My lab focuses on how humans percept pain and other somatosensory stimuli, such as warm, touch and itch. Using neuroimaging (MRI) complemented by electrophysiological and multidisciplinary techniques, we investigate the neural mechanisms of somatosensation in both physiological and pathological conditions along the neural axis, as well as how cognition and emotion modulate somatosensory processing in the human brain. We also explore topics in which pain or somatosensory stimulation serves as an important stimulus modality, such as perceptual decision making, empathy, and reinforcement learning. My long-term goal is to enhance the basic knowledge of perceptual neurosciences, and provide novel insights into the pathogenic mechanisms of somatosensory impairments, especially chronic pain.