Pain is one of the most universal human experiences, yet one of the least understood. In this episode of It’s All Connected, we explore how pain is shaped by the brain, the body, and our emotional landscape, and why that means it can change. Through science and stories, we look at how perception, movement, and even mindset influence pain, revealing new possibilities for healing and relief.
Pain is one of the most universal human experiences, yet one of the least understood. In this episode of It’s All Connected, we explore how pain is shaped by the brain, the body, and our emotional landscape, and why that means it can change. Through science and stories, we look at how perception, movement, and even mindset influence pain, revealing new possibilities for healing and relief.
Dr. Megan Steele is a Los Angeles-based Doctor of Physical Therapy, educator, and researcher specializing in complex, chronic pain. Currently pursuing a PhD in Rehabilitation and Movement Science, her research focuses on how the subconscious nervous system contributes to pain and physical dysfunction. She is recognized for her expertise in somatovisceral pain. She has been invited to present nationally on topics ranging from social media’s impact on adolescent pain to trauma-informed approaches for chronic pain management. Her professional journey began after her own experience with injury and chronic pain. That lived experience, paired with a deep academic foundation, shapes her compassionate, whole-person approach to physical therapy.
Dr. Megan Steele is a Los Angeles-based Doctor of Physical Therapy, educator, and researcher specializing in complex, chronic pain. Currently pursuing a PhD in Rehabilitation and Movement Science, her research focuses on how the subconscious nervous system contributes to pain and physical dysfunction. She is recognized for her expertise in somatovisceral pain. She has been invited to present nationally on topics ranging from social media’s impact on adolescent pain to trauma-informed approaches for chronic pain management. Her professional journey began after her own experience with injury and chronic pain. That lived experience, paired with a deep academic foundation, shapes her compassionate, whole-person approach to physical therapy.
Dr. Afton Hassett is a licensed clinical psychologist, author, and internationally recognized researcher dedicated to advancing resilience-focused approaches in chronic pain. As Associate Professor and Director of Pain & Opioid Research at the University of Michigan’s Chronic Pain & Fatigue Research Center, she leads interdisciplinary studies examining how cognitive, affective, and behavioral factors influence pain outcomes. (https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/cpfrc/afton-hassett-psyd?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
Her work has been supported by nearly $20 million in NIH funding, evaluating resilience-enhancing interventions and precision treatment strategies for chronic pain. She has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles highlighting the role of positive emotions, social support, and resilience in pain modulation.
Dr. Hassett authored Chronic Pain Reset: 30 Days of Activities, Practices and Skills to Help You Thrive (released Fall 2023), designed to bring evidence-based, actionable resilience strategies from research into everyday life. A sought-after keynote speaker, she regularly presents on the integration of positive psychology into pain care and recently delivered the keynote at the 2023 NIH Pain Consortium Symposium.
Dr. Afton Hassett is a licensed clinical psychologist, author, and internationally recognized researcher dedicated to advancing resilience-focused approaches in chronic pain. As Associate Professor and Director of Pain & Opioid Research at the University of Michigan’s Chronic Pain & Fatigue Research Center, she leads interdisciplinary studies examining how cognitive, affective, and behavioral factors influence pain outcomes. (https://medicine.umich.edu/dept/cpfrc/afton-hassett-psyd?utm_source=chatgpt.com)
Her work has been supported by nearly $20 million in NIH funding, evaluating resilience-enhancing interventions and precision treatment strategies for chronic pain. She has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles highlighting the role of positive emotions, social support, and resilience in pain modulation.
Dr. Hassett authored Chronic Pain Reset: 30 Days of Activities, Practices and Skills to Help You Thrive (released Fall 2023), designed to bring evidence-based, actionable resilience strategies from research into everyday life. A sought-after keynote speaker, she regularly presents on the integration of positive psychology into pain care and recently delivered the keynote at the 2023 NIH Pain Consortium Symposium.
Dr. Elora Midavaine is a postdoctoral scholar in the Basbaum Lab at UCSF’s Department of Anatomy, where she investigates novel sex differences in chronic pain. As first author of a groundbreaking 2025 Science publication, she identified a sex‑specific pathway in female mice in which estrogen and progesterone trigger meningeal regulatory T‑cells (T‑regs) to produce natural opioids (enkephalin), effectively suppressing pain signals before they reach the brain.
Her research explores how hormonal modulation of immune cells contributes to differences in pain sensitivity between sexes, offering new insights into precision treatments for chronic pain, especially in postmenopausal women.
Dr. Elora Midavaine is a postdoctoral scholar in the Basbaum Lab at UCSF’s Department of Anatomy, where she investigates novel sex differences in chronic pain. As first author of a groundbreaking 2025 Science publication, she identified a sex‑specific pathway in female mice in which estrogen and progesterone trigger meningeal regulatory T‑cells (T‑regs) to produce natural opioids (enkephalin), effectively suppressing pain signals before they reach the brain.
Her research explores how hormonal modulation of immune cells contributes to differences in pain sensitivity between sexes, offering new insights into precision treatments for chronic pain, especially in postmenopausal women.