Meet Dr. Ismail!
Dr. Khaled Ismail is a second-year postdoctoral research associate in the Anesthesiology department within the College of Medicine, working with Dr. Mohab Ibrahim and Dr. Laurent Martin. His research explores non-pharmacological approaches to treating chronic pain conditions, with the goal of improving patients’ quality of life in less invasive ways.
His educational journey began in Egypt, where he earned his Doctor of Medicine degree from the Alexandria Faculty of Medicine. He then worked as a primary care physician for the Egyptian Ministry of Health, engaging closely with patients experiencing chronic illnesses. This exposure sparked his interest in chronic pain and motivated him to study how pain can be better modulated while minimizing the side effects of drugs used to treat chronic illness over long-term use. After relocating to the United States, he worked with Sanford Research before joining the University of Arizona to continue his research on pain management.
Dr. Ismail studies photoneuromodulation, which involves exposing subjects to specific wavelengths of green light (around 525 nanometers). When these wavelengths enter through the eye, the release of endogenous opioids (naturally occurring hormones in the body) increases to help relieve pain. His work spans animal studies and clinical trials with patients experiencing conditions such as fibromyalgia and migraines, assessing how effectively this approach can reduce pain. Although still in its infancy, the field shows potential to reduce opioid use and its associated side effects. Early results indicate that about an hour and a half of green light exposure can decrease migraine frequency and reduce pain episodes in fibromyalgia patients. However, further research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms across all levels of the brain.
Outside of research, Dr. Ismail has been involved in the CIRTL Postdoc Pathways Program to pursue his passion for teaching. His teaching philosophy emphasizes fostering critical thinking to build students’ confidence in order to find success along their academic and professional paths. He hopes to remain in academia, where he can balance teaching with his work at the intersection of clinical practice and basic science research.