Interdisciplinary Research Collaborations

The long-term goal of the Center is to establish and nurture interdisciplinary research collaborations (basic, translational and clinical) between various investigators with complementary expertise and technologies to optimize synergy and efficiency. The following are examples of the primary research networks.

Emotion and Memory Research Network

The goal of these collaborations is to take advantage of existing expertise in basic, translational and clinical aspects of emotion and memory in health and disease. There is a particular emphasis on the mechanisms of conditioned fear and anxiety in their role in mediating behavioral and somatic disorders.

Pain Research Network

The goal of these collaborations is to take advantage of existing expertise in the areas of cell and molecular biology related to pain transmission and modulation, somatic and visceral pain models, psychophysiology of visceral and somatic pain and neuroimaging of pain. A particular emphasis is on characterization of stress-induced pain modulation and in sex-based differences in pain mechanisms.

Neuroimaging Research Network

The goal of these interactions is to take advantage of existing imaging infrastructure and expertise located throughout the UCLA campus and affiliated institutions in terms of high resolution imaging devices (fMRI, PET, EEG) for use in humans and animal models, radioligand development and expertise, and data acquisition and analysis. A particular emphasis is on the characterization of central circuitries and transmitter systems involved in the mediation of pain, stress activation and sex-based differences in these functions.

Neuroimmune Research Network

The long-term goal of these interactions is to take advantage of existing expertise in area of how the immune system and the nervous system interact, and how mental processes and stressors can modulate immune function. A particular emphasis is on the application of such expertise to the gut associated immune system.

Clinical Research Network

The clinical research network is aimed at facilitating patient recruitment into various protocols, including collection of questionnaire data, mechanistic research protocols and evaluation of novel pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments.

Health Outcomes Network

The health outcomes network takes advantage of existing expertise and techologies in the areas of health outcomes research, with an emphasis on epidemiology, evidence-based medicine and quality of life assessment. A particular emphasis is on the assessment of functional GI disorders, and on integrative medicine approaches to common clinical disorders.