NVA’s 2015 Career Award Recipients
Linda Scheider Burkett, M.D., of the Medstar Washington Hospital Center and Georgetown University Hospital, as well as Antje Barreveld, M.D., of the Tufts University School of Medicine and Newton-Wellesley Hospital, are this year’s recipients of the Dr. Stanley C. Marinoff Career Development Award, which encourages junior faculty to pursue an interest in vulvodynia.
Linda Scheider Burkett, MD – Medstar Washington Hospital Center and Georgetown University Hospital
Linda Scheider Burkett M.D., OB/GYN PGY-2 resident at MedStar Washington Hospital Center/ Georgetown University received her medical degree from Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine in Richmond, Virginia. Her mentor, Dr. Cheryl Iglesia is an internationally recognized expert of female sexual dysfunction and pelvic pelvic floor disorders, and is the Section Director of Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery for MedStar.
The NVA Stanley Marinoff award enables a novel research project for the treatment of lichen sclerosus. Dr. Burkett will investigate the use of the Mona LisaÒ Touch CO2 radiofrequency laser for lichen sclerosus in a randomized controlled trial compared to clobetasol propionate ointment. Preliminary results of the Mona LisaÒ CO2 radiofrequency laser has shown stimulation of fibroblastic growth through activation and biosynthesis of collagen and restoration of the extracellular matrix with collagen fibers of vaginal epithelium in patients with Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause (GSM). Findings from this research may lead to improved treatment options for patients with lichen sclerosus.
Antje Barreveld, MD – Tufts University School of Medicine and Newton-Wellesley Hospital
Antje Barreveld, MD is Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology at Tufts University School of Medicine. She practices as a Pain Medicine specialist and Anesthesiologist with Commonwealth Anesthesia Associates at Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton, MA. Her special clinical and research interests are in education about best practices in pain management, chronic pain in women, pelvic pain, and acute and chronic postoperative pain.
Dr. Barreveld will apply her award to study a specialized interventional procedure in treating pudendal neuralgia. Pudendal neuralgia is defined as pain in one or more areas in the distribution of the pudendal nerve, which includes the perineum, rectum, anus, urethra and genital area (clitoris, mons pubis, vulva, lower 1/3 of the vagina and labia in women, and the penis and scrotum in men). Pudendal neuralgia can be caused by known risk factors (such as prolonged pressure on the perineum as seen with bicycling), is observed in a subset of patients with vulvodynia, or is caused by unknown factors. Although multimodal treatments are available, patients often continue to experience severe morbidity, disability and suffering. One interventional procedure that may be effective in treating these patients, but one which has not been adequately studied in clinical trials, is radiofrequency lesioning (RFL) of the pudendal nerve. Using a specialized needle that transmits electrical impulses to the nerve and is placed under x-ray guidance to the target area, it is believed that patients undergoing pudendal RFL experience prolonged pain relief for many months, thereby decreasing the need for medications and avoiding invasive surgical decompression. This study will provide the necessary data to demonstrate that pudendal RFL may be indicated for patients with pudendal neuralgia and potentially expand available treatments for patients suffering from this disease.
For information on other NVA-funded research, click here.