Personalized pain prevention around surgery

Personalizing Perioperative Preventive Analgesia: Translational Studies Investigating the Biopsychosocial Underpinnings of Enhanced Pain Propensity

NIH-funded research Stanford University · NIH-11477963

This project tests ways to tailor pain-prevention treatments for people having surgery to reduce the chance of long-lasting post-surgical pain.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionStanford University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Stanford, United States)
Project IDNIH-11477963 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

If you join, researchers will measure your pain before, during, and after surgery and follow you over time to see who develops persistent pain. They use lab pain tests that measure how strongly your nervous system amplifies pain signals, alongside questionnaires and clinical data. The team identifies people at higher risk and explores giving personalized pain-prevention strategies around the time of surgery. The goal is to stop normal short-term surgical pain from turning into chronic pain for as many people as possible.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Adults scheduled for elective surgery who can attend pre- and post-operative testing visits and follow-up appointments are the best candidates.

Not a fit: People who are not having surgery, who cannot travel to the study center, or who cannot undergo standard pain testing are unlikely to benefit directly from participation.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reduce the number of people who develop long-lasting post-surgical pain and lower prolonged opioid use.

How similar studies have performed: Basic and animal studies have identified mechanisms of pain chronification and early human work is promising, but preventative approaches have not yet consistently stopped persistent post-surgical pain.

Where this research is happening

Stanford, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.