The Spinal FMRI Lab

09/27/2026

We are soon planning to start new MRI studies of fibromyalgia, compared with people who do not have chronic pain. Check here for updates, or email [email protected] with the subject line "FM study 2026" for information and updates.

01/29/2025

The 2nd edition of my book has been published

Essentials of Functional MRI is explained from the basic theory underlying magnetic resonance imaging. This includes how it can be used to detect dynamic variations in neural activity to become “functional” MRI, and how fMRI can be used for a variety of applications. The reader will gain an unde...

09/15/2023

https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/article/pain-regulation-and-research-decoding-the-brains-response-to-pain/166555/

Here we explore research on the neural basis of human pain and pain regulation, which is supported by functional magnetic resonance imaging

05/29/2023

We are looking for research volunteers for a study of fibromyalgia and widespread chronic pain, as well as participants without chronic pain for comparison.
For more information please see our web site:

Volunteers Are Needed! We are now looking for volunteers to participate in our CIHR funded research study on fibromyalgia. For this study we need both people with, and without, fibromyalgia.

02/12/2023

We have published our latest paper showing a new analysis method that increases the amount of information that can be obtained from fMRI data.
We also use the method to demonstrate differences in neural signalling related to how individuals feel pain differently.

An innovative method is demonstrated for the analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging data across networks of regions. By combining anatomical and physiological information in a network mode...

08/24/2021

Congratulations to Kaitlin McNeil for her successful M.Sc. thesis defense!

08/23/2021

Congratulations to Elena Koning for her successful M.Sc. thesis defense!

07/27/2021

Our new paper is now available in Neurobiology of Pain! We investigated the effect of expectation-based analgesia on the experience of pain across a group of healthy individuals and found that this phenomenon is mediated by descending regulation of pain at the level of the spinal cord. This regulation appears to be related to arousal and autonomic regulation, consistent with the cognitive/affective dimension of pain.

Check out the paper here:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2452073X2100009X

03/04/2021

Our PhD candidates, Gabby Ioachim and Jocelyn Powers, will be giving a seminar presentation on neuroimaging this Saturday at the Queen's Neugeneration neuroscience conference! They will be covering neuroimaging techniques spanning CT, PET/SPECT and MRI, and giving examples of practical uses for research and diagnostic medicine.

02/09/2021

Our latest paper. Congratulations to Howie Warren who is the first author and primary researcher on the project, and all of my other lab members who worked so hard on this!

How fMRI Analysis Using Structural Equation Modeling Techniques Can Improve Our Understanding of Pain Processing in Fibromyalgia