses used in clinical trials of treatments for acute and chronic pain. These studies and other efforts to improve the efficiency and informativeness of clinical trials of analgesic, anesthetic, and addiction interventions are being conducted under the auspices of the ACTTION public-private partnership with the FDA, of which I serve as Director.
I have also been very interested in identifying risk factors for the transition from acute to chronic pain and in evaluating interventions that have the potential to prevent chronic pain. One of our major results has been that patients with greater acute pain are more likely to develop chronic pain. This suggests that attenuating acute pain might prevent the development of chronic pain, and designing and conducting studies to test this hypothesis has been another focus of my efforts.

Current funding:
1. FDA, U01FD007702 (9/20/22-8/31/27): Analgesic, anesthetic, and addiction clinical trial translations, innovations, opportunities, and networks and pediatric anesthesia safety initiative (ACTTION/PASI) (PD/PI)
2. NIH/NINDS, U24 NS113850 (9/30/19-8/31/24): Clinical coordinating center for the HEAL initiative Early Phase Pain Investigation Clinical Network (MPI: 2019-2021; Co-I: 2021-2024)

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