I’m a research fellow studying spatial aspects of pain modulation in humans and exploring the spatial properties of the nociceptive system in health and disease. Over the years, I have extensively studied placebo analgesia and nocebo hyperalgesia, two phenomena related to the cognitive modulation of pain. For the last couple of years, these two lines of research have been my main fields of experimental study.

My research aims to understand better the levels of the neuroaxis at which pain modulation occurs in humans. The long-term goal of my research is to provide knowledge for designing new treatment interventions for chronic pain. As a result of my work, we now know that the nociceptive system has better spatial resolution than we initially thought and that operant conditioning shapes placebo analgesia and nocebo hyperalgesia.

I am honored to have received various awards, including:

• Ministers of Science scholarship dedicated to outstanding young scientists (2021)
• START scholarship received from the Foundation for Polish Science (2020)
• The Rector’s Award for scientific achievements in 2019 (2020)
• Award of Committee of Rehabilitation, Physical Education and Social Integration of Polish Academy of Science for “Basic science research on pain mechanisms in low back pain” (2019)
• The Silesian Scientific Award for outstanding contribution to science by a PhD student (2019)

I am a neurobiologist and physiotherapist by background. I began working on my PhD in 2014 and defended it in 2019. I joined Cincinnati Children’s in 2021.

I’m a clinical research coordinator working to ensure study quality, project integrity, data management, recruitment and enrollment of subjects, and compliance with regulations. The lab aims to understand better the underlying brain mechanisms involved in developing and recovering from chronic pain.

My interest in this work stems from studying neuroscience as an undergrad, where I focused on the relationship between sensation and cognition. I have a BSc in Neuroscience from The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, and an MS in Psychological Studies from the University of Glasgow, Glasgow, Scotland.

I have been a research coordinator for over three years and began working with Cincinnati Children’s in 2020.

I am a research associate in the Department of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology at Cincinnati Children’s in the Center for Understanding Pediatric Pain. I am interested in studying acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain and fatigue conditions. My research focuses on brain mechanisms underlying these conditions in healthy individuals and persons with lived experience. I am working on projects aiming at improving our understanding of predictors of recovery in chronic pain conditions and deepening our understanding of central mechanisms underlying treatment efficiency.

I have been passionate about the brain for a very long time. I was first exposed to the brain and its complexity while working in the Neurosurgery Department of the Hospital of Fribourg (Switzerland). My experience in brain imaging research has further increased my passion for the brain and its function. I became familiar with pain research during my master’s project. In this project, I investigated epigenetic mechanisms in Borderline Personality Disorder. Individuals with this disorder often report high levels of physical pain that can become chronic. Since then, I have been absolutely fascinated by the interaction between mental well-being, pain and brain mechanisms.

My work has been published in prominent journals, such as Nature Communication and Human Brain Mapping. I am actively involved in professional associations, such as the Organization for Human Brain Mapping, the US Association for the Study of Pain and the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP). I have chaired the Advocacy and Governance Committee of the IASP Early Career Presidential Task Force (2021-2023), in charge of developing a new structure to welcome and support early-career members of the association. I am now the chair-elect of the newly created IASP Early Career Network.

I have received awards from McGill University and the Mind and Life Institute to support my research and collaborate on projects internationally. I have also been the beneficiary of travel awards from national and international professional associations, such as IASP and the defunct American Pain Association (APS), to present my work at conferences.

I’m a clinical research coordinator administering studies on the neuroscience of pediatric pain investigation. I coordinate collaboration between clinics, other labs, the Shubert Resource Clinic (SRC) and the Imagining Resource Center (IRC), working closely with The Functional Independence Restoration (FIRST) Program in particular. Our lab is one big family. We work very well together and appreciate everyone's individuality and creativity.

I am honored to have received my Bachelor of Science (BS) from The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio. I have over 10 years of experience and began working at Cincinnati Children’s in 2015.

When I am not at work, I am either riding my bike, playing a racket sport or spending time with friends and family. I enjoy a very healthy work/life balance.