Placebo Effects Through the Lens of Translational Research

Placebo Effects Through the Lens of Translational Research is an Open Access book integrating current knowledge on placebo research in healthcare to develop comprehensive and adequate strategies for better symptom management and treatment responses. This edited collection features the work of experts in placebo studies, including women, people of color, and international scholars, helping to diversify the existing scholarship in the field. It presents the latest research findings while also considers theoretical aspects of placebo. Together, the chapters in this volume help bridge the gulf between research and ideas in placebo studies and their day-to-day application in clinical practice in order to improve healthcare and health outcomes.

Responses to placebos can be as significant as the observed results of active treatments in Phase II/III randomized clinical trials. These results have led to a stagnant era in new drug development since the effect of these potential therapeutics have similar, measured effects as the placebos used in the same trials. This book sheds light on translational aspects related to placebo and drug treatment methods. It also evaluates the clinical implications of a much-needed integration of pharmacological and nonpharmacological treatments in healthcare.

Placebo Effects Through the Lens of Translational Research concludes with a discussion of the most innovative developments in placebo research, which will be of interest to a wide readership, including clinicians, senior scientists, trainees, and patients. In a single volume, Placebo Effects Through the Lens of Translational Research provides readers with an overview of current perspectives on placebo research and translational applications.

Dr. Luana Colloca is a physician-scientist and an MPower Distinguished Professor at University of Maryland, Baltimore. Dr. Colloca holds an MD from the University of Magna Graecia of Catanzaro, a PhD in Neuroscience from the University of Turin, and a Master's in Bioethics. Additionally, Dr. Colloca completed post-doctoral training at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden and is a senior research fellow in the Department of Bioethics, Clinical Center and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health at National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, USA. Dr. Colloca leads an NIH-funded team investigating the mechanisms of placebo and nocebo effects.

Dr. Jason Noel is a faculty member at the University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. He attained his Bachelor's of Science and Doctor of Pharmacy degrees at Rutgers University. He then completed residency training in Psychiatric Pharmacy Practice at University of Maryland School of Pharmacy. Since joining UMB's faculty, Dr. Noel has taken on a number of psychiatric pharmacy practice roles, including in intellectual/developmental disabilities, acute psychiatry, and long-term care. He is an experienced clinical educator, serving as an instructor in UMB's Pharm.D., advance practice nursing, and physician assistant programs.

He also has over ten years of experience administering the School of Pharmacy's ACPE-accredited continuing education program. His research interests include optimizing integrated treatment and contextual effects for psychiatric and behavioral disorders in people with developmental disabilities. He is board certified by the Board of Pharmaceutical Specialties in Psychiatric Pharmacy.

Dr. Patricia D. Franklin enjoyed a career distinguished by achievements in practice, program management, academia, and professional development. While in primary care practice, Franklin served on professional association, government, and coalition boards and committees, including as president of a national professional association. Transitioning to the non-profit sector, Franklin successfully managed a multi-year, multi-site, John A. Hartford Foundation (JAHF) grant that began as a $2 million award and over 10 years grew to $26 million in funding. After completing her doctoral degree Franklin joined the University of Maryland School of Nursing faculty where she taught health policy, health systems, and leadership in graduate programs.

In addition, she served as director of the Office of Professional Education (OPE), developing professional continuing education (CE) programs as well as launching and chairing an interprofessional CE consortium with colleagues from the Schools of Medicine, Pharmacy, Social Work and Law. As PI on a $2.5 million, 5-year state awarded grant to build nurse leadership capacity in Maryland, Franklin designed and ran the School's first Leadership Institute. She retired in 2019 and continues to work as a consultant.

Dr. Chamindi Seneviratne is a faculty member at the University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) in Baltimore, Maryland. Dr. Seneviratne holds an MD degree and completed post-doctoral research training in neurobiology and molecular genomics at the Universities of Texas and Virginia prior to joining the faculty, first at the University of Virginia and then at UMSOM. Over the past 15 years, she has conducted extensive research in molecular genetics in substance abuse with a primary focus on alcohol use disorders (AUD), with over ten years of experience in serving as a principal investigator or co-investigator on several NIH-funded pharmacogenomic trials.

Her current research is focused on developing biomarkers of (1) heavy alcohol use, (2) response to treatment of alcohol and other substance use disorders (SUD) with various pharmacologic agents, and (3) placebo response. To achieve these goals, her lab uses an integrative approach of combining various clinical trial methodologies, genomic and invitro techniques to screen and validate novel biomarkers for objective, and personalized and pathophysiology-based diagnosis and treatment of AUD/SUD.