Judith M. Schlaeger, PhD, CNM, LAc, FACNM, FAAN
Professor
Department of Human Development Nursing Science
Pronouns: She, her, hers
Contact
Building & Room:
824 NURS
Address:
845 S. Damen Ave., MC 802, Chicago, IL 60612
Office Phone:
Email:
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About
Dr. Schlaeger is a pain scientist. She is focused on the development of translational treatments for chronic pain. Dr. Schlaeger has an extensive background as a practicing licensed acupuncturist where she developed her interest in researching pain; and as a certified nurse midwife where she developed her interest in developing treatments for vulvodynia, a chronic pain syndrome, which has no consistently effective treatments. Dr. Schlaeger is grounded in Western medicine and trained in Traditional Chinese Medicine. She conducts research in 4 areas: vulvodynia, stable angina, chronic sickle cell disease pain, and treatment side effects in cancer survivors. Dr. Schlaeger has already made 3 major contributions to science. First, she demonstrated that in an unblinded study, her standardized acupuncture treatment protocol significantly reduced the pain and dyspareunia of vulvodynia. Second, in her vulvodynia R01 she found that in responders, acupuncture lasted significantly longer for vulvar pain reduction vs. placebo acupuncture. Third, she demonstrated in her NINR R21 using her standardized acupuncture protocol, that acupuncture was feasible and acceptable, as well as significant for the reduction of angina pain, increase in functional status, and quality of life. Also, as part of the UIC sickle cell team, through self-report measures as well as QST testing, we found early evidence that the pain of SCD may have a neuropathic component. In addition, Dr. Schlaeger's background of understanding the origins of chronic pain greatly allows her to contribute to the evaluation of pain in sickle cell disease patients.
Dr. Schlaeger’s integration of TCM and western medicine in women’s health practice and research offers a treatment paradigm that has attracted citations in the United States, Europe, and Asia, including the National Vulvodynia Association in its continuing medical education program, the European Guidelines for the Management of Vulvodynia, and the International Society for the Study of Vulvovaginal Disease for its policies and guidelines for the treatment of vulvodynia. Her dedication to women’s health also includes teaching workshops on the use of acupressure in labor, which provides non-drug options for the reduction of pain, to certified nurse midwives and labor and delivery nurses.
Selected Grants
NIH/NINR R01, 2023-2027, Effects of Acupuncture on Symptoms of Stable Angina: A Randomized Controlled Trial, Multiple Principal Investigator
NIH/NCCIH HEAL INITIATIVE UG3/UH3, 2020-2025, Hybrid Effectiveness-Implementation Trial of Guided Relaxation and Acupuncture for Chronic Sickle Cell Disease Pain, Multiple Principal Investigator
Betty Irene Moore Fellowship for Nurse Leaders and Innovators, 2023-2026, Community Acupuncture to Treat Chronic Pain in Rural North Carolina., Mentor
Chicago Department of Public Health, 2025, Mental Health Equity Initiative, Establishment of Acupuncture Service at UIH Mile Square Health Center, a 12-site Chicagoland FQHC, Co-Investigator
Burroughs-Wellcome Fund, Postdoctoral Diversity Enrichment Program (PDEP), 2025-2028, Advancing Postpartum Health: Remote Surveillance and Education for Morbidity and Mortality Prevention, Mentor
Alliance of Hispanic Serving Research Universities (HRSU) Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, 2025-2026, Advancing Postpartum Health: Remote Surveillance and Education for Morbidity and Mortality Prevention, Mentor
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B), 2021-2026, Double-blind Efficacy Randomized Controlled Pilot Study of Acupuncture for Post-stroke Spasticity, Consultant
NIH/NCCIH R34, 2022-2025, Implementing Acupuncture into A Federally Qualified Health Center for Multiple Symptoms among Breast Cancer Survivors Receiving Endocrine Therapy, Co-Investigator
NIH/NCI R21, 2023-2025, A Multi-Omics Study of the Effect and Mechanisms of Acupuncture on Psychoneurological Symptoms Among Breast Cancer Survivors, Co-Investigator
NIH/NICHD R01, 2017-2024, Double-blind Phase 2 RCT: Effect of Acupuncture on Patient Vulvodynia Outcomes, Principal Investigator
Selected Publications
Schlaeger JM, Steffen AD, Takakura N, Kobak WH, Takayama M, Yajima H, Suarez ML, Meinel M, Burke LA, Pauls HA, Yao Y, Sullivan KM, Glayzer JE, Foster DC, Kaptchuk TJ, Wilkie DJ. Long-lasting Effect of Penetrating Acupuncture among Responders: Double-blind RCT of Acupuncture for Vulvodynia. Journal of Pain. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpain.2025.105584. Published October 31, 2025. Selected Feature Article and Cover Art for January 2026 edition.
Steffen AD, Burke LA, Pauls HA, Suarez ML, Yao Y, Kobak WH, Takayama M, Yajima H, Kaptchuk TJ, Takakura N, Wilkie DJ, Schlaeger JM. Double-blinding of an acupuncture randomized controlled trial optimized with clinical translational science award resources. Clinical Trials Journal. https://doi.org/10.1177/1740774520934910. July 10, 2020.
