Mission Statement

Our mission is to improve the lives of girls and women by advancing the understanding and treatment of pain through scientific discovery.

We accomplish our mission through the following three goals and strategies:

  •  Conducting high-quality, rigorous research studies.
  • Disseminating findings to the scientific community and the public through publications, presentations, and media.
  • Collaborating with researchers, healthcare providers, and community stakeholders.

 

Current Study

Our research group at McLean Hospital is conducting a study to better understand why some girls have pain and menstrual symptoms and whether these symptoms change over time. By using different ways of assessing pain (through questionnaires, brain imaging, and pain/perception tasks), we will be able to learn new information about how these different factors contribute to pain in this age group, and how the brain and pain perception change during adolescent development.

Menstrual pain may affect up to 90% of girls and women, but menstrual pain is not very well understood among adult women, and even less is known about menstrual pain in adolescents. This research study will help us learn more about this common problem and may help us develop better treatments for pain in the future.

If you are interested in enrolling in our current study, please  CLICK HERE

For a list of our other studies please navigate to CURRENT STUDIES