Kaitlin Southern, Ph.D. candidate in the Allen Lab and the Costello Lab, received a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Predoctoral Fellowship (Parent F31) for her project titled Identifying Translational Measures of Osteoarthritic Pain Between Preclinical Models and Patients.

The prestigious fellowship covers full tuition, stipend, and educational expenses. Southern’s mentors on the project are Dr. Kyle Allen and Dr. Kerry Costello. The overall aim of this study is to evaluate the validity of analogous pain-like behaviors in rodents and humans with knee osteoarthritis (OA). 

Osteoarthritis is a chronic, progressive condition that affects over 32 million adults in the United States. Despite its widespread impact, preclinical research has struggled to develop effective treatments. A major obstacle is the knowledge and technology gap in OA research, where preclinical studies focus on understanding disease mechanisms, while clinical treatments primarily target pain relief. Although recent preclinical research has started to include pain assessments, these methods are still underdeveloped compared to those used in human patients. Therefore, the objective of this proposal is to identify and validate translatable pain metrics that can be used in both preclinical models and human patients. We propose to assess pain-like behaviors in rodents and humans using various methodologies, including gait analysis, quantitative sensory testing, and activity monitoring. By identifying reliable, translatable pain measures, we aim to improve the translational relevance of preclinical research and ultimately enhance clinical outcomes for OA patients.

Funding Source: NIH National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)