Understanding the Biology to Develop Novel Pain Therapeutics for Women
Dr. Jenny Wilkerson, Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, integrates behavioral neuroscience and pharmacological methods in her research to advance drug development for pathological pain and substance use disorders, focusing on biological differences between males and females.
Wilkerson Lab: Behavioral Pharmacology of Pain and Addiction
The Wilkerson Lab uses animal models to examine:
- Sex differences in pain processing and treatment responses
- The role of the endocannabinoid system in pain and inflammation
- Natural product-derived compounds (such as cannabinoids and kratom alkaloids) as potential safer alternatives to traditional opioids
- Interactions between chronic pain, inflammation, and substance use disorders
Left to right: Bisola Ojo, Jenny Wilkerson, Lida Khodavirdilou, Kofi Frimpong-Manson.
Her research aims to develop more effective, sex-specific therapeutics — particularly important because women are disproportionately affected by many chronic pain conditions and often experience different treatment outcomes than men.
Both personal experience and outstanding mentorship have profoundly shaped Dr. Wilkerson’s scientific career. Her interest in pain research began close to home: “My mother lives with chronic pain, and witnessing the long-term impact it has had on her quality of life gave me an early appreciation for the urgent need for better therapeutics.”
Dr. Wilkerson emphasizes that studying sex differences — along with other biological factors such as hormonal fluctuations, aging, and co-existing conditions — is essential because, historically, research has largely focused on younger male participants. This research bias has limited our understanding of how pain and treatments manifest differently in women.
Dr. Wilkerson is excited to incorporate new technologies and foster collaborations with other Rutgers researchers as she builds her program. She is also training the next generation of scientists in her lab to help advance women’s brain health research in pain and addiction.
Her graduate student Kofi Frimpong-Manson is examining sex differences and neuroinflammation in chronic migraine. “Migraine is significantly more prevalent in women, but most preclinical models have been developed and tested in males. Kofi’s project examines behavioral and neuroimmune differences between male and female mice in a model of chronic migraine. By integrating measures of pain-related behavior with markers of neuroinflammation, Kofi’s work aims to identify sex-specific mechanisms that may drive migraine susceptibility and persistence. These findings have the potential to inform more targeted and effective therapeutic strategies for women suffering from chronic migraine.”
Graduate students Lida Khodavridilou and Bisola Ojo are studying hormonal modulation of post-surgical pain outcomes. Estrogen and progesterone are known to influence pain perception. Their project develops new pharmacological models to mimic clinically relevant hormonal conditions, such as those observed in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and the postpartum period. Using these models, they examine how altered hormonal states impact post-surgical pain and recovery. This work aims to improve the translational relevance of preclinical pain research and ultimately guide more personalized approaches to pain management in women.
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