HEAL graphic

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

 

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

Featured BACPAC Publications

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

NIH HEAL Initiative Funding Opportunities

For all HEAL related funding opportunities please visit the HEAL Initiative’s Open Funding Opportunities page.

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