Back Pain Consortium (BACPAC) Research Program

National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded millions of dollars in research grants to tackle the national opioid crisis through NIH HEAL Initiative (Helping to End Addiction Long-term Initiative). The Back Pain Consortium (BACPAC) Research Program, lead by Sharmila Majumdar, PhD, vice chair for Research, has been awarded this grant. Chronic low back pain is one of the most common forms of chronic pain in adults, and current treatments are ineffective, leading to increased use of opioids. This research will also lay the foundation for NIH funded research at the newly established Center for Intelligent Imaging, using artificial intelligence fueled algorithms for fast image acquisition, data analysis, quantitative sensory assessments, brain imaging, and biomechanical evaluation of the spine.

The BACPAC Program is a "translational, patient-centered effort to address the need for effective and personalized therapies for chronic low back pain." The goal of the program is to develop an integrated model of chronic back pain.