Dr. Yuriy M. Usachev, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Anesthesia, Dr. Donna L. Hammond, Ph.D., Professor of Anesthesia and Pharmacology, and Dr. Andrew F. Russo, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics, have been awarded a Carver Collaborative Grant titled “The Role of Ca2+-Dependent Transcription Factor NFAT in Chronic Pain”. This project will examine the mechanisms of activity-dependent gene regulation in the pathogenesis of inflammatory and neuropathic pain, will identify the specific role of NFAT in these processes and will test the potential of targeting NFAT for producing analgesic effects in preclinical pain models.