Skip to main navigation Skip to search Skip to main content
Joel Castro Kraftchenko

View Scopus Profile

A/Prof Joel Castro Kraftchenko

 https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5781-2224
2000 …2026

Research activity per year

Personal profile

Research Biography

A/Prof. Joel Castro Kraftchenko (published as Joel Castro) is a Research Associate Professor in Neuroscience and Principal Investigator at the Gut Sensory Systems Research Group, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute (FHMRI). A recognised leader in endometriosis and chronic gut disorders like IBS and IBD, his pre-clinical and translational science focuses on developing targeted treatments for chronic pelvic and visceral pain.
His research excellence is demonstrated by 66 published articles—including high-impact papers in Nature (x4), Cell, Science, Pain (x7), and Gut (x4)—generating over 61,000 citations with an h-index of 40. As Chief Investigator A, he has secured two recent NHMRC Ideas Grants (GNT1191448 and GNT2029332) to advance these programs.
 
Dr. Castro’s work has a proven track record of clinical and commercial translation, notably contributing to the FDA approval of Linaclotide with Ironwood Pharmaceuticals. He is currently evaluating a clinically approved monoclonal antibody for endometriosis pain, protected by international patent PCT/EP2024/054990 ("Anti-netrin-1 monoclonal antibody for treating endometriosis and associated pains"), with clinical trials scheduled for 2027.
His global research network spans elite industry partners like Takeda, GSK, and Arena Pharmaceuticals, alongside major national and international institutions including the Robinson Research Institute, the Royal Women’s Hospital Melbourne, the Cancer Research Centre of Lyon, Harvard, Cambridge, and Johns Hopkins University.

Research Interests

Neurosciences

Pharmacology

Physiology

Supervision

  • Registered

Research Areas

  • Medical biosciences

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  1. SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
    SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics where Joel Castro Kraftchenko is active. These topic labels come from the works of this person. Together they form a unique fingerprint.
  • 1 Similar Profiles
View full fingerprint

Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years

Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
Explore network further

  • Parasites trigger epithelial cell crosstalk to drive gut–brain signalling

    Touhara, K. K., Xu, J., Castro, J., Liang, H.-E., Li, G., Brizuela, M., Harrington, A. M., Garcia-Caraballo, S., O’Donnell, T., Neumann, D., Rossen, N. D., Deng, F., Schober, G., Li, Y., Locksley, R. M., Brierley, S. M. & Julius, D., 14 May 2026, In: Nature. 653, 8114, p. 465–473 9 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

    Open Access
    File
    2 Citations (Scopus)
    4 Downloads (Pure)

  • Population imaging of enterochromaffin cell activity reveals regulation by somatostatin

    Rossen, N. D., Touhara, K. K., Castro, J., Harrington, A. M., Caraballo, S. G., Deng, F., Li, Y., Brierley, S. M. & Julius, D., 13 May 2025, In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 122, 19, 10 p., e2501525122.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

    5 Citations (Scopus)

  • Topological segregation of stress sensors along the gut crypt–villus axis

    Touhara, K. K., Rossen, N. D., Deng, F., Castro, J., Harrington, A. M., Chu, T., Garcia-Caraballo, S., Brizuela, M., O’Donnell, T., Xu, J., Cil, O., Brierley, S. M., Li, Y. & Julius, D., 17 Apr 2025, In: Nature. 640, 8059, p. 732-742 11 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

    Open Access
    29 Citations (Scopus)

  • Peripheral and central neuroplasticity in a mouse model of endometriosis

    Castro, J., Maddern, J., Erickson, A., Harrington, A. M. & Brierley, S. M., Nov 2024, In: Journal of Neurochemistry. 168, 11, p. 3777-3800 24 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

    Open Access
    File
    13 Citations (Scopus)
    166 Downloads (Pure)

  • The voltage-gated sodium channel NaV1.7 underlies endometriosis-associated chronic pelvic pain

    Castro, J., Maddern, J., Chow, C. Y., Tran, P., Vetter, I., King, G. F. & Brierley, S. M., Nov 2024, In: Journal of Neurochemistry. 168, 11, p. 3760-3776 17 p.

    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

    Open Access
    File
    9 Citations (Scopus)
    60 Downloads (Pure)
View all 78 research outputs