Congratulations to Dr. Catrina Loucks on the recent awarding of a Canada Foundation for Innovation John R. Evans Leaders Fund (JELF) award for The Loucks Pain Management Pharmacogenomics (PMP) Lab.
The opioid crisis continues to devastate the lives of Canadians, and unfortunately, it has been further exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Increased movement toward opioid-sparing pain management strategies means that we are at risk of undertreating serious pain. This can be particularly devastating in children with high burdens of pain, where ongoing pain can interfere with brain development, disrupt behaviour, and increase the risk of chronic pain.
Safe and effective pain management is influenced by individual genetic differences that dictate both the likelihood of pain and whether medications will be safe and effective. Dr. Loucks is using pharmacogenomics to identify genetic factors that can help predict an individual’s need for, and subsequent response to, opioid and non-opioid pain relievers.
Safe and effective pain management is influenced by individual genetic differences that dictate both the likelihood of pain and whether medications will be safe and effective. Dr. Loucks is using pharmacogenomics to identify genetic factors that can help predict an individual’s need for, and subsequent response to, opioid and non-opioid pain relievers.
The Loucks Pain Management Pharmacogenomics (PMP) Lab is leveraging the resources of, and filling a critical gap in, the interdisciplinary Canadian Pharmacogenomics Network for Drug Safety, which is a drug surveillance network that collects adverse/unexpected responses to approved medications, including opioids. With the requested infrastructure, the Loucks PMP Lab will enable both advanced training in pharmacogenomics, and the development of a pipeline from genetic discoveries to predictive genetic testing to help select the safest and most effective medications to ultimately lessen the burden of pain for Canadian children.