Innovative Research

We are uniting experts from diverse fields to prevent addiction and to find new ways of treating pain.

Researchers and physician-scientists at the Comprehensive Center for Pain & Addiction are searching for alternatives to opioids and testing those novel molecular compounds in preclinical studies at the University of Arizona Health Sciences.

We are forming new collaborations through the Center of Excellence for Addiction Studies and partnering with the National Wellness and Recovery Center at the Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences to create new therapies for pain and addiction.

Since its inception in 2020, CCPA and its members have:

  • Been awarded 20 new federal grants totaling more than $23 million
  • Published 55 peer-reviewed papers
  • Established and implemented a neonatal abstinence protocol
  • Supported a clinical trial on transcranial direct current stimulation for substance use disorder and chronic pain

Alternative Pain Management Drug Discovery

CCPA researchers are designing novel compounds with the potential to significantly reduce chronic pain without leading to substance misuse.

New Treatment and Rehabilitation Approaches

We are developing innovative therapies for patients with chronic pain to significantly reduce the use of addictive substances, including opioids, and creating strategies to address the mental illness of substance abuse.

Build Preventative Tools to Screen At-Risk Individuals

We are advancing prevention by educating patients, screening for high-risk behaviors and proficiently diagnosing with new tools.