A vital element of Dr. Khalsa's research involves the application of antibodies to eliminate the neural response of mechanoreceptors and mechano-nociceptors to pain. According to Dr. Khalsa, "This new information could help develop topical drugs that would target the specific integrin receptor and turn the function of some of the neurons down or off, instead of using powerful drugs that affect the whole body and may have side-effects.... It becomes a way to treat pain directly at the receptor level."
Dr. Khalsa expressed his gratitude at being recognized by the foundation:
"I've been very fortunate to receive both a basic biomedical research grant and translation research funding from The Whitaker Foundation. Additionally, I received a grant from them to establish an Industrial Internship Program in Biomedical Engineering here at Stony Brook [State University of New York at Stony Brook- SUNY2]. ... The grants I've received from The Whitaker Foundation have been instrumental in enabling me to do the research I've done so far, and to successfully compete for new funding from the National Institutes of Health."
Dr. Khalsa also noted that fellow chiropractor and scientist Greg Kawchuk, BSc, DC, MSc, PhD, assistant professor of kinesiology at the University of Calgary and chair of chiropractic research for the Canadian Chiropractic Association, was recently awarded a biomedical research grant from the foundation.
The latest recognition for Dr. Khalsa is another highlight in a career marked with honors; awards; membership in several academic and professional organizations; and studies published in several peer-reviewed journals, including the Journal of Biomechanics, JMPT, Neuroscience and Spine. He was born and raised in Oak Ridge, Tenn., the self-professed "Mecca for scientific and technological innovations."
The son of an attorney for what is now the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, he attended the U.S. Air Force Academy, then graduated from Los Angeles College of Chiropractic (LACC) in 1979 and opened two thriving practices in Massachusetts.
But for Dr. Khalsa, this was only the beginning: "I decided that I could either wait for another 30-40 years and let someone else try to figure out what was really going on in the spine and nervous system - or I could join the few people who were actively researching what is fundamental to chiropractic."
After concluding that the only way to engage in research at higher levels, which required funding, was to further his education, Dr. Khalsa began scientific training. "Biomedical engineering seemed to be a natural fit," he explained. At Boston University, he trained with Sol Eisenberg, PhD, and was invited by Peter Grigg, PhD, of the University of Massachusetts Medical School, to conduct doctoral studies in his laboratory. As a postdoctoral fellow, studying with Robert LaMotte, PhD, at Yale University School of Medicine, he accepted a faculty appointment at SUNY, where he has been the graduate program director for the biomedical engineering department for nearly four years.
Despite his notable accomplishments, Dr. Khalsa remains modest: "I am truly humbled to be associated with some of the top neuroscientists in the world. I was very fortunate to receive excellent scientific and engineering training, and then incredibly lucky to receive wonderful mentoring. I owe whatever scientific success I've attained to them."
Frank Blanchard, TWF communications director, acknowledged the feelings were mutual. "We had a wonderful time working with Dr. Khalsa on our report. It's nice to see him getting additional recognition for his work."
More than 1,500 investigators, credited with the development of over 200 scientific and medical products, have been supported by The Whitaker Foundation, which was created in 1975 upon the death of its namesake, U.A. Whitaker, founder and CEO of AMP Incorporated. The institution has awarded more than $700 million to learning institutions for faculty research, graduate fellowships and programs. The organization is scheduled to spend all its assets and close in 2006.
References
- www.whitaker.org/02_annual_report/brain.html.
- Dr. Khalsa is assistant professor of biomedical engineering, neurobiology and orthopaedics at SUNY's department of biomedical engineering.
Jim Harrison, associate editor