Draft:Irina Strigo
Irina Strigo is a world famous neuroscientist.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Irina Strigo is a Canadian and American neuroscientist and researcher specializing in the intersection of pain, emotion, and mental health. She is currently a Professor-in-Residence in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and a Research Biologist for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs at the San Francisco VA Health Care System.[2]
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- CSRD Research Career Scientist Award (2024)
Irina Strigo | |
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 Strigo in 2025 | |
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| Alma mater | |
| Spouse | Andrew Rabinovich |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | |
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| Thesis | Differentiation of visceral and cutaneous pain in the human brain |
Education
Strigo earned her Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Physiology from McGill University in Montreal, Canada. She then completed comprehensive postdoctoral research training across multiple specialized disciplines, including Radiology at Columbia University , Neurosurgery at the Barrow Neurological Institute with , and Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD).[3]
Career and research
As an investigator, Strigo leads research groups funded by major institutions, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation (NARSAD).[3]
Her primary research investigates the brain networks responsible for processing pain and emotion. Utilizing neuroimaging techniques such as fMRI alongside behavioral assessments, Strigo explores how these neural processes differ in individuals suffering from:
- Chronic pain (particularly chronic low back pain) and the individual differences leading to the "chronification" of pain.[2]
- Mental health disorders, including Major depressive disorder (MDD), anxiety disorders, and Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Physical trauma, such as mild Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and concussions.
A significant theme in her research is interoception—the brain's perception of the body's internal physical state—and the anticipation of pain. By studying how the brain anticipates and responds to physical and emotional distress, her team seeks to understand why some individuals are more vulnerable to chronic pain and how targeted mind-body therapies, such as mindfulness and interoceptive attention training, can be optimized for therapeutic relief.[3]
While Dr. Strigo is fundamentally a neuroscientist and neuroimaging expert rather than a pharmacologist, her research heavily intersects with the pharmacology of antidepressants by attempting to answer a critical question in psychiatry: Can we look at a patient's brain and predict if an antidepressant will actually work for them? Her research also investigates the use of neuroimaging as a biomarker to predict patient responses to pharmacological treatments for depression. In 2024, as part of the international COORDINATE-MDD consortium, she co-authored a large-scale study published in Nature Mental Health. By analyzing MRI data from over 1,300 medication-free patients with Major depressive disorder, the research identified specific neuroanatomical variations that can predict a patient's clinical response to Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). This work aims to shift psychiatric prescribing practices away from trial-and-error approaches and toward biologically driven personalized medicine.[4]
Work with Arthur Craig
Following her doctoral studies, Strigo completed postdoctoral research training at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona, under the mentorship of prominent neuroanatomist Arthur (Bud) Craig.[2]
During her time in Craig's laboratory within the Division of Neurobiology, Strigo collaborated on functional imaging studies investigating how subjective feelings and pain are represented in the human brain. Their collaborative work explored how bodily sensations, such as pain and temperature, are deeply interconnected with emotional experiences and homeostatic regulation.[5] They continued their collaboration well into her independent career, later co-authoring research on how interoception, homeostatic emotions, and sympathovagal balance are organized in the human forebrain.[6]
Craig's foundational theories on the insula's predictive functions profoundly influenced Strigo's long-term research trajectory regarding pain anticipation and the emotional chronification of pain. Following Craig's death in 2023, Strigo co-authored his scientific obituary in Nature Neuroscience[7] and served as a lead co-editor for the 2025 academic volume The Bodily Self, Emotion, and Subjective Time: Exploring Interoception Through the Contributions of A.D. (Bud) Craig, dedicating the book to his intellectual legacy and mentorship.
Awards and honors
Throughout her career, Strigo has been recognized for her contributions to neuroscience and clinical research. Her notable awards include:
- 1st Kresimir Krnjevic Anesthesia Research Award for Trainees (2003): Awarded during her time at McGill University to recognize her outstanding Ph.D. research project, "Differentiation of visceral and cutaneous pain in the human brain."[8]
- Painless Research Foundation Investigator: Recognized for her innovative work investigating pain rehabilitation and mind-body interventions for chronic pain.[2]
- CSRD Research Career Scientist Award (2024–2029): Awarded by the Clinical Science Research and Development (CSRD) service of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to recognize established independent investigators who have made significant, long-term contributions to clinical science and VA research programs.[3]
- Member, (ACNP) (2026): Elected as a member of the ACNP, a professional organization of leading brain scientists dedicated to advancing the scientific understanding of the brain and behavior.[9]