Skip to main content

Katherine Martucci

Associate Professorship in Anesthesiology
Anesthesiology
DUMC 3094, Durham, NC 27710
3 Genome Ct, Durham, NC 27710

Overview


Katherine Martucci Ph.D. is a neuroscientist who specializes in human clinical research of chronic pain, reward and motivation behaviors, sensory and acute pain perception, and opioid use and addiction. Dr. Martucci serves as Director of the Human Affect and Pain Neuroscience Lab which uses a combination of neuroimaging techniques, including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of the brain and cervical spinal cord, as well as sensory, behavioral and psychological tests to study acute and chronic pain in humans.

   As part of the Center for Translational Pain Medicine (CTPM), Dr. Martucci’s lab is part of Duke University’s Department of Anesthesiology, conducting research in collaboration with the Brain Imaging and Analysis Center (BIAC) and Duke Institute for Brain Sciences (DIBS).

   Dr. Martucci earned her Ph.D. in Neurobiology and Anatomy at Wake Forest School of Medicine and continued her training in clinical research with a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University. While at Stanford, Dr. Martucci obtained a prestigious NIH K99 “Pathway to Independence Award”. Since joining Duke University in 2018, Dr. Martucci has acquired funding via multiple NIH grants to continue her line of neuroimaging clinical research of the central nervous system in chronic pain.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Associate Professorship in Anesthesiology · 2025 - Present Anesthesiology, Clinical Science Departments
Associate Professor in Anesthesiology · 2024 - Present Anesthesiology, Clinical Science Departments
Faculty Network Member of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences · 2018 - Present Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, University Institutes and Centers
Member of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience · 2023 - Present Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences

In the News


Published September 26, 2024
How Using Cannabis and Tobacco for Pain May Make Things Worse

View All News

Recent Publications


Reduced trapezius pressure pain threshold in fibromyalgia and opioid use.

Journal Article J Pain · June 3, 2025 While opioid medications are potent analgesics, their usage in chronic pain conditions can paradoxically result in opioid-induced hyperalgesia (i.e., enhanced pain sensitivity). However, among individuals with chronic pain, minimal research has examined th ... Full text Link to item Cite

Neural correlates of altered reward-driven attention in chronic pain and opioid use.

Journal Article Sci Rep · April 25, 2025 While attentional processing of reward may be altered in chronic pain, the neural circuits underlying these alterations, and impact from opioid use have remained unclear. To investigate the neural representation of attentional processing in chronic pain, w ... Full text Link to item Cite
View All Publications

Recent Grants


Neural correlates and behavioral impact of withdrawal-induced hyperalgesia among people who smoke with and without chronic pain

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2025 - 2030

Neurobiological Effects of Long-Term Opioid Therapy in the Brain and Spinal Cord

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institute on Drug Abuse · 2022 - 2027

Integrated Training in Anesthesiology Research

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institute of General Medical Sciences · 1996 - 2026

View All Grants

Education, Training & Certifications


Wake Forest University, School of Medicine · 2011 Ph.D.
University of Connecticut · 2005 B.S.