How Avery Davenport is building a world-class research program that brings hope to patients with chronic pain
“There’s a general assumption that research happens in a lab, but clinical trials are what bring the discovery to the bedside.”
That’s how Avery Davenport describes his passion for clinical research, and it’s a perspective that shapes his work at Commonwealth Pain & Spine (CP&S) every day. From launching first-time research initiatives at hospitals to collaborating with top medical device companies, Avery – Commonwealth’s new director of clinical research – is helping close the gap between innovation and access, giving chronic pain patients real-world options rooted in science.
We sat down with Avery to learn more about his path into the field, the role research plays at CP&S, and why he believes we’re at a pivotal moment in how chronic pain is understood and treated.
If you’d rather listen to Avery speak, you can check out his recent podcast episode with CEO Jeff Ellison, where they go in depth about how research is advancing patient care.
What brought you to this field and your role at Commonwealth Pain & Spine?
My passion for advancing patient care through clinical trials had a lot to do with it. I started in clinical research as a clinical research coordinator in neurosurgery, gaining diverse experience over the years. Through networking with Jeff Ellison, Commonwealth’s CEO, I learned about his vision for integrating clinical research into CP&S. We both recognized a critical gap in clinical trials within interventional chronic pain, not just locally, but globally.
The opportunity to build a world-class clinical research program and provide another avenue of treatment and hope for our patients is what brought me to Commonwealth.
What do you love most about working at Commonwealth Pain & Spine?
What I love most is our supportive leadership and collaborative culture. Our leadership team does a great job of removing barriers so we can be successful for our patients. The environment not only fuels my passion for advancing pain management but also ensures we deliver exceptional, personalized care.
How is clinical research a part of CP&S’ mission and vision?
Clinical research is an integral part of the mission and vision at Commonwealth. Our goal is to provide 100,000 patients access to innovative technology through clinical trials by 2027. By driving evidence-based advancements, we bridge the gap between groundbreaking therapies and those suffering from chronic pain, ensuring CP&S leads in transforming pain management standards worldwide.
How will CP&S clinical research benefit patients and the community?
Clinical research benefits our patients by providing access to therapies they might not otherwise receive. For example, clinical trials can allow a patient to receive treatment with a device that insurance may not cover, but the trial enables access regardless. These trials also benefit many more patients indirectly by contributing evidence and data to the global body of medical knowledge, helping redefine gold standards in care.
What are some of the current research initiatives that you’re working on or excited to start?
Right now, we’re conducting a retrospective chart review for Curonix’s Freedom PNS device, which evaluates its effectiveness in reducing chronic pain and offering non-opioid relief.
We’re also preparing to launch a decentralized trial with SI-Bone for an SI joint fusion device, which will make participation easier and accelerate access.
Additionally, we’re collaborating with industry leaders like Abbott, Boston Scientific, and Saluda to explore new interventional therapies and data-driven outcomes. These projects aim to enhance quality of life and redefine pain care standards.
Finally, I’m excited to work with our physicians to identify gaps in clinical knowledge and create new indications and intended uses for existing devices.
What do you wish more patients understood about participating in clinical research?
I wish more patients knew that clinical research isn’t just someone in a white lab coat looking under a microscope. There’s a general assumption that research happens only in a lab, what we call the pre-clinical phase. In reality, clinical research brings the laboratory to the bedside.
Clinical trials ensure discoveries don’t stay in the lab but become real treatments. By participating in clinical trials, patients help turn scientific breakthroughs into real-world solutions that offer new hope and sometimes life-saving options.
What has been one of the most rewarding moments in your research career so far?
There have been a couple.
Early in my career, I worked on a laser ablation study for seizures. You always have patients you remember, and one in particular saw dramatic improvement right away. That kind of immediate result is rare in clinical research, which usually involves slow, data-driven outcomes. Seeing such a clear benefit for a patient and knowing that trial participation gave them a shot at getting their life back was incredibly rewarding.
More recently, I helped launch clinical research at a hospital in a nearby state, the first time that hospital ever had patients enrolled in clinical trials. Being part of expanding that kind of access to cutting-edge care was another proud moment.
How do you stay on the leading edge of developments in pain management research?
I stay on the leading edge by building and maintaining strong relationships, both within CP&S and across the field. I regularly engage with our physicians to understand their clinical insights and identify what’s working in practice.
Leveraging their connections with chronic pain device companies, I collaborate with industry leaders to stay current on emerging technologies. I also attend conferences and engage with professional societies where new devices and techniques are introduced. Bringing those insights back to our team ensures patients benefit from the latest advancements.
What excites you most about the future of pain management research?
What excites me most is the unprecedented collaboration happening among physiatrists, orthopedic surgeons, and neurosurgeons. Combined with patients’ growing demand for non-opioid treatments, this collaboration is creating new opportunities for care. No one likes being in pain, yet it’s one of the costliest conditions to treat aside from heart disease. That presents a huge opportunity to rethink how we approach chronic pain and improve lives on a broad scale.
