Abstract Dr. Ardith Doorenbos is a clinician researcher who focuses on interdisciplinary pain and symptom science and the application to healthcare of technologies that can increase access to pain management. This K24 award will provide her with protected time to (1) further her own line of patient-oriented research, (2) strengthen important leadership and mentorship skills; and (3) promote the development and retention of junior scientists in independent careers in patient-oriented research related to providing effective non-opioid options for the treatment of pain conditions. Over the 3-year award period, Dr. Doorenbos will expand her skills in leadership and mentorship while building a legacy of patient-oriented researchers. She will continue ongoing mentorship of two postdoctoral fellows and three junior faculty, as well as recruit new postdoctoral fellows. Her mentoring plan builds on her past success in inter professional research at the University of Illinois Chicago, which provides an outstanding setting for collaborative training and patient-oriented research. Dr. Doorenbos’ long- term goals are (1) to conduct patient-oriented research and (2) to promote junior researchers’ careers in patient-oriented research that fully develops and evaluates innovative, cost-effective interventions that decrease chronic pain by providing effective non-opioid options and can be widely implemented into health care settings.

Narrative This K24 investigator award will provide 25% support for Dr. Ardith Doorenbos to (1) promote the development and retention of junior scientists in independent careers in patient-oriented research related to providing effective non-opioid options for the treatment of pain conditions; (2) expand and strengthen important leadership and mentorship skills; and (3) further her own line of patient-oriented research in pain and symptom science. The K24 funding will support active, productive participation in leading and mentoring patient-oriented research opportunities that are currently in progress or can be realized in the next few years. These activities aim to develop new information relevant to clinical practice and public policy.