*** Ketamine & Amputation; Acute Pain research

*** Social Media Engagement and Anesthesiology Conferences

*** Chronic Opioid Therapy & Chronic Pain

*** Opioid Addiction & Stress; Thesis work

*** Pre-thesis Graduate Research: Hemorrhagic Stroke & Diabetic Neuropathy

*** Summer and Undergraduate Research Experiences

Publications not associated with a research project:

• Jaremko, K.M., (2015) How not why: Patient care with empathy and acceptance 84: vol. 85 no. 21 e148-e149.

• Book Chapter: Jaremko, K.M., Hsu, B., (2015) Physical Therapy & Functional Rehabilitation. In O. Visnjevac & N. Nader (Eds.) Complex Regional Pain Syndrome: Past, Present, and Future. Hauppauge, New York: Nova Science Publishers, LLC.

Ongoing Research:

Acute Pain Research in Anesthesiology, Jefferson University Hospitals, Oct 2015- present

This work is underway at Thomas Jefferson University in the Department of Anesthesiology with Dr. Eugene R. Viscusi.

Retrospective Cohort analysis and case series on early ketamine infusion following limb amputation. The hypothesis was that early blockade of NMDA-receptor induced central sensitization may lessen chronic phantom limb pain and improve short-term outcomes with regard to post-operative opioid consumption, reported  neuropathic pain, and recovery time.

• Presented as a moderated e-poster at the March 2016 American Society of Regional Anesthesia Acute Pain Meeting in New Orleans, LA.  ASRA 2016 Poster
• Presented at the May 2016 American Pain Society annual conference in Austin, TX.
• Final data analysis and publication in process

Social Media Engagement and Anesthesiology Conferences Research, Co-investigator , Multi-center Collaboration, 2016 – present

Ongoing research involving social media strategies, engagement, and potential impact on the American Society of Regional Anesthesia Meetings

• Schwenk ES, Jaremko KM, Gupta RK, Adani AD, McCartney CJL, Snively A, Mariano ER. Upgrading a Social Media Strategy to Increase Twitter Engagement During the Spring Annual Meeting of the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine. Reg Anes Pain Med 2017 Mar 6. 

Chronic  Pain & Chronic Opioid Treatment Research, Visiting researcher at the Neurological Center for Pain, Cleveland Clinic, Feb 2014 – present (off-site)

These clinical projects are being finalized under the  tutelage of  Dr. Ed Covington (M.D.) and Dr. Judith Scheman (Ph.D.), which were developed via  two new IRB protocols.

1.  Observational retrospective study of the outcomes and success of long-term (>1 year) chronic opioid therapy for pain. This work was recently presented as a talk and a manuscript is in process.

• Presented as an oral and poster presentation at ASRA 2014 at the Fall Chronic Pain Meeting. ASRA_2014 poster
  • This poster was awarded the ” Best of ASRA Resident Abstract” Award for the 2014 meeting.

2. Prospective analysis of PTSD symptoms, stress, and coping styles at baseline and throughout Chronic Pain Rehabilitation Program analyzed with respect to outcomes. This study was presented and the manuscript in process. KJ Aps 2015 poster  

 Past Research:

Neuroscience Thesis Research,  Thomas Jefferson University,  2011 – 2013

The overarching topic for this doctoral research was investigating the role of stress in opioid addiction/dependence.  Animal and clinical studies were employed through a wet lab in the Department of Neuroscience and methadone maintenance clinic in the Department of Psychiatry, respectively.

1. Pre-clinical studies under Dr. Elisabeth Van Bockstaele (PhD) focused on the effect of morphine exposure on rat locus coeruleus neurons, specifically the mu-opioid receptor and its interacting protein Wntless.

**** This area of the brain was chosen for its role in processing incoming stressful stimuli, opioid signaling, and regulating the output of the major neurotransmitter, norepinephrine.  This

intersection of locus coeruleus neural regulation was presented at the Society for Neuroscience annual conference in 2012 (KJ SfN poster 2012).

• This basic science research employed IACUC animal proposals, grant and paper writing, small animal surgeries, western blotting, PCR mRNA analysis, immunohistochemistry (light and confocal fluorescent microscopy), and high-resolution immuno-electron microscopy.

2.  Clinical studies under Dr. Robert Sterling (PhD) following IRB proposal/approval, investigated the

role of stress and trauma on outcomes of methadone maintenance therapy in a treatment-seeking population of opioid addicted individuals. Patient recruitment, interview, psychological test administration, salivary cortisol collection, ELISA analysis, financial accountability of gift cards, and advanced statistical analysis were utilized.

• • Thesis defense completed December 2013. Dissertation:  IDENTIFYING NOVEL TARGETS IN OPIOID ADDICTION: PRE-CLINICAL AND CLINICAL STUDIES

Graduate Student Research Rotations (pre-thesis work),  Thomas Jefferson University,  2008 – 2011

1. 1. In-vitro modeling of hemorrhagic stroke which was done in  the Department of Emergency Medicine under Dr. Raymond Regan (MD). Studies focused on an in-vitro cell culture model of hemolysis and clot lysis that mimics hemorrhagic stroke. The role of glia in blood clot toxicity to neurons in a co-culture system was investigated and the viability of this model to do preliminary screening for stroke interventions before applying it to an in-vivo animal model.
      • Jaremko, M., Chen-Roetling, J., Chen, L., Regan, R.F. (2010) Accelerated hemolysis and neurotoxicity in neuron-glia-blood clot co-cultures. Journal of Neurochemistry, 114(4):1063-73.
   2. Diabetic Neuropathy analysis using  electrophysiology and real-time PCR in Department of physiology under first thesis advisor, Dr. Michael O’Leary (PhD).  Studied the effects of streptozotocin-induced diabetic neuropathy in rat dorsal root ganglion neurons were studied. Electrophysiological and mRNA changes in voltage gated sodium channels were explored, as well as animal behavior paradigms.

Summer Undergraduate Research Projects  2005 – 2006

1. Research Assistant in Biophysics & Physiology, Case Western Reserve University, Summer 2006, in the Department of Biophysics under Dr. Matthias Buck (MD).  Summer Undergraduate Research Program participant. The research project explored a receptor that responds to environmental cues during the growth and development of nerves and blood vessels. Received a highly competitive summer research fellowship from the American Heart Association, resulting in completion of a final paper.
2. Research Assistant in Neonatology, MetroHealth Medical Center (Cleveland, OH) and Case Western Reserve University, Summer 2005, in the Department of Neonatology under Dr. John Moore (MD).  The project examined effects of repetitive stretch on fetal membranes from placentas that underwent labor and those that did not. Involved patient recruitment, shadowing OB/Gyn Physicians, patient information collection, biophysical analyses of tissue samples and statistics.
   • Pandey, V., Jaremko, M., Moore, R.M., Mercer, B.M., Stetzer, B., Kumar, D., Fox, J.M., Mansour, J.M., Moore, J.J. (2007) The force required to rupture fetal membranes paradoxically increases with acute in vitro repeated stretching. American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology, 196(2):165.

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