Lydia Rader PhD

Check out our new paper examining genetic associations and neuronal enrichment between chronic pain factors and substance use factors Link: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/share/author/R…

The brain's energy demands are huge, and it takes a village, or in this case, a powerful partnership between neurons and astrocytes. Click on the link below to learn more from our latest infographic! 🧠 knowingneurons.com/neuron-astrocy…

Loneliness is associated with cognitive impairment. Stay connected.

Experts from around the world worked together to agree on how to define “refractory migraine,” a type of migraine that does not improve with usual treatments. They created four groups of migraine: 1. Refractory migraine – when all proven treatments fail. 2. Resistant migraine – when at least three treatment types fail. 3. Probable refractory migraine – when not all treatments can be tried, often due to age, cost, or access. 4. Treatment-responsive migraine – when migraines improve with treatment. •These categories will help doctors decide when to try stronger treatments. •They may also make it easier to include patients in research and raise awareness about how serious these migraines can be. Bottom line: Clearer definitions can improve research, treatment decisions, and advocacy for people living with hard-to-treat migraines. Authors: @JenniferRobblee @HeadacheCOHope @lrobb98 @Simona_Sacco_ @stephanieJnahas @EhrlichNP @SengElizabeth Full paper: bit.ly/3IhRsUs

Sarah Gonzalez Coffin (PhD Candidate-Social PSYC), received the 2025 Behavior, Energy & Climate Change Fellowship from @ACEEEdc! 🎉 This will fund Sarah's participation in their bi-annual convention where she will be featured as an emerging scholar in environmental psychology.

"Multi-ancestral genome-wide association study of clinically defined nicotine dependence reveals strong genetic correlations with other substance use disorders and health-related traits" led by Emma Johnson and Dongbing Lai of PGC-SUD is now online. cambridge.org/core/journals/…

Our project, looking at the genetic relationships between immune diseases and psychiatric disorders, has finally been published! Now with gene expression analyses as well as additional sensitivity analyses, thanks to reviewers. Find the full article here: nature.com/articles/s4139…

USASP is currently participating in virtual Hill visits to educate congressional staff about the importance of NIH funding for pain research. Want to help? Reach out to your representatives and share why pain research matters to you. Learn more here ⬇

Chronic pain by the numbers — @DrSeanMackey explains: •Up to 100 million Americans live with chronic pain. •20 million+ have pain so severe it affects daily life — this is called high-impact chronic pain. The most common types:  • Low back pain (28%)  • Neck pain (16%)  • Headaches (16%) Pain costs the U.S. over $500 billion each year — more than cancer, heart disease, and diabetes combined.

Chronic pain doesn’t just stay in the body—it can rewire the brain. Over time, repeated pain signals make the nervous system more sensitive and reduce its ability to "turn down" pain. This is called central sensitization—and it helps explain why some people feel more pain even without new injury.

Smith et al. find that cumulative adverse childhood experience exposure is associated with multisite pain in early adolescence using data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. Learn more in #PainReports bit.ly/4jmLYnX

Lifting weights significantly reduces depressive symptoms.

Supplements and chronic pain: What does the research say? A list of 5 supplements that may help with nerve and chronic pain, as part of a broader treatment plan: 1. Acetyl-L-Carnitine -Helps your cells make energy. - Studied in people with diabetic nerve pain. - May help nerves send signals better. 2. Alpha Lipoic Acid - Works as an antioxidant and affects calcium in cells. - May help with nerve pain. - Can cause an upset stomach in some people. 3. Vitamin C - Not just for colds. -Some research shows it may lower the chance of nerve pain after surgery. 4. Fish Oil (Omega-3s) - May help reduce inflammation and pain. - But it can make your blood thinner, which might raise the risk of bleeding. 5. Creatine - Often used by athletes for muscle strength. - Small studies suggest it might help people with fibromyalgia and similar conditions.

Check out our new OCD GWAS (53,660 cases and 2,044,417 controls) in @NatureGenet 🧬🧠 Genetic risk was associated with excitatory neurons in the cortex and hippocampus. There was much genetic overlap with anxiety, depression, and anorexia. Open access: nature.com/articles/s4158…

The National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine @theNASEM is hosting a free online workshop May 19 and 21 on the #neurobiology of #empathy and #compassion. It is wonderful to see empathy and compassion being studied scientifically. They are part of the (usually invisible) foundation of any healthy society and our personal health as well. nationalacademies.org/event/44350_05…

📢 The CU Pain Science / Mind Body Medicine Program is hiring! 📢 Seeking a full-time research assistant for data collection & analysis of neuroimaging, clinical trials of pain, emotion, and mind-body treatments dri.applytojob.com/apply/8aeICwns… medschool.cuanschutz.edu/general-intern… Pls RT

Brain Awareness Week (BAW) is this month!! 🎉 If you are located in any of these areas, make sure to stop by and celebrate BAW by learning about the brain. 🧠

So proud of our team @KnowingNeurons for expanding their reach.

Immune system one pager

Happy Valentine's! 🧠💖 Here are some brainy facts from one of our most popular infographics! #valentines #scicomm #scienceeducation #neuroscience #brainfacts #PhDstudent #gradstudent