Dr. Rachel Aaron is a licensed clinical psychologist, Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and serves as Co-Director of the Hopkins Pain & Rehabilitation Lab. Her research program focuses on improving outcomes for individuals with or at risk for chronic pain, with a particular emphasis on pain prevention following orthopedic trauma and the role of emotional factors. 

Dr. Fenan Rassu is a licensed clinical psychologist, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and serves as Co-Director of the Hopkins Pain & Rehabilitation Lab. His research program focuses on understanding factors influencing pain, disability, and the use of evidence-based care to improve outcomes for individuals experiencing pain. Dr. Rassu is particularly interested in examining social and systemic factors that contribute to disparities in pain experiences and treatment.

Kristen Pasko, Ph.D. is a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University with a background in psychology and health behavior research. Her work focuses on how social influences—particularly through social media—shape engagement in physical activity and other health behaviors. She is especially interested in leveraging these insights to improve physical and mental health outcomes in individuals managing cancer and chronic illness.

Sylvia Johnson is the Research Program Assistant for the Hopkins Pain & Rehabilitation Lab, providing support for the lab's research initiatives. She plays a key role in the daily operations of the lab, assisting with project coordination, administrative tasks, and ensuring that research activities run smoothly. Sylvia's organizational skills and dedication are invaluable to the team's efforts to advance pain research and improve patient care.

Philip Huang is a Research Assistant with the lab and an M.D. candidate at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He has an extensive research background that includes co-authoring several publications, conducting a systematic review, and performing data analysis with tools like R and DESeq2. Philip is interested in applying his experience in clinical research and data science to better understand the factors that influence pain and neuropsychiatric symptoms.

Amy Li is a Research Assistant in the lab and an M.D. candidate at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Her background combines experience in basic science research with a strong focus on public health, including work as a health navigator for underserved patients and a certificate in Health Disparities. Amy is eager to apply her passion for addressing health disparities to the field of pain psychology and contribute to improving patient outcomes.

Kathryn Xia is an undergraduate Research Assistant at the Hopkins Pain & Rehabilitation Lab and a student at Johns Hopkins University, where she is pursuing a double major in Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering and Applied Mathematics & Statistics. She brings a strong background in data analysis, coding, and prior lab experience investigating health issues in animal models to the team. Kathryn is eager to apply her quantitative skills to explore pain psychology research and contribute to solving real-world health challenges.

Ruomu Dong is an undergraduate Research Assistant in the Hopkins Pain & Rehabilitation Lab, currently pursuing a degree in Psychology and Cognitive Science at Johns Hopkins University. She has extensive prior research experience, including leading projects, conducting semi-structured interviews, analyzing data with SPSS, and co-authoring a publication in a peer-reviewed journal. Ruomu is passionate about understanding the subjective and sociocultural aspects of pain and is interested in gaining further experience in qualitative research to support her goal of pursuing a Ph.D. in clinical psychology.

Ryan Hunte joins the Hopkins Pain & Rehabilitation Lab as a Research Assistant while completing his Master of Science in Nursing at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. He brings over a decade of experience in healthcare leadership and medical operations management from his service in the U.S. Army, where he commanded a rapid response medical clinic. Ryan is interested in gaining direct research experience in pain psychology to support his future goals of becoming a Psychiatric and Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) focused on neurology and psychiatry.

Gloria Kammer is a Research Assistant in the Hopkins Pain & Rehabilitation Lab, bringing a background in Health Sciences from her undergraduate studies. Her prior experience includes working on an asthma intervention study, and her background as a physical therapy assistant and educator provides a valuable clinical and communicative lens. In her role, Gloria will lead the qualitative interviews for the lab's research projects, leveraging her skills to connect with participants and gather insightful data.

Scott Ravyts, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist and former Pain Psychology Fellow at Johns Hopkins University, now serving as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychological Science at UNC-Charlotte. His research focuses on how biopsychosocial factors—such as insomnia, PTSD, and social context—influence pain and adjustment to chronic illness.