According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 64,000 Americans died from drug overdoses in 2016. Opioids now cause about three-fourths of all overdose deaths.

One solution to address this deadly crisis is reducing dependence on prescription painkillers through Vagus Nerve Stimulation (VNS).

Dr. Paul Durham, distinguished professor of biology at Missouri State University and director of the Center for Biomedical and Life Sciences (CBLS), and Lauren Cornelison, senior research scientist at CBLS in the Jordan Valley Innovation Center, shed light on their research in this area.

Addressing the opioid crisis

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Check out the Center for Biomedical and Life Sciences.