Chronic pain is a widespread and complex condition that affects nearly one-quarter of the US population. Despite its prevalence, chronic pain is often undertreated, leading many people to depend on addictive medications such as opioids. Our researchers are creating detailed maps of the neural circuits involved in pain perception as well as the emotional suffering associated with chronic pain. We are working to understand a newly-discovered pain suppressing center in the brain, with the hope of finding relief for chronic pain without the use of opioids.