Virginia Commonwealth University · PharmacologyJoint Pain Research Laboratory
M. Imad Damaj · Richmond, Virginia
Research Focus
Dr. M. Imad Damaj's research focuses on finding new ways to treat joint and muscle pain caused by aromatase inhibitors in breast cancer therapy. These side effects often lead patients to stop their treatment, which is concerning given the importance of these medications. The lab explores the role of a specific receptor in the brain that may contribute to these symptoms, aiming to develop new drug therapies to help alleviate the pain without affecting cancer treatment efficacy.
breast canceraromatase inhibitorsmusculoskeletal symptomspain managementsphingosine-1-phosphate receptors
Research Aims
3AIM 01Investigate whether blocking the S1PR1 receptor can reduce musculoskeletal symptoms caused by aromatase inhibitors.
AIM 02Examine how the S1PR1 agonist ponesimod affects pain and receptor signaling in the central nervous system.
AIM 03Determine the role of specific brain cells in the development of pain symptoms related to aromatase inhibitor use.
Skills the Lab Values
animal modelsoral drug administrationpain behavior assessmentimmunohistochemistrycell cultureWestern blot analysispharmacological techniquesdata analysisexperimental design
Output against the department
Publications190top 47% of dept.214th of 462
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations7.0kbottom 49% of dept.234th of 462
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.