Chronic pain represents the most prevalent and expensive public health condition in the United States, affecting 100 million people in the United States with annual costs to society estimated at $635 billion dollars. This exceeds the combined costs of cancer, AIDS and heart disease. Importantly, while chronic pain affects individuals of all ages, races, and genders, it disproportionately impacts members of some population groups.

As a clinical neuroscientist, my research interests are related to understanding age-related pain perception and modulation in humans. Using multiple interdisciplinary and translational approaches, my research examines nervous system factors contributing to the observed inter-individual differences in pain phenotypes and its functional consequences including cognitive and mobility impairments.