Dr. Pezzone's research is on visceral pain and the overlap of chronic pelvic pain disorders. Dr. Pezzone and his research group (Dr. Elena E. Eustinova-Gutkin, Ph.D. and Dr. Ruomei Liang, M.D.) are studying, in an animal model, neurogenic pathways mediating cross-sensitization of the urinary bladder and distal colorectum. Their work indicates that the frequent overlap of irritable bowel syndrome, interstitial cystitis, and other chronic pain disorders may occur as a consequence of pre-existing neural circuits or afferent (sensory) convergence such that the irritation of one organ leads to co-sensitization of another. Ongoing studies are attempting to elucidate these pathways in greater detail and may shed more light on chronic pelvic pain disorders.