Annemarie Dedek
Assistant Professor
Email: adedek@uwaterloo.ca
Biography
Dr. Annemarie Dedek’s research focuses on using translational models to better understand the physiological changes associated with chronic pain, with a particular focus on understanding the role of sex on nociception. The team consists of interdisciplinary collaborations with Patient Partners, researchers, clinicians, and veterinarians.
Research Interests
- Pain processing
- Spinal cord
- Analgesia
- Sex hormones
- Translational models
- Electrophysiology
- Pain behaviour testing
Scholarly Research
The Dedek Lab studies how the spinal cord processes pain signals, and how this signaling can change in response to chronic pain. A major problem in the pain research field is shortcomings in translating findings in basic science rodent studies into the human clinical population. To bridge the gap between the lab and the clinic, The Dedek lab combines classic rodent models with translational human organ donor and canine arthritis pain models, in a combination of electrophysiology techniques and cutting-edge behaviour testing. A particular focus on the lab is to examine the role of sex and sex hormones on pain signaling.
Education
- 2023-2024, Postdoctoral Fellowship, Dalhousie University, Canada
- 2021 – 2023, Mitacs Industrial Postdoctoral Fellowship, Carleton University, The Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, in partnership with Eli Lilly and Company, Canada/United States
- 2015 – 2021, PhD, Carleton University, Canada
- 2011 – 2015, BSc Honours, Carleton University
Awards
- 2021-2023, Mitacs Postdoctoral Research Fellowship
- 2023, Dr. Terry K. Borsook Memorial Postdoctoral Fellow Canadian Pain Society Award
- 2022, CIHR-INMHA Brain Star Award
- 2022, Ottawa Hospital Research Institute Postdoctoral Research Award
- 2021, Society for Neuroscience Trainee Professional Development Award
- 2018-2021, Ontario Graduate Scholarship
- 2020, Canadian Society of Pharmacology and Therapeutics Ken Piafsky Award
- 2019, CIHR-INMHA Brain Star Award
- 2017, NSERC CGS-M
Service
- 2022 – Present Frontiers in Pain Research Review Editor
- 2023 – Present Canadian Pain Society Scientific Program Committee Member
- 2023 – Present Canadian Association for Neuroscience Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee Member
Professional Associations
- Canadian Pain Society
Selected/Recent Publications
- Dedek, A., Xu, J., Lorenzo, L.E., Godin, A. G., Kandegedara, C. M., Glavina, G., Landrigan, J. A., Lombroso, P. J., De Koninck, Y., Tsai, E. C., Hildebrand, M. E. A neuronal mechanism of spinal hyperexcitability is sexually dimorphic in rodent and human models of pathological pain. Brain. 2022. https://academic.oup.com/brain/article/145/3/1124/6551129?login=false
- Dedek, A., Hildebrand, M. E. Advances and barriers in understanding presynaptic NMDA receptors in spinal pain processing. Frontiers in Molecular Neuroscience. 2022. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/molecular-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnmol.2022.864502/full
- Dedek, A.*, Harding, E.K.*, Bonin, R., Salter, M.W., Snutch, T.P., Hildebrand, M.E. The T-type calcium channel inhibitor, Z944, inhibits excitability of lamina I spinal neurons and attenuates pain hypersensitivity. The British Journal of Pharmacology. 2021. *Both authors contributed equally. https://bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/bph.15498
- Dedek, A.*, J. Xu*, C. Kandegedara, A. G. Godin, L. Lorenzo, Y. De Koninck, P. J. Lombroso, E. C. Tsai, M. E. Hildebrand. Loss of STEP61 links disinhibition to NMDAR potentiation in rodent and human spinal pain processing. Brain. 2019. *Both authors contributed equally. https://academic.oup.com/brain/article/142/6/1535/5498995?login=false
In The News
- 2022 The Ottawa Citizen - Finding of sex-related differences in pain signaling could lead to better treatment
- 2022 Scienmag Science Magazine - Men and women process pain signals differently
- 2022 GEN Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News - Chronic Pain is Processed Via Sex-Specific Conserved Mechanisms
- 2022 MSN.com - Scientists discover men and women do feel pain differently
- 2019 RELIEF: Pain Research News, Insights and Ideas - Human Tissue in Pain Research — A Promising Fix for a “Leaky” Drug Development Pipeline?
- 2019 Pain Research Forum - The Missing Link Between Disinhibition and Excitation in the Spinal Cord During Chronic Pain: Taking a STEP Forward