Jennifer S. Labus, Ph.D.

Director, Bioinformatics

Neuroimaging and Bioinformatics Core

Member, Brain Research Institute

Adjunct Associate Professor, Digestive Diseases/Gastroenterology

Biography

Dr. Jennifer S Labus is an Adjunct Associate Professor in the David GeffenSchool of Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles. She is an investigator and Director for the Neuroimaging and Bioinformatics Core in the Oppenheimer Family Center for Neurobiology of Stress at UCLA. Her research is focused on the interface of stress, pain and emotions and its influence on the role of dysregulation in the pathophysiology of common chronic pain disorders. She has unique expertise in applying advanced statistical and computational technologies to analyze multimodal brain imaging data. Dr. Labus’ current research focuses on applying a biological system based approaches including supervised and unsupervised machine learning tools to integrate multimodal brain imaging data with other large scale biological data sets including microbiota and the metabolomics. . This research provides the means to integrate and decipher large amounts of multivariate neuroimaging data to subgroup patients based on objective biological markers, and characterize central nervous system alterations for further pathophysiological investigations targeting treatment of chronic pain and obesity.

Dr Labus has made seminal contributions to mapping neural networks underlying visceral pain. She has been the recipient of a K08 Career Development award, Effective connectivity of central response in irritable bowel disorder, from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) as well as a RO3 award examining the role of altered attention and emotional arousal networks in chronic visceral pain. She is the lead Co-primary investigator of two  grants funded by National Institute of Childhood Health and Human Development (NICHD) she was awarded R01 funding by the to use brain imaging data, along with genetic, physiological and biological data, to extensively phenotype women with vestibulodynia. She also has an R21 examining the microbiome in vestibulodynia.  Dr. Labus is a co-investigator on several NIH funded grants, international research collaborations, and is actively involved in mentoring graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. As a result of her work she was awarded the Master’s Award in Gastroenterology in 2010 for her outstanding achievements in Basic and Clinical Digestive Sciences. Dr. Labus was also the recipient of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology Travel Award in 2013.