Assistant Professor
Areas of Interest
Health disparities, pain research
Biography
Dr. Demario S. Overstreet joined the UAB Department of Surgery in August 2023 as an Assistant Professor in the Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery. His translational investigations examine the biological, psychological, and social factors that influence pain and recovery across surgical and clinical populations.
Dr. Overstreet earned his B.A. and M.S. from Alabama Agricultural & Mechanical University (AAMU) and his Ph.D. in Behavioral Neuroscience from UAB, where he also underwent predoctoral fellowship training in the UAB AHRQ HSR T32 pre-doctoral program (2018-2021). He then completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Brigham & Women’s Hospital.
Dr. Overstreet’s research program is supported by the NIH/NIGMS ESI MIRA (R35) Award, which focuses on the transition from acute to chronic postsurgical pain. His MIRA-supported portfolio investigates this transition specifically in mastectomy and colorectal surgery patients. The work combines quantitative sensory testing, biomarker analyses, psychosocial assessments, and social determinants of health to identify mechanisms driving persistent pain. He also studies elevated pain in gastrointestinal conditions, including colorectal cancer and inflammatory bowel disease, among populations with higher disease burden, limited access to care, and greater risk for adverse outcomes. The goal of his research is to develop translational, evidence-based strategies to predict, prevent, and treat postsurgical pain, ultimately improving recovery and outcomes for surgical patients.
Education
Undergraduate Studies
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a Minor in Sociology
Alabama Agricultural & Mechanical University
Graduate School
Masters of Science in Clinical, Counseling & Applied Psychology
Alabama Agricultural & Mechanical University
Doctor of Philosophy in Behavioral Neuroscience
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Postdoctoral Fellowship
Harvard University/Brigham & Women’s Hospital
Contact
Email
demariooverstreet@uabmc.edu
Phone
Academic Office:
Office Address