Trump is cutting research that helps Americans deal with severe pain | Opinion
Pain is something we all experience in our lives. Whether it’s a minor burn, a headache or a chronic condition, pain connects us all. For millions of Americans, pain is a constant, disabling part of their everyday lives. I dedicated my career to researching pain because it’s universal, and, yet, it remains one of the most under-treated conditions.
Like many of my colleagues in the academic field, we will remember April Fool’s 2025 not as a day filled with pranks, but as the date when we saw the dismantling of critical research infrastructure supporting our important work.
Adding to several weeks of funding notice terminations, the the federal Department of Health and Human Services secretary fired thousands of employees across health agencies like the National Institutes of Health (NIH). One of these targeted groups was the NIH’s Office of Pain Policy and Planning (OPPP) , which saw its entire staff fired overnight. The decision to dismantle this NIH office is misguided and, frankly, dangerous.
This news should concern not only researchers and healthcare professionals but every American. While decisions in Washington DC might feel far removed, work that is supported by NIH groups like OPPP have significant implications for the health and lives of our loved ones. Let us remember that pain doesn’t just hurt — it keeps people from living fulfilling lives.
As of this writing, the NIH funds my research at the University of North Carolina to understand medication issues related to the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia, an extremely painful and debilitating facial pain condition. It was thanks to early career mentoring from programs at OPPP that I was even able to obtain this funding in the first place. Not only is my current grant at risk, but future funding opportunities are vulnerable for all seeking to improve pain care.
In North Carolina, 1 in 4 adults report an experience of chronic pain, according to the Centers for Disease Control. In the country, 1 in 10 adults suffer from pain severely enough to stop them from doing basic daily tasks, the NIH found. This is a huge problem, and it’s only getting worse. Pain touches us all, and we all have stories to tell.
My research seeks to understand the journey of people living with trigeminal neuralgia in navigating the healthcare system. Stories like the one from Brandi Underwood, a Charlotte resident who is a member of the facial pain community and has dedicated her career to advocating for disability rights. Brandi is the current manager of Development, Research and Advocacy for the Facial Pain Association, and she serves as the secretary for the Alliance for Headache Disorders Advocacy’s board. She spends her time advocating for funding research of rare diseases like trigeminal neuralgia. Through my research, I can also give a voice to my late granduncle, a decorated veteran from the Air Force, who suffered unnecessarily from uncontrolled pain from mistreated trigeminal neuralgia.
Since its establishment in 2011, OPPP has supported hundreds of researchers in their shared goal of enhancing pain research and promoting collaboration. I recall important mentoring I received from staff members that was instrumental in pursuing research funding and structuring my projects like the one focused on trigeminal neuralgia. This group was fundamental in directing some of the Congress-approved funding to prevent opioid overdoses to also fund pain-related research.
The high rate of untreated pain is a public health crisis, and now more than ever, it requires our urgent attention. Even though chronic pain is one of the leading health issues in America, it has never had a true home at NIH with a dedicated institute. Many pain researchers have described the NIH as a place where “pain lives everywhere and nowhere,” and now, with the dismantling of the OPPP, I fear that pain may literally have no home at all.
It’s clear that pain research is crucial for improving the quality of life for millions of people. Research can help us understand the causes of pain, develop better treatments and ultimately give people a better chance at living without debilitating pain. We can all agree that pain is something that affects us all, whether directly or through someone we love.
Instead of cutting back on pain research, we need to double down on our efforts to find better and safer treatments. Without this focus, how can we attempt to “make America healthy?” If we don’t prioritize pain research now, we risk neglecting one of the most important issues facing our country. Research in pain care isn’t just about science — it’s about giving people the opportunity to live their lives free from constant suffering.