Congratulations to the CRC Young Scientists for receiving the prestigious German Pain Research Award !

Pain Research Grant 2024 Dr. Alina Stegemann, Dr Oskar Retana and Dr Sheng Liu (SFB1158 Young Scientists), Institute of Pharmacology at the Medical Faculty of Heidelberg, was awarded the “Förderpreis für Schmerzforschung” (German Pain Research Award) in the category, “Basic Research: Experimental Work or Work on Subjects” at the German Pain Congress in October. They were recognized for their work, “Prefrontal engrams of long-term fear memory perpetuate pain perception”. The three awardees will receive 7,000 euros. This study investigates the overlap between fear and pain memory in the prefrontal cortex and examines how an existing fear memory influences the perception of acute and chronic pain. This work opens pathways for integrating psychiatric therapeutic approaches, such as extinction learning and prefrontal modulation, into chronic pain management. Combining these strategies with pharmacological agents like NMDA receptor agonists and endocannabinoid activators may enhance fear extinction and reduce pain-associated fear renewal. Dr. Julia Gröner (SFB1158 Young Scientist) from the University Hospital Würzburg won second place in the category, “Clinical research: for studies on patients” with his work “Small fibre neuropathy in Fabry disease: a human-derived neuronal in vitro disease model and pilot data”. Dr Gröner will each receive €1.750. This study is focused on Fabry disease, a rare genetic disorder characterized by the accumulation of fat compounds, known as sphingolipids, in various cells, including nerve cells. This research provides valuable insights into the mechanisms of Fabry disease and opens new avenues for developing targeted treatments to alleviate pain and improve patient outcomes.

The “Förderpreis für Schmerzforschung” (Pain Research Award) is a prestigious award presented annually by the Deutsche Schmerzgesellschaft e.V. (German Pain Society). Established in 1987 and sponsored by Grünenthal GmbH, this award honors outstanding contributions in pain research, particularly those that significantly advance interdisciplinary and practical therapies for acute and chronic pain.

Press release from Grünenthal GmbH (in German)

For English, please read above.