Elizaveta Mangutov completed her bachelor's degree in 2019 and is currently a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate at Washington University in St. Louis in Dr. Amynah Pradhan's lab. Specializing in basic research using mouse models, she focuses on opioid-induced hyperalgesia, migraine, and migraine aura. In her investigative efforts, she delves into the potential role of pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) and its receptor in these conditions. Additionally, she actively explores the delta opioid receptor as a promising therapeutic target.

Dr Andy Russo is a Professor of Molecular Physiology, Biophysics and Neurology at the University of Iowa. He received his PhD in Biochemistry from UC Berkeley and did postdoctoral training at UCSD on the neuropeptide CGRP. The focus of Dr Russo’s research is the molecular basis of migraine. He is currently using mouse genetic models to study how CGRP contributes to the pain and altered sensory processing of migraine. The overall goal of his studies is to develop effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for migraine and post-traumatic headache.

Dr. Pradhan is the Director for the Center of Clinical Pharmacology at Washington University School of Medicine and the University of Health Sciences and Pharmacy in St. Louis. Her lab investigates novel therapies for migraine, and she identified the delta opioid receptor as a promising target for this disorder. Ongoing studies in her lab are focused on the differential role of mu and delta opioid receptors in headache. Additionally, the lab focuses on identifying the molecular mechanisms that contribute to migraine chronicity, as well as overlapping mechanisms between migraine and neuropsychiatric conditions.

Dr. Nwaobi is a Child Neurologist with sub-specialization in Headache Medicine. She sees both adult and pediatric patients through the UCLA Goldberg Migraine Program. Her research laboratory is focused on understanding the relationship between sleep and migraine as well as exploring overlapping phenotypes between migraine and autism spectrum disorder.

Dr. Schindler is Medical Director of the Headache Center of Excellence at Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System and Assistant Professor of Neurology at Yale School of Medicine. She is a board-certified Neurologist and Headache Medicine specialist. Among her efforts to optimize the management of headache disorders, she has worked to improve diagnosis and treatment within the Veterans Health Administration. She has also developed and executed the first clinical trials investigating psilocybin in headache disorders.