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UC Davis Health received 2022 Top Ten Clinical Research Achievement Award

Award recognizes impactful research on opioid dose tapering

(SACRAMENTO)

Today, Alicia Agnoli, assistant professor of family and community medicine at UC Davis School of Medicine, was honored with a 2022 Top Ten Clinical Research Achievement Award by the Clinical Research Forum (CR Forum). At a ceremony held in Chicago, Agnoli was also presented with the Distinguished Clinical Research Achievement Award for creativity, innovation and novel approach that demonstrated immediate impact on the health and well-being of patients.

These awards are in recognition of her remarkable work studying opioid dose tapering.

“We are thrilled to receive this prestigious award for our work on understanding the risks of opioid dose tapering,” said Agnoli, faculty affiliated with UC Davis Center for Healthcare Policy and Research.

Watch Videovideo iconAlicia Agnoli

Innovative clinical research

The Top Ten Clinical Research Achievement Award honors groundbreaking achievements in clinical research from across the U.S. A CR Forum panel selects the Top 10 award recipients from clinical research studies published in peer-reviewed journals in 2021. They are based on the degree of innovation and novelty involved in the advancement of science, contribution to the understanding of human disease or physiology, and potential impact upon the diagnosis, prevention or treatment of disease.

Agnoli received the award for her opioid dose tapering study that published in JAMA. The senior author on this study is Joshua Fenton, professor and Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Family and Community Medicine, and the coauthors are Guibo Xing, Daniel Tancredi, Anthony Jerant and Elizabeth Magnan at UC Davis Health.

Alicia Agnoli
We hope our work will inform a more cautious and compassionate approach to decisions around opioid dose tapering.” Alicia Agnoli

“Our study showed an increased risk of overdose and mental health crisis following opioid dose reduction. Patients undergoing tapering need significant support. We hope our work will inform a more cautious and compassionate approach to decisions around opioid dose tapering,” said Agnoli.

Agnoli was nominated by UC Davis Health’s Vice Dean of Research Kim E. Barrett.

Alicia Agnoli holding the Distinguished Clinical Research Achievement Award
Alicia Agnoli recognized with a Distinguished Clinical Research Achievement Award

“We were delighted to nominate Dr. Agnoli for this recognition and so pleased to learn of her selection as a finalist,” said Barrett, distinguished professor of physiology and membrane biology at UC Davis. “Her work has critical implications for the management of patients receiving opioids for chronic pain, to avoid adverse outcomes as patients seek to safely reduce or discontinue their use of these drugs.”

The CR Forum promotes understanding and support for clinical research and its impact on health and healthcare.

“The Top 10 Clinical Research Achievement Awards honor and celebrate the innovation, tireless efforts and profound contributions that clinical researchers and advocates have on the health and wellness of humanity,” said Harry P. Selker, chair of the CR Forum and dean of Tufts Clinical and Translational Science Institute at Tufts University. “The groundbreaking work illustrates the essential nature of clinical research and the direct impact it has on public health.”

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