Olivia C. Eller, PhD

Research Associate Professor, Geriatric Medicine
oeller@kumc.eduMore:
Professional Background
Dr. Olivia Eller is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, and a Research Scientist at the Kansas City VA Medical Center. Her broad research interests include understanding the underlying mechanisms contributing to the development of chronic pain and metabolic dysfunction and using translational therapies to treat these common co-morbidities.
Education and Training
- PhD, Neuroscience, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas
- Post Doctoral Fellowship, Cell Biology and Physiology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Kansas
Research
Overview
Chronic pain affects millions of people worldwide and unfortunately, despite this high prevalence, there is a lack of effective treatment options. Interestingly, dysfunctional mitochondria in sensory neurons are thought to contribute to chronic pain, although the mechanisms underlying this are not fully understood. Therefore, my work is broadly focused on how mitochondrial dysfunction contributes to the development of chronic pain as well as on determining if widespread improvements in mitochondrial function can reduce chronic pain.
My Department of Veterans Affairs funded research is focused on studying if the use of repeated heat treatment, an effective treatment in restoring aberrant mitochondrial function, can reduce chronic pain and sensory neuron dysfunction after spinal cord injury (SCI) in mice. Chronic pain is often rated among the most significant complaints of individuals with SCI. Opioids are frequently prescribed to treat SCI-induced pain, even though they have contributed to opioid misuse disorders and can actually worsen pain and delay recovery. My goal is to find safer and more effective treatments for SCI-pain to improve the quality of life in spinally injured individuals.
In addition, I am interested in the association of aged-induced chronic neuropathic pain and mitochondrial dysfunction. Chronic pain disproportionally affects geriatric individuals and mitochondrial function is known to decrease with age. Further, dysfunctional mitochondria contribute to decreased resilience and increased frailty in older adults. The goals of this work are to better understand this association and to determine if improving mitochondrial function in aged mice, such as with repeated heat treatment, can decrease pain and improve the health span.
Publications
- Eller, O., C, Glidden, N, Knight, B, McKearney, N, Perry, M, Bernier Carney, K., M, Starkweather, A, Young, E., E, Baumbauer, K., M. 2021. A Role for Global DNA Methylation Level and IL2 Expression in the Transition From Acute to Chronic Low Back Pain.. Frontiers in pain research (Lausanne, Switzerland), 2, 744148
- Eller, O., C, Foright, R., M, Brake, A., D, Winter, M., K, Bantis, L., E, Morris, E., M, Thyfault, J., P, Christianson, J., A. 2021. An Omega-3-rich Anti-inflammatory Diet Improved Widespread Allodynia and Worsened Metabolic Outcomes in Adult Mice Exposed to Neonatal Maternal Separation.. Neuroscience, 468, 53-67
- Eller, O., C, Stair, R., N, Neal, C, Rowe PSN, Nelson-Brantley, J, Young, E., E, Baumbauer, K., M. 2022. Comprehensive phenotyping of cutaneous afferents reveals early-onset alterations in nociceptor response properties, release of CGRP, and hindpaw edema following spinal cord injury.. Neurobiology of pain (Cambridge, Mass.), 12, 100097
- Eller, O., C, Morris, E., M, Thyfault, J., P, Christianson, J., A. 2020. Early life stress reduces voluntary exercise and its prevention of diet-induced obesity and metabolic dysfunction in mice.. Physiology & behavior, 223, 113000
- Eller, O., C, Yang, X, Fuentes, I., M, Pierce, A., N, Jones, B., M, Brake, A., D, Wang, R, Dussor, G, Christianson, J., A. 2021. Voluntary Wheel Running Partially Attenuates Early Life Stress-Induced Neuroimmune Measures in the Dura and Evoked Migraine-Like Behaviors in Female Mice.. Frontiers in physiology, 12, 665732