Rachel Cundiff-O’Sullivan, MA, PhD

Washington University in St. Louis (WU)

I am interested in exploring neurobiological mechanisms underlying the onset and persistence of chronic pain across the lifespan with a focus on the transition from adolescents to adulthood. As part of the Pain Across the Lifespan lab and a Department of Anesthesiology T32 awardee, my current study is examining the factors that underlie the high rate of comorbidity between endometriosis and migraine in girls and women aged 12-45, with a focus on the role of prolactin and enodgenous pain modulation. I am additionally interested in using functional MRI to examine connectivity between brain regions related to pain processing in individuals with chronic pain and how beliefs and culture can physically alter these functional connections.