Congratulations to Dr. Ana Velly on her recent successes! Dr. Velly was granted an NIDCR / NIH U19 Cooperative Agreement Grant for the project 鈥淎ssessing the management of temporomandibular muscle and joint disorders pain patients in the network - The National Dental Patient-based Research Network鈥�. Dr. Velly will be lead epidemiologist and co-investigator for the study. The grant is valued at $129 888 per year for 2 years. The goal of this observational cohort study is to identify factors contributing to TMJD treatment decisions and treatment adherence, as well as the overall effect of TMJD treatment on pain intensity and jaw function. The study will be conducted in six US regions (Northeast, South Atlantic, South Central, Southwest, Midwest, Western) with 200 participating dentists and approximately 1920 patients. Investigators: E. Schiffman (PI), G. Gilbert (PI), A. Velly (leader epidemiologist and co-investigator), Other co-investigators: Drs J. Anderson, J. Fricton, K. Huff , J. Look, , R. Ohrbach, B. Rindal and J.Riley. Dr. Velly also received a CIHR Operating Grant for her project 鈥淭he risk of community-acquired pneumonia among immunosuppressive opioids users鈥�. She will be the Principle Investigator for the project. The grant is valued at $155 686 for a two year period. The use of opioid analgesics for the management of pain has increased in recent years. Although it has been suggested that opioid analgesics increase the risk of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), little research has addressed this concern. The objective of this study is to determine whether immunosuppressive opioid analgesics increase the risk of CAP. This study will provide the medical community with further evidence on the relationship between immunosuppressive opioids and CAP. Investigators: A. Velly (PI), Co-investigators: Drs. L. Azoulay, I. Karp, J. Landry, F. Moldovan, D. Morales, D. Moulin, and R. Steele
