Lucia Notterpek, Ph.D. created the very first FPRF research project. The purpose was to determine if damaged or unhealthy myelin (the fatty substance that coats nerves), would cause trauma in the trigeminal nervous system (TN). As the Associate Dean for Biomedical Research, and Professor of Physiology and Cell Biology at the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine, Lucia oversees research focusing on therapeutic approaches to repairing the myelin. The primary goal is to find effective therapies for demyelinating disorders of the nervous system, such as trigeminal neuralgia, hereditary neuropathies, and multiple sclerosis.

Before moving to Nevada, Lucia was Chair of the Neuroscience Department at the University of Florida. She has authored over 70 peer reviewed publications, and has coauthored over 100 published abstracts presented at national or international conferences. She has received numerous awards and is considered an outstanding expert in her field.