Dr. Joel Castro Kraftchenko (known as Dr Joel Castro on his publications) is based at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI).

Dr Castro is the Head of Endometriosis Research at the Visceral Pain Research Group at SAHMRI. He is an expert in the field of visceral nociception and endometriosis.

Dr Castro received his PhD in 2008 at Flinders University.

Dr Castro's research involves pre-clinical and translational science. Translational evidence of Dr. Castro's research, includes his first author publication in Gastroenterology (best journal in his discipline), describing the mechanisms of action by which Linaclotide, an FDA approved drug, relieves chronic visceral pain in IBS patients.

Dr Castro's technical strengths include an array of techniques ranging from the cellular level to in vivo animal experiments. He is an expert on recordings from visceral nerves and pain quantification assays in vivo. He has published more than 60 articles, reviews and chapters  including high-impact publications in journal such as Nature, Cell, Nature Communications, Gastroenterology, Gut, Pain, Scientific Reports and JCI insights.