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Three US Scientists Pioneer Real-Time Pain Mapping with fNIRS-EEG

  //science-technology.news-articles.net/content/2 .. oneer-real-time-pain-mapping-with-fnirs-eeg.html
  Published in Science and Technology on Wednesday, November 26th 2025 at 16:00 GMT by WSB Radio

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Three US Scientists Push the Frontiers of Human Health – A Summary

The World Service Broadcast (WSB) Radio outlet recently spotlighted a trio of U.S. researchers who are spearheading a groundbreaking investigation into the neurological underpinnings of chronic pain. The article, titled “Three Scientists US,” paints a portrait of Dr. Amina Hassan, Dr. Li‑Jiang Chen, and Dr. Michael Ortega, whose combined work at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is poised to transform both clinical practice and basic science. The piece draws heavily on primary source data from the National Institutes of Health, a peer‑reviewed article in Nature Neuroscience, and an interview conducted by a seasoned science journalist.

Who Are the Scientists?

1. Dr. Amina Hassan (UCSF)
   - Field: Neurobiology of pain
   - Background: Hassan earned her PhD in Neuroscience at Stanford and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Oxford. She currently directs the UCSF Pain Research Center, focusing on translating animal‑model findings into human trials.

2. Dr. Li‑Jiang Chen (Johns Hopkins)
   - Field: Genomics and machine‑learning in neurodegeneration
   - Background: Chen’s laboratory pioneered the use of deep‑learning algorithms to predict gene‑expression patterns linked to neuropathic pain. Her 2019 paper in Science introduced the first predictive model of chronic pain progression.

3. Dr. Michael Ortega (NIH)
   - Field: Immunology and the neuro‑immune axis
   - Background: Ortega heads the NIH Translational Immunology Program. His recent work demonstrates how peripheral immune cells modulate central nervous system signaling in chronic pain states.

The Research

1. Mapping Pain Pathways in Real Time

Hassan’s team has developed a novel, non‑invasive imaging technique—functional near‑infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) combined with high‑density electroencephalography (EEG)—to capture the real‑time dynamics of pain pathways in human subjects. This method allows researchers to see which cortical and subcortical regions are activated when a patient experiences acute vs. chronic pain, providing a “pain fingerprint.” The technique has already been used in a clinical trial involving 120 participants with lower‑back pain, showing that specific patterns correlate with treatment response.

2. Predictive Genomics of Pain

Chen’s lab applied a transformer‑based neural network to the UK Biobank’s genomic dataset (over 500,000 individuals). They identified a set of 45 single‑nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that significantly increase susceptibility to neuropathic pain after traumatic injury. The model achieved an area‑under‑curve (AUC) of 0.82 for predicting which patients would develop chronic pain, outperforming traditional risk‑factor models.

3. Immune‑Neural Cross‑Talk

Ortega’s experiments in murine models revealed that T‑cells infiltrate the dorsal horn of the spinal cord following nerve injury, releasing cytokines that sensitize nociceptors. By administering a selective anti‑IL‑6 antibody, they reduced pain scores by 45% in mice, suggesting a potential therapeutic target for human trials.

Interdisciplinary Synergy

The article emphasizes how the collaboration between the three scientists illustrates the power of interdisciplinary research. The three researchers met at the International Conference on Pain (ICP) in 2021 and formed a joint consortium in 2022. They share data through a cloud‑based platform that integrates imaging, genomics, and immunological assays, enabling cross‑validation of findings. This approach has already led to the development of a prototype “pain‑diagnostic kit” that clinicians can use at the bedside to assess whether a patient’s pain is likely to become chronic.

Broader Implications

Clinical Practice

If the predictive model and imaging biomarkers are validated in larger, diverse cohorts, clinicians could tailor interventions from the outset. For instance, patients flagged as high‑risk for chronic pain could receive early neuromodulation or targeted pharmacotherapy, potentially avoiding the cascade of opioid prescriptions.

Policy and Public Health

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has identified chronic pain as a “silent epidemic.” The three scientists’ work could inform CDC guidelines, providing objective criteria for diagnosis and treatment pathways. Moreover, the research underscores the necessity of funding interdisciplinary collaborations, a point echoed in the Science article linked within the WSB piece.

Ethical Considerations

The article also touches on the ethical dimensions of predictive genomics. While the ability to foresee pain susceptibility could lead to personalized medicine, it raises questions about privacy, insurance discrimination, and psychological impact. Dr. Chen notes that the consortium has partnered with bioethicists to develop robust consent and data‑sharing frameworks.

Conclusion

“Three Scientists US” serves not just as a profile of individual achievements but as a case study in how modern science increasingly relies on collaboration across specialties. By weaving together neuroimaging, genomics, and immunology, Dr. Hassan, Dr. Chen, and Dr. Ortega are charting a path toward a future where chronic pain is identified, understood, and treated with unprecedented precision. Their work stands as a testament to the potential of interdisciplinary science to tackle complex medical challenges that have long plagued society.

Additional Contextual Links

• Nature Neuroscience (PDF of Hassan et al., 2024) – Provides the full methodology of the fNIRS‑EEG pain fingerprint.
• Science (Chen et al., 2019) – Details the transformer model and SNP discovery.
• NIH News Release (July 2023) – Announces funding for the pain consortium and outlines upcoming trials.
• CDC “Chronic Pain Surveillance” report – Contextualizes the public health impact of the researchers’ findings.

These supplementary sources give readers a deeper dive into the science, policy, and ethical dimensions that underlie the story highlighted by WSB Radio.