The primary objectives of the Cancer Pain Research Unit, Department of Anesthesia, are to better understand the causes and correlates of cancer pain, and the psychosocial impact of cancer pain on patients and family members.

Working from a biopsychosocial model of pain, our primary research interests include aging and life span developmental approaches, gender and age interactions, psychometrics and assessment (especially in vulnerable groups of older cancer patients), psychological factors (acceptance, anxiety, depression, demoralization, catastrophizing, etc.) and quality of life, end-of-life care, quantitative sensory testing, and biopsychosocial correlates of functional recovery following surgery.

Ongoing projects include:

• Age-related effects of perioperative NMDA-receptor antagonism on hyperalgesia, opioid use and pain.
• Age-related patterns in pain following breast cancer surgery.
• The assessment of pain in acutely confused elderly cancer patients.
• Age differences in cancer pain and psychosocial adjustment.

• Staff Scientist, Department of Anesthesia, Mount Sinai Hospital


• Associate Professor, School of Kinesiology and Health Science, York University


• Assistant Professor, Departments of Anesthesia and Psychiatry, University of Toronto

Cancer Pain Research Lab website