The Pain/Stress Neurobiology Lab is a pediatric research lab based at the Stanford School of Medicine. Our research is aimed at understanding, uncovering, and preventing unnecessary childhood stress and pain by developing and implementing non-invasive testing methods.

Historically, the lab has developed methodology for assessing pain in infants in the Neonatal (NICU) and Pediatric ICU (PICU). Our overarching aim is to potentially measure levels of stress and wellness in vulnerable populations of children by comparing cumulative levels of hair cortisol and oxytocin with the levels found in healthy children.

We are currently establishing baseline levels of hair cortisol and oxytocin concentrations in healthy preschool children across the Bay Area. Our overall mission is to identify ways of measuring pain and stress in vulnerable children before they develop the verbal skills to ask for help.

Cortisol is a hormone, also commonly known as the “body’s stress hormone.” Cortisol release, controlled by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, circulates throughout the body and can affect metabolism, blood pressure, memory formation, and many other physiological responses.

Physical or emotional stressors activate the HPA-axis to release cortisol, catecholamines, and other stress hormones. The HPA-axis normally limits the amount of cortisol released; however, if children are exposed to chronic or prolonged stress, this may lead to HPA-axis dysregulation. Exposures to severe stress in early life may lead to detrimental effects on the child’s health, development, and behaviors.

Cortisol and other hormones and body chemicals also bind to the growing hair shaft. Like their height or body weight that are checked in the doctor’s office, hormones may have different values due to age, sex, or racial/ethnic groups. In our study, we seek to define "normative" hair cortisol ranges in preschool children (1-6 years), who have a limited capacity to communicate or interpret their everyday experiences, as an objective biomarker of prolonged stress.

The COIVD-19 pandemic, through fear, anxiety, food insecurity, verbal or physical abuse, and the loss of peer support, may be associated with increased stress and social isolation.

Oxytocin, sometimes known as the “cuddle hormone”, is released from pituitary gland and other areas of the brain. Oxytocin plays key roles in social bonding, reproduction, childbirth, and breastfeeding.

Oxytocin also reduces the effects of stress, by regulating the HPA axis and contributes to brain growth and development. Thus, nurturing care and loving relationships can buffer children from the stress of negative experiences and help the child to establish healthy brain circuits. Conversely, social isolation or separation from parents can lower oxytocin levels and make children more vulnerable to stressors.

Similar to cortisol, it is likely that oxytocin also binds to the hair but it has never been measured in children or adults. Like height or body weight checked in the doctor’s office, hormones may have different values due to age, sex, or racial/ethnic groups. In our study, we also seek to define "normative" hair oxytocin ranges in preschool children (1-6 years) and explore the concept of wellness in early childhood.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) is a term given to describe the traumatic events occurring before 18 years of age. ACEs include different types of abuse and neglect as well as parental mental illness, substance use, divorce, incarceration, and domestic violence.

Early life stress is a scientific term used to describe the physiological stress responses triggered by adverse experiences in early life (0-5 years). These can include different types of abuse and neglect, other ACEs (see above), scarcity of food or other resources, neighborhood violence, bullying, and similar negative experiences.

Repeated exposures to early life stress have been linked to negative health outcomes later on in life. Increasing our understanding of early life stress can help us to prevent these negative health outcomes, especially among the most marginalized in our communities.

Our lived experiences affect our biology. Similarly, the chemical composition of someone’s hair can tell us a lot about their overall health and well-being.

New assays can allow scientists to measure hormonal levels (such as cortisol and oxytocin) or other substances deposited in the hair over a period of time. Hair biomarkers can reveal the biological impacts of our lived experiences. Additionally, collecting hair is non-invasive and pain-free.

Thank you for your interest - we are delighted to welcome new partnerships in our community!

You can contact us via email or phone, and we will set up a Zoom meeting with the Lab Director and Lab Manager to discuss the details of this partnership and how to move forward.