Jose Moron-Concepcion, PhD

After completing his PhD in Biochemistry at the University of Barcelona (Spain) he was awarded a fellowship to join the intramural program at NIDA to work in the laboratory of Dr Toni Shippenberg, a pioneer in the field of opioid pharmacology. He then continued his postdoctoral training in the laboratory of Dr. Lakshmi Devi at Mount Sinai, where he continued studies on the mechanisms of opioid dependence. After completing his training, Dr. Moron-Concepcion moved to Columbia University in New York, where he was appointed faculty in the Department of Anesthesiology for 6 years. On October 1, 2015, Dr. Moron-Concepcion joined the Department of Anesthesiology at Washington University School of Medicine. The research in his laboratory is focused on understanding the mechanisms underlying opioid addiction and the intersection with pain. In addition, Jose has been very involved in the training of the next generation of addiction researchers through his co-director role of the T32 NIDA grant in collaboration with the Department of Psychiatry.

Furthermore, Jose has also been very active in policy and regulatory mechanisms via his past service as a member of a National Academy of Sciences committee charged with developing a report for the FDA on the state of science regarding prescription opioid abuse and misuse, including prevention, management, and intervention, and to provide an update from the 2011 Institute of Medicine (IOM) report Relieving Pain in America, which includes a further characterization of the evolving role that opioid analgesics play in pain management. Recently, Jose has been selected to serve on the Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee (IPRCC), a federal advisory committee created by the Department of Health and Human Services to enhance pain research efforts and promote collaboration across the government. The Committee is composed of scientists, physicians, and health professionals who are leaders in the field of pain research and members of the general public who are representatives of leading research, advocacy, and service organizations for individuals with pain-related conditions. The goal of the IPRCC is to advance the fundamental understanding of pain and improve pain-related treatment strategies.