Three members of the Khanna Laboratory, Dr. Erick Rodríguez‑Palma, Dr. Tyler Nelson, and Dr. Heather Allen, were recently recognized in one of the field’s most influential journals. Their invited perspective in Pain’s 50th Anniversary Special Issue highlights a bold roadmap for advancing the future of pain research.
The Khanna Lab is celebrating a major achievement with the publication of “Innovating Pain Research: Bridging Gaps and Shaping the Future” in Pain’s landmark 50th Anniversary Issue, authored by Dr. Erick Rodríguez‑Palma, Dr. Tyler Nelson, and Dr. Heather Allen. Their article examines longstanding challenges in pain research and outlines a forward‑looking strategy to push the field toward more precise, translational, and patient‑centered solutions.
In their perspective, the authors call for developing more clinically relevant preclinical models, noting that traditional rodent approaches often fall short of capturing the true complexity of chronic pain. Modernizing these models, they argue, is essential for producing findings that reliably translate to clinical realities.
The publication also highlights the transformative potential of human‑derived nervous system tissues to deepen mechanistic insight and accelerate therapeutic discovery. To support this progress, the authors advocate for a multi‑institutional consortium to improve access, standardization, and collaborative data sharing across research institutions.
A third focus of the article explores the growing role of artificial intelligence and machine learning in pain research. These technologies are reshaping behavioral analysis, neural circuit mapping, and therapeutic prediction, opening new pathways toward precision‑based treatment strategies.
The team also emphasizes the value of veterinary translational research, especially studies of naturally occurring pain in companion animals, which offer an important bridge between laboratory findings and human clinical conditions. This approach can provide more realistic insights into disease progression and therapeutic impact.
This invited contribution underscores the Khanna Lab’s leadership in shaping the next era of pain research and aligns strongly with CAPToR’s mission to drive innovation in non‑addictive pain therapeutics. Their work not only represents an important scholarly milestone but also reinforces the University of Florida’s impact on advancing pain science.
Read the full article:
https://journals.lww.com/pain/fulltext/2025/11001/innovating_pain_research__bridging_gaps_and.6.aspx
Explore the full special issue:
https://journals.lww.com/pain/toc/2025/11001