Postdoctoral scholar and pharmacy student recognized for breakthrough discoveries in pain and addiction research.
Two Concordia University Wisconsin researchers—Dr. Hina Andleeb and Jocelyn Wilson—received research presentation awards during the first annual Wisconsin Interdisciplinary Research Symposium (WIRS), hosted by CUW on Thursday, June 5, and Friday, June 6, 2025.
The WIRS provides a strategic platform for researchers across diverse fields to converge, collaborate and drive impactful innovation. CUW’s inaugural hosting of the symposium brought together scholars from across the state to showcase transformative discoveries and strengthen interdisciplinary partnerships. Awards were given based on votes from the conference attendees.
To explore highlights and resources from this year’s event, visit the WIRS Conference Archive.
Dr. Hina Andleeb: Advancing safer pain relief
Dr. Hina Andleeb, a postdoctoral research scholar in the Cunningham Laboratory, received the Best Podium Presentation Award for her exemplary job of communicating her pioneering work in pain relief research.
Andleeb joined Concordia in May 2025 after completing postdoctoral research appointments at the University of Florida and Northeastern University and serving as a visiting assistant professor of chemistry at the University of West Florida.
Her award-winning presentation focused on the design, synthesis, characterization and bio evaluation of the first selective agonists of the alpha-9 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR). The novel non-opioid compounds she developed demonstrate long-lasting antiallodynic activity against chronic pain and potent anti-inflammatory activity in animal models without causing loss of motor coordination, a limitation often associated with current opioid painkillers.
This breakthrough offers a promising new pathway toward nonaddictive pain relief therapies. Her work is also protected under a U.S. patent, underscoring its scientific and therapeutic potential.
Andleeb said about her work:
“As scientists, we believe that innovation should serve humanity. With this work, we hope to contribute to a future where pain relief is safe, effective and free from the shadow of addiction.”
Jocelyn Wilson: Targeting opioid withdrawal through molecular design
Jocelyn Wilson, a third-year pharmacy student in Concordia’s School of Pharmacy, earned the Best Commercialization Potential Award for a poster presentation displaying her innovative research on potential treatments for opioid withdrawal.
Wilson joined the Cunningham Laboratory in fall 2022 after conducting undergraduate research while earning her bachelor’s degree in pharmaceutical sciences. Her work centers on the synthesis of a small-molecule inhibitor, known as SCPI-1, which targets sterol carrier protein-2 (SCP-2).
The Cunningham Laboratory, in collaboration with the Hillard Laboratory at the Medical College of Wisconsin, was the first to identify SCP-2 as a binding protein for endocannabinoids—neurotransmitters that regulate pain, stress and anxiety.
Through an NIH-funded collaboration with Dr. Cassie Moore at Johns Hopkins University, Wilson’s compound was tested for its ability to ease opioid withdrawal symptoms. Early results showed that SCPI-1 reduced several key symptoms, suggesting that further development could lead to new treatments for opioid dependence—a condition affecting millions of Americans.
Wilson said about her work:
“Research is where new solutions are discovered. I got involved in research at CUW because I thought it would be a cool experience. Years later that ‘cool experience’ is developing into a real treatment that could help millions of people, which is absolutely mind-blowing to me.”
A mission of research that serves humanity
The recognition of both Andleeb and Wilson at Concordia’s first annual Wisconsin Interdisciplinary Research Symposium highlights the university’s mission to empower research that improves lives. Their achievements reflect the strength of Concordia’s collaborative research environment, where faculty and students work together to address some of society’s most pressing health challenges.
To learn more about the WIRS, click here.
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Concordia University Wisconsin is a Lutheran higher education community committed to helping students develop in mind, body, and spirit for service to Christ in the Church and the world. Learn more about how CUW’s School of Pharmacy prepares graduates to lead with faith and purpose in every setting.