Our Team

Zoe Ademuyiwa is an undergraduate student from St. Louis, MO, currently pursuing Anthropology: Global Health & Environment on the pre-med track at WashU. In her sophomore year, she joined the Pain Across Lifespan lab, driven by her interest in the sensory identification of chronic pain, which was fueled by her own experiences with migraines during her early years.

Her work in the lab has been both impactful and personal, as she aims to dive deeper into pain and sensory research. Zoe envisions a future in medicine, possibly specializing in emergency medicine, where she can continue her contributions to alleviating pain and improving patient outcomes. The satisfaction she derives from the possibility of her work leading to clinical breakthroughs that can positively impact those suffering from chronic conditions is unparalleled.

Dr Banerjee is a postdoc in Nahman-Averbuch’s lab (joined Jan 2022). Gourav’s research interests stem from his academic and clinical background – he graduated in Physical Therapy from Govt. NSCB Medical College (India) and earned his MSc and PhD in Pain Management from the Universities of Leicester and Leeds Beckett (UK). Gourav has had a few brief stints in multidisciplinary pain management clinics where he treated select caseload of patients with chronic musculoskeletal pain. Gourav has also previously held positions of a lecturer at a teaching hospital, and medical affairs manager at a pharmaceutical company.

Gourav is interested in better understanding chronic pain mechanisms and identification of treatment responders (with a focus on non-pharmacological therapies) for managing musculoskeletal-related pain in non-cancer and cancer conditions. Gourav is thrilled to work with Dr Nahman-Averbuch and contribute to the science of pain management!

Joel Brown is a Research Nurse Coordinator with DoCTR. He graduated from SIU-Carbondale and went on to work with the Knight Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at WashU. He then went back to school and graduated from Goldfarb School of Nursing in December 2020. He started his nursing career in the cardiothoracic surgery step-down unit at BJC. He is from Mascoutah, Illinois, is a huge Marvel junkie, loves golfing, and is a big fan of the St. Louis Cardinals, St. Louis Blues, and Dallas Cowboys!

Rachel (Roxy) Cundiff-O’Sullivan joined the lab as a postdoctoral fellow in January 2024. She completed her bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Cognitive/Behavioral Neuroscience at Loyola University Chicago. She then went on to complete a one-year master’s degree from the University of Chicago in the Masters of Arts Program in the Social Sciences (MAPSS), where she examined the relationships between alexithymia, psychological distress, and chronic pain in a sample of patients seeking care at a multidisciplinary pain clinic. Her interest in chronic pain research drove her to pursue a PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Her dissertation examined biological, psychological, and sociocultural contributions to disrupted pain processing in the brains of patients with chronic orofacial pain using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). She aims to continue her work in the PAL lab looking at the intersection of biopsychosocial factors and neurobiological mechanisms underlying chronic pain symptoms from adolescence to adulthood with a focus on women’s health. A native of Chicago, Roxy is a mom to fraternal twins and two cats who loves traveling with her family and watching TV while cross-stitching.

Alana joined the DoCTR team and Pain Across the Lifespan Lab in September 2022, and has worked at WashU Medicine since 2017 with a focus in neurology, psychiatry and MRI research as a Magnetic Resonance Safety Officer. She completed her undergraduate degree in psychology with a graduate certificate in human-computer Interaction at Missouri University of Science & Technology then went on to complete her Master’s in Clinical Health Psychology at Appalachian State University. Outside of work she enjoys aerial acrobatics, Dungeons & Dragons, baking, and spending time with her menagerie of pets.

Elsa Mulat is a Clinical Research Study Assistant in the Pain Across the Lifespan Lab. She is an undergraduate student studying public health and Spanish at Saint Louis University. She has research experience as an ASSURE student at WashU Medicine in the Ablordeppey Lab where she studied the underutilization of ultrasound guided subclavian vein cannulations in the surgical ICU. She has clinical research interests in chronic pain, surgical outcomes, and improving healthcare delivery through patient-centeredness. Elsa has plans to attend medical school to become a physician and looks forward to blending her pursuits of medicine with her interests in research and public health. In her free time, she enjoys reading, listening to podcasts, and traveling.

Elizabeth is a second-year undergraduate student from Bethesda, Maryland. She is studying Biology and Fashion Design on the pre-med track at WashU. She joined the Pain Across the Lifespan lab in Fall 2023 and is delighted to be a part of Dr. Nahman-Averbuch’s research group! In her free time Elizabeth loves to play piano, cook, and draw.

Originally born in Austin, Texas, Aubrey was raised by her mother in Chicago where she attended Chicago Waldorf School, an anthroposophical institution dedicated to holistic education.

Entering her third year at WashU, she is now a psychology major with a concentration in lifespan development. She currently works as an emergency medical technician for Accucare in St. Louis and is honored to begin volunteering with Seasons Hospice this summer.

She hopes to continue her studies in geriatric and end-of-life psychology and is very interested in pursuing research and clinical practice within these areas as well as in topics related to chronic pain and lifelong pain management.

As a person living with daily chronic pain, she hopes that she can serve those with conditions similar to and more severe than hers not only as a researcher but also as a beacon of support and advocacy.

Haley is from Orange County, California, studying Mathematics & Statistics on the pre-med track at WashU. She joined the Pain Across the Lifespan lab her senior year because of her interest in pain management, which stems from her personal experience dealing with chronic migraines and a rheumatological disorder.

She is interested in pursuing pain research, as well as other areas, including pediatrics, rheumatology, and gynecology.