The Mass General Research Institute (MGRI) is home to a research community of 9,500+ individuals working to understand disease and develop solutions to medicine’s most pressing challenges.

But who are they and what do they do when they’re not conducting research? Learn more about them in this new series, #HumansOfMGRI.

From clinical research coordinators to postdoctoral fellows, research technicians, graduate students and principal investigators—they are all part of the Mass General Research Institute.

Our next guest in the series is Sarasa Tohyama, PhD.

What lab/department do you work in?

I am currently a postdoctoral research fellow in the lab of Vitaly Napadow, PhD, LicAc at the Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital and MGH Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging at Mass General.

I am studying the brain mechanisms of patients with chronic pain and their response to different types of therapy using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and fMRI approaches.

The different therapies include mind-body therapies such as mindfulness meditation and vagus nerve stimulation; psychotherapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT); as well as pharmacological treatments such as testosterone replacement therapy.

My main project combines novel mind-body therapies of mindfulness meditation and vagus nerve stimulation and applies ultra-high field 7 Tesla MRI to investigate brain-based mechanisms and therapeutic outcomes for migraine.

When and why did you get interested in the work that you are doing? 

My exposure to pain research began as an undergraduate student in Jeffrey Mogil’s Pain Lab at McGill University. As a psychology major, I was interested in the pain field because it tied together with the physical and psychological aspects of health.

For my honor’s thesis with Dr. Mogil, I performed a systematic literature review of chronic pain clinical trials and found that large placebo effects were thwarting the success of these trials. From working on this project, I learned that discoveries from scientific research can influence the practice and delivery of health care on a global scale.

Ever since, I have immersed myself in the rigorous, creative process of research.

I have a keen interest in pain because it is a universal, multidimensional phenomenon. The overarching goal of my research is to develop new technologies and strategies for a personalized medicine approach to chronic pain treatment.

I am interested in the application of non-invasive neuroimaging techniques to improve treatment outcomes and develop novel therapeutic options for chronic pain patients.

My time in the Napadow Lab so far has been incredible. It is so rewarding to have the freedom every day, to chase questions that no one knows the answers to and to pursue them with my own creative vision.

What do you like to do outside of work? 

I love playing basketball, hiking, and exploring new restaurants. In the winter, I love to ski and recently spent the weekend at Jay Peak with the lab! 

What is your favorite TV show, podcast, book, or movie? 

My favorite TV show is Squid Game, and my favorite book is When Breath Becomes Air.

A fun fact about yourself

I was born in Japan and grew up in the busy city of Tokyo. I moved to New Zealand and then Canada, before coming to Boston for my post-doctoral fellowship.

About the Mass General Research Institute
Research at Massachusetts General Hospital is interwoven through more than 30 different departments, centers and institutes. Our research includes fundamental, lab-based science; clinical trials to test new drugs, devices and diagnostic tools; and community and population-based research to improve health outcomes across populations and eliminate disparities in care.
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