Research

My research grew out of a simple question: why do some people get good pain care and others don't?

At Johns Hopkins, I lead studies that look at how the systems around patients — referral pathways, treatment delivery, telehealth, measurement tools — shape who gets help and how well it works. I'm working to build pain care that's not just effective, but equitable and reachable for the people who need it most.

Research Focus

My research broadly examines biopsychosocial factors linked to pain, disability, and mental health, with an emphasis on improving access to and use of evidence-based care to improve outcomes among individuals living with pain. My specific expertise is in the role of social and system-level factors contributing to chronic pain disparities.

This work draws on three interconnected areas of expertise. The first is population health analytics and epidemiology, using geospatial methods, secondary data analysis, and neighborhood-level indicators to understand how structural and socioeconomic factors shape pain outcomes across communities. The second is health informatics and patient-centered methods, leveraging electronic health record data, surveys, and qualitative interviewing to capture patient experiences, identify care gaps, and inform measurement strategies. The third is clinical intervention and implementation science, testing treatments and developing strategies to improve how evidence-based pain care is delivered, adopted, and sustained across healthcare systems.

The Lab

As Co-Director of the Hopkins Pain & Rehabilitation Lab, I work alongside Dr. Rachel Aaron and our team of postdoctoral fellows, research assistants, and trainees to advance this research agenda.