Desloge A, Patil CL, Glayzer JE, Suarez ML, Kobak WH, Meinel MC, Steffen AD, Burke LA, Yao Y, Takayama M, Yajima H, Kaptchuk TJ, Takakura N, Foster DC, Wilkie DJ, Schlaeger JM. Women’s experience of living with vulvodynia pain: why they participated in a randomized controlled trial of acupuncture. J Integr Complement Med. 2023;29(1). https://doi.org/10.1089/jicm.2022.0647.
Schlaeger JM, Glayzer JE, Villegas-Downs M, Li H, Glayzer EJ, He Y, Takayama M, Yajima H, Takakura N, Kobak WH, McFarlin BL. Evaluation and treatment of vulvodynia: state of the science. J Midwifery Womens Health. Published December 19, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.13456.
DeVon HA, Briller JE, Uwizeye G, Shroff AR, Ardati A, Cai H-Y, Hoppensteadt D, Schlaeger JM. Feasibility and preliminary efficacy of acupuncture for angina in an underserved diverse population. Acupunct Med. 2022;40(2):152-159. https://doi.org/10.1177/09645284211055754.
Li H, Doorenbos AZ, Chen Z, Choi H, Danciu O, Patil CL, Gao S, Lif N, Schlaeger JM.
Feasibility and Acceptability of Integrating Acupuncture into Management of Multiple Symptoms in Medically Underserved Breast Cancer Survivors. Cancers. Cancers 2025, 17(2), 304; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17020304. Published January 18, 2025.
Li H, Doorenbos AZ, Xia Y, Sun J, Choi H, Harris RE, Gao S, Sullivan K, Schlaeger JM. Using Serum Metabolomic Signatures to Investigate the Effects of Acupuncture on Pain-Fatigue-Sleep Disturbance in Breast Cancer Survivors. Metabolites 2024 14(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14120698. Published December 10, 2024.
Li H, Choi H, Houser M, Li C, Liu T, Gao S, Sullivan K, Schlaeger JM. Impact of Acupuncture on Human Metabolomic Profiles: A Systematic Review. Metabolites 14(10); 542. October 11, 2024. https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14100542.
Swirsky ES, Boyd AD, Gu C, Burke LA, Doorenbos AZ, Ezenwa MO, Knisely MR, Leigh JW, Li H, Mandernach MW, Molokie RE, Patil CL, Steffen AD, Shah N, deMartelly VA, Schlaeger JM. Monitoring and responding to signals of suicidal ideation in pragmatic clinical trials: Lessons from the GRACE Trial for chronic sickle cell disease pain. Contemp Clin Trials Communications. 36, December 2023:101218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.conctc.2023.101218.
Boyd AD, Gonzalez-Guarda R, Lawrence K, Patil, CL, Ezenwa MO, O’Brien EC, Paek H, Braciszewski JM, Adeyemi O, Cuthel AM, Darby JE, Zigler CK, Ho M, Faurot KR, Staman K, Leigh JW, Dailey DL, Cheville A, Del Fiol G, Knisely MR, Marsolo K, Richesson RL, Schlaeger JM. Potential bias and lack of generalizability in electronic health record data: reflections on health equity from the National Institutes of Health Pragmatic Trials Collaboratory. Published online June 26, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1093/jamia/ocad115.
Publication Aggregators
Notable Honors
2026, Selected Feature Article and Cover Art, Journal of Pain, Long-lasting Effect of Penetrating Acupuncture among Responders: Double-blind RCT of Acupuncture for Vulvodynia. January, Journal of Pain
2024, Distinguished Researcher Award, University of Illinois College of Nursing
2024, Distinguised Researcher Award, Midwest Nursing Research Society, Symptom Science Research Interest Group
2022, Mid-career Investigator Award, Midwest Nursing Research Society, Research Interest Group
2022, Distinguished Abstract Award, Midwest Nursing Research Society
2021, Fellow of the American College of Nurse Midwives, American College of Nurse Midwives
2020, UiC Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (BIRCWH) Advisory Board, UIC BIRCWH
2018, Fellow iof the American Academy of Nursing, American Academy of Nursing
2018, Excellence in Teaching Award, American College of Nurse Midwives
2018, Joyce Roberts Award for Excellence in Midwifery, American College of Nurse Midwives Illinois Affiliate
Education
2014 Postdoctoral Fellowship. University of Illinois at Chicago, Center of Excellence for End-of-Life Transition. Research Mentor: Diana J. Wilkie, PhD, RN, FAAN
2009- 2013 Doctor of Philosophy. Acupuncture Science. Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine; Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, People’s Republic of China. Dissertation: “Acupuncture for the Treatment of Vulvodynia”
1999-2005 Masters of Science in Oriental Medicine. Midwest College of Oriental Medicine, Chicago, IL
1999-2005 Bachelors of Science in Nutrition. Midwest College of Oriental Medicine, Chicago, IL
1999-2002 Diploma in Acupuncture. Midwest College of Oriental Medicine, Chicago, IL
1986-1988 Masters of Science in Nurse-Midwifery. University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
1977-1980 Bachelors of Science in Nursing. University of Illinois at Chicago,
Chicago, IL
Licensures and Certifications
2003-present Certification in Acupuncture, National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine
2003-present Licensed Acupuncturist, State of Illinois, License Number 198-000608
2001-present Advanced Practice Nurse, Certified Nurse Midwife, State of Illinois, License Number 209-001907
1988-present Certification in Nurse Midwifery, American College of Nurse-Midwives, Number 5281
1980-present Registered Professional Nurse, State of Illinois, License Number 041-197938