Welcome to our Training Program in Inflammation and Pain

The Anesthesiology Department at UCSD has a long established reputation for excellence in academic medicine and research as well as for training both physician scientists and full time researchers.

The spectrum of our research interests ranges from pain to peripheral neuropathy to lung cancer to the deficits initiated by ischemic events in the brain and spinal cords. Despite the breadth reflected in this work, a common theme is the intra and extra-celllular pro-inflammatory cascades which govern cell survival  and neuronal excitability.   Thus, caveolae are relevant to myocyte functioning and to regulation of AMPA receptor excitability; MAPKinases regulate cascades mediating glial function and inflammatory cell responses to local injury.  Accordingly, functional parallels in the biology of these several systems means that findings in one system have strong relevance to the functionality of others. Thus, as we use different tools and approaches to study similar events in different systems and disciplines, our coming together has resulted in an intellectual synergy to addressing the different targets.

The fellow’s training experience is defined by immersion in the active research collaborations that characterize the training grant faculty.  This experience is enhanced by a strong focus on fundamentals including required core courses and frequent didactic exercises. 

Our ultimate goal as scientists is to understand clinically relevant disease or injury states at a mechanistic level with the aim of identifying and developing novel drug targets and therapies.

Our WEB site aims to provide a sense of the activities that comprise the  training program of the programs and the related links to UCSD and the San Diego Community. Please browse it and  feel free to contact us directly for additional information.

Linda Sorkin, Ph.D., Program Director