Annemarie Dedek

Assistant Professor

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://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awab408
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://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awz105