Mao Lab
Principal Investigator: Jun J Mao
Institution: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (New York, NY)
Primary Subfield: Molecular & Cell Bio
Recruitment Status: Inquire for rotation/fellowship opportunities
Research Focus
PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Chronic pain is a common symptom that affects 30-40% of cancer survivors, diminishing their quality of life, impairing physical functions, and increasing health care costs. Breast cancer survivors constitute the largest group of survivors with more than 4.1 million in the US. Nearly one in two breast cancer survivors who take a class of medication known as aromatase inhibitors are affected by a chronic painful condition, aromatase inhibitor-associated arthralgia (AIA). AIA is associated with reduced physical activity, increased risk of falls, and reduced AI adherence, leading to increased overall mortality. With insufficient relief from conventional treatments and a rapidly growing population of breast cancer survivors, there is an urgent need to develop novel, effective, and scalable pain management options. Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE) is an innovative mindfulness-based intervention (MBI) rooted in affective neuroscience that integrates training in mindfulness, reappraisal, and savoring skills to specifically target chronic pain and related symptoms (e.g. psychological distress). Although the efficacy of MORE for pain in non-cancer pop…
Active NIH Awards
- 5R01CA285746-03: Enhanced Pain Coping in Cancer (EPIC) (2026)
- 1R01CA312154-01: Helping Older Patients Living with Cancer (HOPE) (2026)
- 5R01CA285746-02: Enhanced Pain Coping in Cancer (EPIC) (2025)
- 1R01CA285746-01A1: Enhanced Pain Coping in Cancer (EPIC) (2024)
- 5R01CA240417-05: Effect and Mechanism of Acupuncture for Cancer-related Cognitive Impairment (ENHANCE) (2024)
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