Exploring Chronic Pain Mechanisms and Preparing the Next Generation of Researchers and Health Care Professionals

Dr. Giannina Descalzi was honoured with the 2025 Research Excellence Award. Read the full story on the University of Guelph news site. 

Dr. Giannina Descalzi’s journey into neuroscience began unexpectedly. Initially an English major, she transitioned to psychology after working with autistic children and those with complex needs. It was during her psychology studies that she became fascinated by neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to change in response to experience. This spark led her to graduate studies in neuroscience at the University of Toronto, where she joined a lab studying chronic pain in preclinical models. Now a professor in OVC’s Department of Biomedical Sciences, her research is shaped by those early experiences and her lab’s current focus on the mechanisms of chronic pain.

Chronic pain, affecting approximately a quarter of the global population, became a central theme of Descalzi’s research. Despite significant advances in understanding how the brain changes in individuals suffering from chronic pain, much remains unknown about how chronic pain develops. This gap in knowledge drives her work and her commitment to uncovering the molecular mechanisms underlying chronic pain—research that could lead to more effective treatment options.
Descalzi’s approach to research is multidisciplinary. By combining molecular biology, neuroimaging and genomics, she strives to create a comprehensive understanding of pain that includes both biological mechanisms and lived experiences. She believes that using different techniques to approach a phenomenon helps increase confidence in findings, revealing deeper insights into how pain affects individuals.

Challenging old models, inspiring new scientists

“So far, our lab has made two significant discoveries,” says Descalzi. “First, we’ve uncovered crucial sex differences in how the brain responds to pain—differences that were often overlooked in previous research dominated by male-centric models. This discovery opens the door to more inclusive and targeted treatments for pain. Second, our lab has moved beyond the traditional focus on neurons in pain research to highlight the active role of non-neuronal brain cells, such as glial cells—specifically astrocytes.”
These cells, once thought to merely support neurons, are now recognized as key players in the brain’s response to pain, representing a paradigm shift in understanding of the organ’s cellular environment.
Descalzi’s research not only pushes the boundaries of scientific knowledge but also prepares her students for future careers in various fields. “My lab offers students opportunities to gain hands-on experience with advanced techniques like genomics, which involves studying the gene expression patterns in organisms to uncover insights into health and disease, and in vivo calcium imaging, a method used to visualize and measure neural activity in live animals by tracking calcium ions in the brain,” she says.
Applying these skills in real-world health challenges helps prepare students for careers in academia, health care and industry. Alongside technical expertise, Descalzi emphasizes the development of transferable skills like data analysis, scientific writing and communication—skills that are essential in any scientific career.
Indeed, her students have applied these skills in widely varied careers in medical and veterinary schools, in pharmaceutical research and in health care.

Graduate student perspectives

Graduate students in the Descalzi Lab are key researchers in the mechanisms of chronic pain. Their projects reflect the lab’s multidisciplinary approach and shared commitment to advancing both scientific understanding and real-world impact.

A PhD candidate in biomedical sciences, Ana Leticia Simal is studying how chronic pain develops differently in females and males by looking at changes in the brain at the gene expression level. They use a mix of tools—analyzing gene activity, testing drug effects and observing behaviour in preclinical models—to understand what happens in the brain after a nerve injury. By comparing short-term and long-term pain in female and male subjects, Simal hopes to uncover key differences in how chronic pain develops. This research could help in understanding how pain works in the brain and lead to more effective treatments for both men and women.
“I am deeply passionate about investigating aspects of the molecular biology underlying chronic pain and chronic pain onset, particularly the potential sex differences in its mechanisms. For that reason, I feel fortunate to be part of the Descalzi Lab, as my research goals perfectly align with Dr. Descalzi’s. Coming from a different research background during my undergraduate and master’s studies in Brazil, I had a steep learning curve to get up to speed and perform the necessary tasks and experiments required in neuroscience research. Dr. Descalzi has been an exceptional mentor, guiding me both in learning essential techniques and in navigating academia.” — Ana Leticia Simal

Danielle Halasz is in the final year of her MSc in biomedical sciences, exploring how chronic pain affects brain structure differently in males and females. She focuses on brain regions involved in processing emotions and pain, notably the anterior cingulate cortex. Using specialized staining techniques, she examines changes in the shape and structure of neurons in preclinical models to see how these changes might be linked to symptoms of anxiety and depression. As a new line of research in the Descalzi Lab, her studies will allow the team to better understand how pain can affect the brain’s communication pathways at the cellular level.
“My time under Dr. Descalzi’s mentorship has played an invaluable role in shaping my understanding of how chronic pain impacts well-being. This understanding has translated to how I work as an operator on Canada’s 988 national suicide crisis line. Anxiety and depression are closely linked to chronic pain, such that experiencing one makes a person more likely to experience the other. Knowing this relationship gives me the confidence to validate a caller when they share their experience of physical and emotional pain. I can tell them their pain is real and that their effort to improve their emotional well-being can potentially improve their experience with pain as well. I believe that by understanding the hard truths revealed in chronic pain research, health care providers will find valuable tools to provide an empathetic and informed response to those in their care.” — Danielle Halasz

Now in the final year of their MSc in biomedical sciences, Jaime Tuling studies how communication between different types of brain cells might influence the development of chronic pain. They are focusing on the cingulate cortex—a brain region involved in processing both sensory and emotional aspects of pain—and testing whether blocking the shuttling of lactate—a key energy source—from support cells called astrocytes to neurons can prevent or reduce pain in both female and male preclinical models. This research is helping to show that interrupting this type of cell-to-cell communication could stop chronic pain from developing. It will allow researchers to explore new treatment options for both people and animals living with chronic pain.
“Despite chronic pain disproportionately impacting marginalized populations, such as women, much of the research in the field has been performed on a population of mostly male preclinical models. Our lab is working on closing that research gap by investigating female models as well. Focusing on such a prevalent condition and investigating potential sex differences motivate me to continue researching, as there’s still so much to discover and clarify. Dr. Descalzi’s enthusiasm for constant learning and building on our knowledge in the field also motivates me to ask more questions and think meaningfully about finding answers. I am hopeful that our work will lead the field toward interventions that are more precise and efficacious for all populations.”— Jaime Tuling