Collaborative Laboratories Investigating Pediatric Pain
Established in 2017, the Collaborative Laboratories Investigating Pediatric Pain (CLIPP) at Cincinnati Children’s is an interdisciplinary team of scientists committed to basic science research to investigate pain in children. We conduct our research within the dynamic, interdisciplinary basic science and clinical research community of the Department of Anesthesiology.
The CLIPP Mission
- Research – Conduct original research to better understand the mechanisms underlying pain and recovery from pain in children and young adults
- Collaboration – Join forces with other scientists at Cincinnati Children’s and other institutions to conduct multi-site multidisciplinary research
- Education – Educate and train the next generation of pain researchers
What we do
We study the functional organization of central nervous system mechanisms involved in the conscious experience of pain and relate the implications of this organization to clinical pain states, pain modulation, and pain treatment outcomes. To achieve this goal, we use multidisciplinary techniques including psychophysical, behavioral and functional imaging methodologies to study pain. It is our goal for our basic science research to translate into ways to improve children's pain management and dramatically improve how children experience pain.
Who we are
CLIPP is a collaboration between the basic science laboratories of three experienced pain researchers.
Robert C. Coghill, PhD
Dr. Coghill is focused on delineating the neural mechanisms supporting individual differences in pain. His research interleaves data obtained with functional MRI of brain activity with subjective reports of pain and psychological state. His work encompasses studies of the effects of expectations on pain, brain mechanisms supporting attention to pain, and processes associated with the cognitive modulation of pain.
Christopher D. King, PhD
Dr. King seeks to identify the mechanisms contributing to pain using multidisciplinary techniques to evaluate: 1) stress-related biomarkers, 2) the psychological (i.e., stress) and behavioral (i.e., sleep) factors that may co-vary with chronic pain, and 3) the use of quantitative sensory testing to examine differences in the processing of experimental pain stimuli.
Marina Lopez-Sola, PhD
Dr. Sola's work focuses on understanding the brain mechanisms and psychological processes that underlie somatic complaints and affective distress and recovery in chronic pain, depression and anxiety. Her research is mostly focused on the analysis and interpretation of functional brain imaging data, subjective measures of pain, emotion and thought content and psychophysiological and behavioral measures.
