Conference on the Therapeutic Potential of Kappa Opioids in Pain and Addiction

A conference for cross-disciplinary collaboration, uniting experts to explore the therapeutic potential of kappa opioids in neuropsychiatric disorders and addiction.

Original History page

Major advances in our understanding of the role of the dynorphin / kappa-opioid receptor system suggest that kappa agonist and antagonist ligands have therapeutic potential. Dynorphins have been found to regulate affective behaviors, reduce pain and itch, and mediate stress-related behaviors. Kappa antagonists can reduce alcohol and drug use in animal models and prevent relapse. The effects of dynorphin on cognition suggest a role for kappa antagonists in other neuropsychiatric disorders. The Kappa Therapeutics Conferences have been organized every other year since 2011 to bring together Academic and Pharma scientists working on all aspects of kappa opioid research.  The conference is designed to advance medications development by bringing together medicinal chemists who are developing novel medications, molecular pharmacologists studying structural features of the receptor and functional selectivity in receptor signaling, behavioral pharmacologists identifying effects of kappa opioids in model organisms, systems neuroscientists identifying the actions of kappa opioids on the neural circuit, brain imaging researchers studying kappa drug effects in humans, and clinical scientists conducting trials to establish drug efficacy in humans.  Our goal is to accelerate the development of novel kappa medications based on this research, and the synergy generated by sharing insights and research findings across disciplines and at each of these levels of analysis has been truly impressive. 

Toni Shippenberg Young Investigator Award

Dr. Toni Shippenberg was a key contributor to the kappa opioid field during her 25 years of kappa opioid research until her death in 2012. In recognition of her leadership and commitment to mentorship, the conference organizers established the Toni Shippenberg Young Investigator Award given to students or postdocs presenting the best talks or posters during the conference. The recipient(s) are selected by a vote of the Program Committee and announced at the closing ceremony.

Awardees:

Year Recipient(s)
2013 Ms. Sara Anderson (Mt Sinai)
2015 Dr. Anushree Karkhanis (Wake Forest University)
Lindsey M. Snyder (University of Pittsburgh)
2017 Dr. Antony Abraham (University of Washington)
Dr. Nicolas Massaly (Washington University)
Ms. Kathryn Lansu (University of North Carolina)
Ms. Salina D. Johnson (University of Washington)
2019 Dr. Tao Che (University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill)
Mr. Harold (JR) Haun (Medical University of South Carolina)
2021 Ms. Eileen Nguyen (University of Pittsburgh)
Dr. Manish Madasu (Washington University in St Louis)
2023 Dr. Raaj Gowrishankar (University of Washington)
Dr. Valentina Martinez Damonte (Stanford University)
Marwa Mikati (Washington University in St. Louis)
Chunyang (Jason) Dong (University of California, Davis)

Kappa Conference Program Books