KEVIN (KALMAN) HELLMAN, PHD

I am the principal investigator of an NIH funded grant that studies the physiology and treatment of women's health conditions. Dysmenorrhea, period pain, is the leading cause of school/work absence and foremost risk factor for chronic visceral pain in reproductive aged women. Our laboratory has developed new animal models, investigated novel diagnostic methods, and conducted treatment studies. My goal is to systematically define the pathophysiology of dysmenorrhea and develop new treatments, while simultaneously training a cadre of future investigators to revolutionize the study of visceral pain. Our research is essential because there are few other laboratories dedicated to eradicating dysmenorrhea, one of the most frequent causes of suffering and gender disparity worldwide. Our recent review article on dysmenorrhea http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajog.2017.08.108  was reading material for board recertification and provides a roadmap for developing effective treatments for menstrual pain.