S. Olivia Vanegas is The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Highlighted Trainee Author for the November 2024 issue. Vanegas is a PhD candidate at the University of Connecticut.

The JPET article that earned her the selection as a Highlighted Trainee Author is titled “The Minor Phytocannabinoid Delta-8-Tetrahydrocannabinol Attenuates Collagen-Induced Arthritic Inflammation and Pain-Depressed Behaviors” and is available at https://doi.org/10.1124/jpet.124.002189.

Vanegas wants her research to contribute to the development of safer, non-opioid therapies for managing chronic pain. By deepening the understanding of how minor phytocannabinoids modulate pain and inflammation, she aims to provide new avenues for drug discovery that prioritize patient safety and long-term efficacy. Additionally, Vanegas hopes her work will help fill critical knowledge gaps regarding the role of emotion in pain perception and modulation, which could lead to targeted therapies that treat not only the physical symptoms of pain but also its affective components.