Learn about the current research being conducted below. For additional information, please visit The Colloca Lab website.
"Neural Mechanisms of lmmersive Virtual Reality in Chronic Pain"
National Center for Complementary & Integrative Health (NCCIH) of the National
Institutes of Health (NIH), 5R01AT011347
Colloca L, PI
2021-2026
*Major Goals: The major goal of this project examines, in chronic pain, the mechanisms of immersive virtual reality compared to the mechanisms of placebo hypoalgesia, with the goal of maximizing the potential to develop new non-pharmacological premises for low-risk interventions for pain management.
“Music mechanisms and technologies network: Integrative models to address pain through music”
National Center for Complementary & Integrative Health (NCCIH) of the National
Institutes of Health (NIH), 1U24AT012602
Burns, D.S., PI
2023-2028
*Major Goals: The major goal of this project is to significantly advance the understanding of the mechanisms underlying music's capacity to alleviate pain and develop novel technologies to complement patient-reported outcomes. The project will establish a collaborative network of scientists and clinicians from various disciplines to address major gaps in our understanding of music-based interventions (MBIs) in chronic pain.
“Neural correlates of hypoalgesia driven by observation”
National Center for Complementary & Integrative Health (NCCIH) of the National
Institutes of Health (NIH), R01AT01033
Colloca L, PI
2019 - 2025
Project goal: Investigating the brain mechanisms of hypoalgesia driven by observing analgesia induced in another individual using fMRI, EEG and EEG/fMRI techniques.
“Secondary Analysis and Integration of Existing Data Related to Chronic Orofacial Pain and Placebo Effects”
National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), 1R21 DE032532
Colloca L, PI
2022 - 2024
Project goal: Identifying biomarkers of placebo responsivity
Past completed grant projects:
“3rd International conference of The Society for Interdisciplinary Placebo Studies, SIPS - Harnessing placebo mechanisms for optimal pain management and treatment of alcohol and other drug use disorders”
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), R13AA028424
Colloca L, Seneviratne, MPI
2020-2022
Project goals: Organizing the 3rd International conference of The Society for Interdisciplinary Placebo Studies (SIPS) in placebo, pain and addiction.
“3rd International conference of The Society for Interdisciplinary Placebo StudiesSIPS - Harnessing placebo mechanisms for optimal pain management and treatment of alcohol and other drug use disorders”
Forschungsgemeinschaft - 3rd International Conference of the Society for Interdisciplinary Placebo Studies
Colloca L, PI (donation)
2020-2022
Project goals: Support for Organizing the 3rd International conference of The Society for Interdisciplinary Placebo Studies (SIPS) and its deliverables.
“3rd International conference of The Society for Interdisciplinary Placebo Studies SIPS - Harnessing placebo mechanisms for optimal pain management and treatment of alcohol and other drug use disorders”
Samueli Foundation
Colloca L, PI (donation)
2020-2022
Project goals: Support for Organizing the 3rd International conference of The Society for Interdisciplinary Placebo Studies (SIPS) and its deliverables.
“Exploring the role of vasopressin in socially-induced hypoalgesia”
UMB Institute for Clinical and Translational Research (ICTR)
Colloca L, Gullapalli, MPI
2018-2020
Project goals: To determine how vasopressin modulates social observational learning of placebo analgesia
“Development of Phone Based Applications to Relieve Traumatic Pain and Prevent Substance Use Related to Long-Term Use of Opioids”
UMB Center for Addiction Research, Education, and Service (CARES)
Colloca L, Murthi, S, MPI
2018-2019
Project goals: To develop a phone application to prevent opioids abuse in pain patients and shape expectations of opioid intake needs.
“Ketamine-like effects and conditioning in a mouse model of neuropathic chronic pain”
Center to Advance Chronic Pain Research (CACPR), UMB
Colloca L, Lessans S. and Gould T, MPIs
2016-2018
Project goal: Explore neural and genetics biomarkers of placebo analgesia in laboratory settings including new pilot studies on social learning and RNA gene expression and pain.
"Open-label dose-extending placebos as an adjunct to methadone treatment”
Foundation for the Science of the Therapeutic Encounter (F-STE)
Colloca L, Annabelle Belcher, MPI
2017-2018
Project goals: Explore the role of placebos given with methadone to minimize the escalation of methadone in patients suffering from addiction by comparing the impact of open-label dose-extending placebo to Treatment as Usual (TAU) on ultimate methadone dose achieved.