Grace Laboratory
Peter M. Grace, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Areas of Research
- Pain
- Chemotherapy-Induced Neuropathy
- Neuron-glia Interactions
- Transcriptional Regulation
- Chronic Pain
- Drug Development
- Cell Signaling
- Targeted Therapy
Chronic pain afflicts 100 million Americans, and therapies that target only neurons are minimally effective. The Grace Lab in MD Anderson's Department of Symptom Research is tackling this problem through research to understand the neuroimmune mechanisms that underlie chronic pain and its control. With an overarching interest in pharmacology and drug discovery, we leverage mouse models, genetic and pharmacological manipulations, behavioral assessments, primary cell culture, microscopy, and cell and molecular biology approaches. Our research is supported by the National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, and Kleberg Foundation.
Our Research Goal
The goal of the Grace Lab is to understand the neuroimmune mechanisms of chronic pain and its control.
Pain Research Symposium
COMING IN 2025: The Advances in Translational Science: Pain Management in Cancer Care symposium will connect you with MD Anderson clinical and basic science experts working to end pain for cancer patients and survivors. Engage in poster sessions, talks and patient-caregiver panels to exchange insights and foster collaboration.
SAVE THE DATE: Friday, May 9, 2025Join Our Lab
We highly value hard work, curiosity, innovation, teamwork and professional development in combination with a healthy work/life balance. We seek strong postdoctoral fellows to add to our team.
Open Positions
Contact Dr. Grace to learn more about joining our team.
Contact Us
Mailing Address
Department of Symptom Research
1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Unit 1055
Houston, TX 77030
Phone: 713-794-5297
Fax: 832-750-5153
Physical Location
MD Anderson Cancer Center Zayed Building
6565 MD Anderson Boulevard, Suite Z8.5000
Houston, Texas 77030
Administrative Support
Administrative support (operations, grants, protocols) for the Grace Lab is provided by the Department of Symptom Research.
Phone: 713-745-3470
Fax: 713-745-3475
News and Accolades
August 2024: Seven members from the Department of Symptom Research attended the 2024 World Congress on Pain in Amsterdam, August 5-9. This meeting brought together more than 6,500 scientists, clinicians, and health care providers from around the world and across pain disciplines. The Symptom Research group was featured across three workshop sessions and six poster presentations. Grace Lab contributors included:
- Peter Grace, Ph.D., Principal Investigator:
- Presentation workshop: Emerging Roles for Autoantibodies in Chronic Pain
- Nathan Fiore, Ph.D., Research Scientist:
- Presentation workshop: NeuPSIG: Burning Topics in Neuropathic Pain
- Kendal Willcox, M.S. Senior Research Investigator:
- Poster presentation: Contributions of B Cells to Allodynia Induced by Different Models of Traumatic Nerve Injury
June 2024: Nathan Fiore, Ph.D., a Research Scientist in the Grace Lab, won second place in the basic science poster competition at MD Anderson's 2024 Division of Internal Medicine research retreat. Dr. Fiore's poster was entitled "Accelerating clearance of IgG via neonatal Fc gamma receptor blockade relieves neuropathic pain."
February 2024: Rafael Cazuza, a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Grace Lab, was selected to join the North American Pain School in Quebec, Canada, a highly competitive international learning program for trainees in pain research that seeks to develop technical and networking skills. The program's 2024 theme is "Prevention, Treatment, or Cure?"
August 2023: Sami Rasheed, a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Grace Lab, won first place in the best poster awards by the Division of Anesthesiology, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine Education and Research Day, August 15, 2023.
June 2022: Sami won 2nd place in the Basic Science Poster competition. at the MD Anderson Division of Internal Medicine Research Retreat.
May 2022: Sami was honored by the United States Association for the Study of Pain (USASP). He was invited to give an oral presentation at the USASP Annual Scientific Conference in Cincinnati, Ohio, for which he also received a trainee travel award. In addition, he was featured in the Trainee Spotlight section of the USASP November newsletter.
May 2022: Michael Lacagnina, an Instructor in the Grace Lab, won the Cyrus Scholar Award for Basic Research at the MD Anderson Division of Internal Medicine June 2022 Research Retreat. The Cyrus Award provides two competitive awards, each for $15,000 ($5,000 each year for three years) to an outstanding basic researcher and a clinical researcher.
March 2020: Jiahe Li, a Research Scientist in the Grace Lab, was lead author of our 2020 article in Anesthesiology that was covered by the Pain Research Forum. Her work shows that dimethyl fumarate, a multiple sclerosis drug, has therapeutic effects in a rodent model of neuropathic pain.