She is board certified in Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine. She joined the UTMB Pain Medicine Practice in 2007 and treats chronic pain conditions with emphasis on cancer and facial pain. Her practice provides medical management and interventional procedures such as steroid injection, neurolytic blocks, spinal cord stimulator, vertebroplasty, and kyphoplasty. Dr. Wilkes is also a researcher. She works with other scientist in the Department of Neurosciences translating basic science discoveries into potential clinical treatments. Her research focus is to study novel therapeutic approaches for neuropathic pain such as gene therapy. The National Institute on Drug Abuse currently funds her research. Medical/Professional School: