Effective, long-lasting, non-addictive pain relief—it sounds too good to be true. But thanks to the imagination (and perseverance) of University at Buffalo neuroscientist/pharmacologist Arin Bhattacharjee, it may be just around the corner. Bhattacharjee, a self-proclaimed “dreamer,” has developed a novel approach to pain, both acute and chronic, that could get FDA approval in as soon as two years. In this episode of Driven to Discover, host Ellen Goldbaum talks to Bhattacharjee about his journey from wannabe soccer pro to impassioned scientist, the research that led to a new understanding of pain, and the small yet powerful peptide that could not only transform millions of lives but also help lead us out of the opioid epidemic.

Credits: 
Host: Ellen Goldbaum
Guest: Arin Bhattacharjee
Writer: Laura Silverman
Production and editing by UB Video Production Group 

Coming next year: Driven to Discover is taking a break over the summer. We will be back in late August with a whole new slate of UB experts and innovators discussing what drove them to focus their life’s work on their subject and what makes their research meaningful for the world at large.