Robert Heuermann, MD, PhD

2023 CLINICAL RESEARCH TRAINING SCHOLARSHIP IN PARKINSON’S DISEASE

Title/Institution: Clinical Fellow, Washington University in St. Louis

Project Title: “Role of dopamine in central pain processing in the amygdala”

Pain is a common symptom for people with Parkinson’s disease, but we are still in the early stages of understanding what causes this increased pain sensitivity. Dr. Heuermann’s research uses mouse models to learn how dopamine affects pain signals within the brain. He and his team will also examine samples from Parkinson’s patients to look for changes in brain areas that process pain. Their goal is that this improved knowledge will lead to better treatments for pain in Parkinson’s and other chronic pain conditions.