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My primary line of research is designed to explore the biological and psychological determinants of prescription
opioid misuse and addiction among patients with chronic pain prescribed long-term opioid therapy. Biological factors of interest include genetic predispositions, central nervous system (CNS) pain processing, and neuroendocrine function. Psychological factors of interest include negative affect, catastrophizing, and opioidcraving. As a parallel line of research, I am currently working on the implementation of projects designed toexamine the biopsychosocial determinants of negative postsurgical outcomes. I听amparticularly interested inexploring the contribution of biological and psychological factors to the development of persistent pain andproblematic opioid use following orthopedic, oral, or maxillofacial surgery.
听 听 Some of the key research methods and procedures used in my lab include self-report questionnaires, electronic diaries,diagnostic clinical interviews, quantitative sensory testing (QST), and saliva sampling. The bulk of myresearch projects are conducted in collaboration with clinicians and researchers from the Alan Edwards PainManagement Unit (AEPMU) and the Alan Edwards Center for Research on Pain (AECRP).