Endogenous Opioids From Basic Science to Biopsychosocial Applications

Dr. Patrick Kerr completed his Master’s and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology at the University of North Dakota. He completed his pre-doctoral internship training at the West Virginia University School of Medicine-Charleston campus and Charleston Area Medical Center. Dr. Kerr is a clinical psychologist, specializing in the treatment of severe psychopathology, suicidality, and traumatic stress. He is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Behavioral Medicine and Psychiatry at West Virginia University School of Medicine-Charleston. He serves as Director of the WVU Behavioral Science and Psychopathology Research Division, and as Director of the WVU Dialectical Behavior Therapy Services Program.

His main lines of research and academic work emphasize common mechanisms of severe psychiatric disorders, emotion regulation, suicide risk, trauma, and the psychobiological mechanisms of psychopathology.

Dr. Cristian Sirbu is a Clinical Associate Professorat West Virginia University School of Medicine-Charleston campus and Charleston Area Medical Center (CAMC) and a Research Scientist at the CAMC Center for Cancer Research. He completed his dental and psychology doctoral degrees in Romania and a clinical psychology doctoral degree at Marshall University.

His scholarly and clinical work are focused on assessment and treatment of anxiety, mood disorders and chronic pain across multiple populations and the enhancement of psychosocial interventions using pharmacological and technology-based approaches. He is interested in immunological mechanisms of psychopathology and the implementation of Patient-Reported Outcomes in oncology. 

Dr. John Gregg is a retired oral and maxillofacial surgeon and who served in academic positions at multiple institutions during his career. Dr. Gregg’s academic career has included appointments as Professor of Surgery at University of North Carolina, Virginia Tech University, and Virginia Commonwealth University. During his academic and professional training, he completed five degrees as well as clinical residency in Oral and Maxillofacial surgery at the University of Michigan.   

Dr. Gregg’s preclinical research was the first to demonstrate that peripheral injury of rodent trigeminal nerves may produce neuroanatomic pathoses in the transganglionic and central spinal trigeminal complex. He continues his active program of clinical research post-retirement, with an emphasis on mechanisms of neuropathic pain and microsurgical management of trigeminal nerve injuries.