# Mentoring the next generation of researchers at the intersection of opioid use disorder and chronic pain

> **NIH NIH K24** · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · 2024 · $192,656

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract: My overall goal is to improve the health and well-being of individuals with
comorbid opioid misuse/opioid use disorder (OUD) and chronic pain across varied settings and populations.
Research on the management of comorbid opioid misuse/OUD and chronic pain is being outpaced by the
clinical need across populations and settings. Additionally, there is no well-worn training pathway to conduct
research in this area, few mid-career and senior investigators have the expertise to mentor early-career
investigators in this space, and the need for mentoring to grow the workforce is enormous. Finally, given the
known racial health disparities in our field, it is especially important that researchers are representative of the
populations they serve, which is currently not the case. I am a physician and PhD-trained behavioral scientist
who treats individuals with opioid misuse/OUD and chronic pain. I have a consistent track record of NIH-funded
research and productive mentoring at the intersection of these conditions across populations and settings
including HIV, cancer, and primary care, and am at an institution with exceptional resources to support
trainees. This K24 mid-career investigator award will allow me to grow the workforce at the intersection of
opioid misuse/OUD and chronic pain by 1) expanding my capacity to mentor PhD students, postdoctoral
scholars, and faculty from diverse disciplines—and allow me to continue to focus on women and individuals
from backgrounds that are underrepresented in science—in research on comorbid opioid misuse/OUD and
chronic pain; 2) Become a leader in implementation science approaches to studying treatment of comorbid
opioid misuse/OUD and chronic pain, including hybrid trials; and 3) Develop the skills needed to systematically
incorporate health equity considerations and research methods throughout my work. I have assembled a team
of advisors with whom I have created a comprehensive career development plan including didactic
coursework, experiential learning, and conference attendance that will allow me to excel at achieving these
goals. Additionally, this K24 proposes a new research project that leverages existing Delphi-based preliminary
data to 1) Develop an implementation strategy bundle to promote the adoption and equitable application of
evidence-based approaches for managing opioid misuse/OUD and metastatic cancer-related pain, and 2)
Conduct a hybrid type 2 pilot trial of the evidence-based approaches and implementation strategy bundle.
Findings from this study will lead to a hybrid type 2 randomized trial of the implementation strategy bundle and
ultimately improved care for patients with opioid misuse/OUD and metastatic cancer. This and other NIH-
funded studies in my portfolio will provide mentees ample opportunity to propose mentored research projects.
This mentored research experience, combined with a program of tailored career development opportunities,
will develop a new cadre o...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10815856
- **Project number:** 5K24DA056837-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
- **Principal Investigator:** Jessica S Merlin
- **Activity code:** K24 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $192,656
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-04-01 → 2028-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10815856

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10815856, Mentoring the next generation of researchers at the intersection of opioid use disorder and chronic pain (5K24DA056837-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-29 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10815856. Licensed CC0.

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