Physical and emotional pain are unfortunate, yet inevitable, parts of many people’s lives. Such pain can cause significant suffering and often interferes with people’s professional and social functioning. I study how the physical pain system regulates other psychological and social functions, and how physiological and psychological factors in turn affect physical and emotional pain. Specifically, my research interests focus on three basic questions: (1) How does the physical pain system regulate affect and social behavior? (2) How can people cope with physical and emotional pain? And (3) what are the psycho-physiological factors associated with the subjective pain experience?

I study these questions using a multi-methods approach, which includes pharmacological intervention (acetaminophen), psycho-physiological methods (skin conductance, heart rate, pupil dilation), functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), and self-report/behavioral assays.

Dr. Mischkowski is currently accepting graduate students.