NIAMS is playing a major role in the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) Helping to End Addiction Long-term® (HEAL) Initiative, a trans-agency effort focused on improving prevention and treatment strategies for opioid misuse and addiction, and enhancing pain management. Launched in April 2018 with funding from Congress, the NIH HEAL Initiative® brings new hope for people, families, and communities affected by the national opioid public health crisis.
Learn more about the NIH HEAL Initiative.
HEAL News
- 2023 NIH HEAL Initiative Director's Awards recognize researchers for excellence in Research, Mentorship, Interdisciplinary Collaboration, and Community Partnership. NIAMS grantee, Jeannie Bailey, Ph.D., is among the honorable mentions.
- HEAL Research Spotlight: Pain Relief for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
NIAMS is involved in two HEAL Initiative programs:
Back Pain Consortium (BACPAC) Research Program
The BACPAC Research Program is a translational, patient-centered effort to address the need for effective and personalized therapies for chronic low back pain. It is examining biomedical mechanisms within a biopsychosocial context by using interdisciplinary methods and exploring innovative technologies.
Learn more about the BACPAC Research Program, or email BACPAC-NIH@mail.nih.gov
BACPAC News
- Research Spotlight: Conquering Low Back Pain: Finding the Best Treatment for Individual Patients
- Research Spotlight: Lessons From the Field: Patient and Community Engagement
- Research Spotlight: Piecing Together the Puzzle of Chronic Low Back Pain
- Research Spotlight: A Wearable Device Helps Make Back Pain Bearable
- Research Spotlight: Using Virtual Reality to Treat Real Pain
Featured BACPAC Publications
- Pain Medicine, Vol. 24, Issue Supplement 1: Back Pain Consortium (BACPAC) Research Program
Restoring Joint Health and Function to Reduce Pain (RE-JOIN) Consortium
The RE-JOIN Consortium, launched in September 2022, aims to understand the innervation (e.g., how nerves are distributed) of the different tissues that collectively form the joint, including bone, cartilage, synovium, joint capsule, ligament, tendon, fascia, and muscle. With initial focus on the knee and temporomandibular (TMJ) joints, this research aims to discover how neurons from different joints influence and create the sensation of pain, which could potentially lead to novel, more precise therapies for reducing joint pain and deterioration—as well as restoring healthy joints.
Learn more about the RE-JOIN Consortium, or email Marie Mancini (ManciniM2@mail.nih.gov) or Rebecca Lenzi (Rebecca.Lenzi@nih.gov) for more information.
RE-JOIN News
- NIAMS Director’s Letter: New RE-JOIN Consortium Awards Seek to Understand Pain Signals in Joints to Reduce Pain, Limit Deterioration, and Restore Healthy Joints
- Research Spotlight: Targeted Research to Improve Joint Pain
NIH HEAL Initiative Funding Opportunities
For all HEAL related funding opportunities please visit the HEAL Initiative’s Open Funding Opportunities page.