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 the #HumansOfMGRI series.
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 Arvina Grahl, PhD.
What lab/department do you work in?
I am a postdoctoral research fellow in the lab of Vitaly Napadow, PhD, at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital (Discovery Center for Recovery from Chronic Pain) and MGH Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging. In the lab, I am investigating the brain mechanisms of the patient-clinician relationship using simultaneous synchronized fMRI, i.e. hyperscan (two scanners, with a live video connection).
The patient-clinician relationship is a fundamental aspect of chronic pain therapy. Our work is beginning to shed light on the potential brain and behavioral mechanisms that support this “art of medicine”.
If you would like to see me talk about my research, watch my presentation at PAINtalks 2022 in Montreal:
In addition, I am interested in patients’ prior treatment experiences as well as their day-to-day pain variability and how this influences clinical outcomes.
When and why did you get interested in the work that you are doing?
During my psychology studies in Vienna (Austria) in the lab of Claus Lamm (Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit), I was part of an EEG/fMRI project investigating pain uncertainty. I was fascinated that participants responded very differently to our experimental pain stimuli.
Pain is a highly subjective experience that is influenced by numerous aspects such as expectations, past experiences, verbal suggestions, or social cues.
I continued studying this topic during my PhD, investigating the impact of variability on pain perception and the placebo effect in Christian Büchel’s lab in Germany (Department of Systems Neuroscience, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, UKE). I used fMRI and Bayesian integration to understand the variability in placebo responses in different individuals.
Such non-specific treatment effects (everything but the “active ingredient”) are part of any intervention and can positively influence the clinical outcomes of our patients.
Combining different methods such as questionnaires, experimental tasks, autonomic and brain responses to unravel these mysteries and hopefully improve care for our patients in the future still excites me every day.
I am very grateful to be able to work in Vitaly Napadow’s lab. He provides a wonderful environment for this challenging research.
What do you like to do outside of work?
To recharge my internal batteries, I need to escape to nature. I love to go hiking (especially in the White Mountains), camping, snowboarding, or playing volleyball at the beach.
I also enjoy riding my bike everywhere and met wonderful people in Boston who also share this passion. We participated in the Lowell Kinetic Sculpture Race 2022 and rode a big lobster bike, that was built by friends of ours.
What is your favorite TV show, podcast, book, or movie?
One book that I would always recommend to others is “The Neverending Story/Die unendliche Geschichte (German title)” by Michael Ende. As a kid, I read this book with my mother and brother. I remember these moments very fondly. It also reminds me of being a researcher, as our pursuit for new discoveries never ends…
A fun fact about yourself
I am addicted to ice cream. If you found the perfect ice cream shop in the greater Boston area, please let me know!
Also, I got my driver’s license in the US just a few years ago (great public transportation and biking in Europe so I never really needed it). I then bought a silver Subaru Impreza to explore New England. Her name is Tuna.
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.
Support our Research
Leave a Comment