Researchers at the Queen’s University School of Medicine have been awarded $370,000 from the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of Canada.
The funding is being made to Stephen Vanner and Alan Lomax so they and their colleagues can continue innovative research in this often debilitating illness.
Dr. Vanner is the director of the Gastrointestinal Diseases Research Unit at both Kingston General Hospital and Queen’s University, and a leading researcher in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
“We believe the new findings of our research will help patients better understand how pain medications and the chronic stress related to their illness can interact to generate pain,” said Dr. Vanner in a University release. “We hope to provide new approaches for patients and doctors to better treat this pain.”
Their research addresses the abdominal pain associated with this disease that is often debilitating for patients. The pain from IBD can result in emotional suffering and physical disability, but is difficult to alleviate because the underlying cause is frequently unknown.
The doctors’ study examines both the factors that may be able to decrease pain as well as what factors can worsen pain. That research could enable the pain mechanisms of IBD to be better understood and subsequently result in more effective treatment options.
“We are very grateful to the CCFC for providing this opportunity to pursue these important questions and we are dedicated to making a difference in the lives of IBD patients,” said Dr. Vanner.
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