Dr Flavia Di Pietro | Curtin University, Perth, Australia

Introduction

Dr Flavia Di Pietro researches the role of the brain in persistent pain, using several neuroimaging techniques. Her research aims to lead to better understanding of the fundamental mechanisms that underlie pain, so that more effective and long-term pain relief can be found for sufferers. She supervises Honours and PhD students, and teaches in the Human Biology discipline of the School of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences.

Overview

Dr Di Pietro completed an undergraduate degree in Physiotherapy in 2008 at the University of Notre Dame, and her PhD in neuroscience in 2014 at the University of New South Wales (supervised by Prof Lorimer Moseley, Dr James McAuley and Dr Tasha Stanton). In 2015 she was awarded a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Early Career Fellowship, which took her to the University of Sydney to investigate the structure, function and chemistry of the brain in chronic pain. In 2017 Dr Di Pietro was awarded a Fulbright Postdoctoral Scholarship. With this she spent time in the lab of Prof Bob Coghill at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, investigating a novel and non-invasive sensory treatment regime for children and adolescents with chronic pain; this exciting work is ongoing.

Post Nominals

PhD, B. Phys. (Hons)

Employment History

Current: Honorary Research Scientist, Neuroscience Research Australia.

NHMRC Early Career Fellow (2015 – 2019) and Lecturer, Discipline of Anatomy and Histology, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney.

Research Interests

Membership

Awarded the 2018 Rising Star Award by the Australian Pain Society.

Awarded the 2017 New South Wales Fulbright Postdoctoral Scholarship.

Awarded an NHMRC Early Career Biomedical Fellowship (2015 - 2019).

Awarded the 2014 Philip A. Spiegel IASP Congress Trainee Scholarship for the International Association for the Study of Pain: 15th World Congress on Pain. Buenos Aires, October 2014.

Awarded Best Poster PainAdelaide 2014.

Open Senior Division winner, 41st Annual Tow Research Awards 2013.

Awarded Best Student Poster PainAdelaide 2013.

Member of: Royal Society of New South Wales; Australasian Neuroscience Society; Australian Pain Society; Australian Physiotherapy Association; International Association for the Study of Pain; Organization for Human Brain Mapping.

Publications

2020

Henderson, L. A., F. Di Pietro, A. M. Youssef, S. Lee, S. Tam, R. Akhter, E. P. Mills, G. M. Murray, C. C. Peck, and P. M. Macey. 2020. "Effect of Expectation on Pain Processing: A Psychophysics and Functional MRI Analysis." Frontiers in Neuroscience 14
Lee, B., L. A. Henderson, C. D. Rae, and F. Di Pietro. 2020. "CRPS is not associated with altered sensorimotor cortex GABA or glutamate." eNeuro 7 (1)
Meylakh, N., K. K. Marciszewski, F. Di Pietro, V. G. Macefield, P. M. Macey, and L. A. Henderson. 2020. "Altered regional cerebral blood flow and hypothalamic connectivity immediately prior to a migraine headache." Cephalalgia 40 (5): 448-460.
Di Pietro, F., B. Lee, and L. A. Henderson. 2020. "Altered resting activity patterns and connectivity in individuals with complex regional pain syndrome." Human Brain Mapping 41 (13): 3781-3793.
Mills, E. P., Z. Alshelh, D. Kosanovic, F. Di Pietro, E. R. Vickers, P. M. Macey, and L. A. Henderson. 2020. "Altered brainstem pain-modulation circuitry connectivity during spontaneous pain intensity fluctuations." Journal of Pain Research 13: 2223-2235.
Mills, E. P., R. Akhter, F. Di Pietro, G. M. Murray, C. C. Peck, P. M. Macey, and L. A. Henderson. 2020. "Altered Brainstem Pain Modulating Circuitry Functional Connectivity in Chronic Painful Temporomandibular Disorder." Journal of Pain

2019

Marciszewski, K. K., N. Meylakh, F. Di Pietro, V. G. Macefield, P. M. Macey, and L. A. Henderson. 2019. "Fluctuating regional brainstem diffusion imaging measures of microstructure across the migraine cycle." eNeuro 6 (4)
Cashin, A. G., A. C. Traeger, M. Hübscher, G. Lorimer Moseley, F. Di Pietro, L. Parkitny, and J. H. Mcauley. 2019. "Persistent pain after wrist or hand fracture: Development and validation of a prognostic model." Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy 49 (1): 28-35.

