Robert H. Dworkin, Ph.D.

My major research interests are (1) methodologic aspects of analgesic clinical trials and (2) treatment and prevention of chronic neuropathic and musculoskeletal pain. The primary focus of our current research involves the identification of factors that increase the assay sensitivity of clinical trials to detect differences between an active and a control or comparison treatment. In ongoing studies, we are examining the relationships between clinical trial results and their research designs, patient characteristics, and outcome measures. This program of research and other efforts to improve the efficiency and informativeness of analgesic clinical trials are being conducted under the auspices of the ACTTION public-private partnership with the FDA. I have also been very interested in the identification of risk factors for the development of 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 chronic pain, and an additional focus of my research has involved developing approaches to test this hypothesis.

Current Funding (as Principal Investigator)
1. NIH/NINDS, U24 NS113850 (9/30/19-8/31/24): Clinical coordinating center for the HEAL initiative early phase pain investigation clinical network
2. FDA, U01 FD005936 (9/15/16-8/31/21): Analgesic, anesthetic, and addiction clinical trial translations, innovations, opportunities, and networks (ACTTION) public-private partnership
3. FDA, HHSF223201400191C (9/30/14-9/29/19): Analysis of FDA clinical trial data to improve assay sensitivity and informativeness of analgesic clinical trials