Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Undergraduate degree: Chemistry (University of Redlands)
Area of interest: Small Animal General Practice, Integrative Medicine
Ari Klausner, a DVM student in the Class of 2028, is using his summer research fellowship to explore a novel approach to addressing opioid use disorder (OUD), a crisis that continues to impact both human and animal health systems.
Working with Dr. Travis Brown and Dr. Giuseppe Giannotti, Klausner’s project investigates whether hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) can reduce withdrawal symptoms and lower the risk of relapse.
Current treatments for OUD often fall short, with high rates of relapse driven by the severity of withdrawal. HBOT, which involves delivering oxygen under increased pressure, has shown early promise in easing withdrawal symptoms, but its underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood.
Klausner’s research will test HBOT in a controlled rodent model of heroin self-administration, allowing him to study both the behavioral and biological effects of the therapy.
By measuring changes in withdrawal symptoms and drug-seeking behavior, his work aims to determine whether HBOT could serve as an effective, non-pharmacological complement to existing treatments. The findings could help guide future research and improve therapeutic strategies for addiction.
Klausner says the project reflects both his interest in research and his long-term goals as a clinician.
“The further expansion of my passion in research and the continuous pursuit of knowledge is what I look forward to gaining most,” he said. “This experience will be quintessential in my evolution as a future veterinary practitioner dedicated to investigating unanswered questions in medicine.”