BLACKSBURG, Va., March 18 -- Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University issued the following news release:

Chronic pain is a major public health challenge.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, 1 in 4 adults experienced chronic pain in 2023. Of those, almost one in 10 had pain severe enough to limit them in life or work.

Gabriel Isaac, a neuroscience doctoral student conducting research at the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC, is working to develop safe, effective treatments for chronic pain - without the need for surgery.

"We can't treat what we can't reach - and unfortunately, these deep pain neuronal circuits remain out of range for most existing therapies," Isaac said.

Isaac is this year's recipient of t...