Research Studies

Genes, Stress, and Pain Study

The main goal of this study is to investigate the relationship between genes, stress, and pain.  The findings of this study will contribute to our understanding of the connection between genes, stress, and pain in adult and child research participants and their parents and may help identify people at risk for developing pain.  We are recruiting healthy children and children with chronic pain (ages 8 through 21) and their biological parent(s) to complete one lab session at UCLA or at home which lasts less than 50 minutes.  Brothers and sisters may also participate.  During the lab session each participant will answer questions about health, personal attitudes, depression, anxiety, and trauma, and a sample of saliva (spit) will be collected.  Participants can also complete the questionnaires and provide the sample of saliva (spit) at home and mail the questionnaires and sample back to us.  For more information, please contact Loran Hayes for the ‘Genes, Stress, and Pain Study’ at the UCLA Pediatric Pain Program at (310) 475-3191 ext. 225.

Stress/Pain Responses in Parents and Children Study

The UCLAMattel Children’s Hospital is seeking healthy children ages 8 through 17 years old for a study examining how children who are not being treated for pain and children with chronic pain (headaches) as well as their parents respond to stress/pain in a controlled, safe, laboratory setting.  The study involves the child and his/her parents attending one session at UCLA.  The child and parents will answer questions about their health, including experiences with pain and other bodily symptoms, mood, and views about how different people respond to pain. These questions will take about 1 hour to complete. Participants will also perform four brief lab stress/pain tasks and a sample of saliva (spit) will be taken to analyze for stress hormones.  Each visit to UCLA will last about 3 ½ to 5 hours depending on how many family members participate. Each participating family member will receive $50 in cash and free parking. For more information please call the ‘Stress/Pain Responses in Parents and Children Study’ or Mona Moieni at the UCLA Pediatric Pain Program at (310) 475-3191 ext. 223.

Iyengar Yoga for Young People with Irritable Bowel Syndrome

The Pediatric Pain Program at UCLA is conducting a study on Iyengar Yoga for young people aged 16-22 years with Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). The study involves young people completing an 8-week course of yoga. Participants will also be asked to attend two laboratory sessions at UCLA which will involve completing questionnaires, interviews, lab stress tasks, and saliva samples and will last approximately 3 hours. All yoga classes will be free, and we will cover UCLA parking. For more information, please call (310) 475-3191 ext. 221 and leave a message for Laura Cousins/IBS Yoga Study.

History and Narratives of Pain

The History and Narratives of Pain Study (PIs:  Lonnie Zeltzer, MD and Jennie Tsao, PhD) is recruiting children and adolescents ages 8-17 with chronic pain.  The study requires that the child/adolescent and a parent (mother or father) complete one set of questionnaires.  These are the same questionnaires that are completed for the initial clinic visit (either at Whole Child or UCLA).  In order to reduce the burden of time on patients/participants, we ask permission from all new eligible patients who have completed the questionnaires to release these for research so that completing another set is not necessary.  If you have any questions, please call Loran Hayes at (310) 475-3191 ext. 225 or email at