2018

Alshelh, Z., K. K. Marciszewski, R. Akhter, F. Di Pietro, E. P. Mills, E. R. Vickers, C. C. Peck, G. M. Murray, and L. A. Henderson. 2018. "Disruption of default mode network dynamics in acute and chronic pain states." NeuroImage: Clinical 17: 222-231.
Mills, E. P., F. Di Pietro, Z. Alshelh, C. C. Peck, G. M. Murray, E. R. Vickers, and L. A. Henderson. 2018. "Brainstem pain-control circuitry connectivity in chronic neuropathic pain." Journal of Neuroscience 38 (2): 465-473.
Di Pietro, F., P. M. Macey, C. D. Rae, Z. Alshelh, V. G. Macefield, E. R. Vickers, and L. A. Henderson. 2018. "The relationship between thalamic GABA content and resting cortical rhythm in neuropathic pain." Human Brain Mapping 39 (5): 1945-1956.
Meylakh, N., K. K. Marciszewski, F. Di Pietro, V. G. Macefield, P. M. Macey, and L. A. Henderson. 2018. "Deep in the brain: Changes in subcortical function immediately preceding a migraine attack." Human Brain Mapping 39 (6): 2651-2663.
Marciszewski, K. K., N. Meylakh, F. Di Pietro, V. G. Macefield, P. M. Macey, and L. A. Henderson. 2018. "Altered brainstem anatomy in migraine." Cephalalgia 38 (3): 476-486.
Alshelh, Z., F. Di Pietro, E. P. Mills, E. R. Vickers, C. C. Peck, G. M. Murray, and L. A. Henderson. 2018. "Altered regional brain T2 relaxation times in individuals with chronic orofacial neuropathic pain." NeuroImage: Clinical 19: 167-173.
Berryman, C., B. Hordacre, and F. Di Pietro. 2018. "Sensory gating in the ipsilateral somatosensory cortex during voluntary activity: what might this mean for chronic limb pain?." Journal of Physiology 596 (9): 1533-1534.
Marciszewski, K. K., N. Meylakh, F. Di Pietro, E. P. Mills, V. G. Macefield, P. M. Macey, and L. A. Henderson. 2018. "Changes in brainstem pain modulation circuitry function over the migraine cycle." Journal of Neuroscience 38 (49): 10479-10488.

2017

Meylakh, N., K. Marciszewski, F. Di Pietro, and L. Henderson. 2017. "Unique Infra-Slow Oscillatory Activity in the Prodrome Phase of Migraine." In 18th International Headache Congress (IHC) of the International-Headache-Society, Sep 7, 2017, Vancouver, CANADA: SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD.
Pietro, F. D., T. R. Stanton, G. L. Moseley, M. Lotze, and J. H. McAuley. 2017. "An exploration into the cortical reorganisation of the healthy hand in upper-limb complex regional pain syndrome." Scandinavian Journal of Pain 13 (1): 18-24.
Marciszewski, K. K., N. Meylakh, F. Di Pietro, V. G. Macefield, P. M. Macey, and L. A. Henderson. 2017. "Altered brainstem anatomy in migraine." In 18th International Headache Congress (IHC) of the International-Headache-Society, Sep 7, 2017, Vancouver, CANADA: SAGE PUBLICATIONS LTD.

2016

Alshelh, Z., F. di Pietro, A. M. Youssef, J. M. Reeves, P. M. Macey, E. Russell Vickers, C. C. Peck, G. M. Murray, and L. A. Henderson. 2016. "Chronic neuropathic pain: It’s about the rhythm." Journal of Neuroscience 36 (3): 1008-1018.
Henderson, L. A., and F. Di Pietro. 2016. "How do neuroanatomical changes in individuals with chronic pain result in the constant perception of pain?." Pain management 6 (2): 147-159.
Di Pietro, F., G. L. Moseley, and T. R. Stanton. 2016. "Functional and structural cortical reorganization in complex regional pain syndrome and implications for treatment." European Journal of Pain (United Kingdom) 20 (10): 1763-1765.

2015

Di Pietro, F., T. R. Stanton, G. L. Moseley, M. Lotze, and J. H. Mcauley. 2015. "Interhemispheric somatosensory differences in chronic pain reflect abnormality of the Healthy side." Human Brain Mapping 36 (2): 508-518.
Lotze, M., and F. Di Pietro. 2015. "Brain activity and reorganization in complex regional pain syndrome." In The Brain Adapting with Pain: Contribution of Neuroimaging Technology to Pain Mechanisms

2014

Di Pietro, F., M. J. Catley, J. H. McAuley, L. Parkitny, C. G. Maher, L. C. M. Da Costa, L. G. Macedo, C. M. Williams, and G. L. Moseley. 2014. "Rasch analysis supports the use of the pain self-efficacy questionnaire." Physical Therapy 94 (1): 91-100.
Wand, B. M., M. J. Catley, H. A. Luomajoki, K. J. O'Sullivan, F. Di Pietro, N. E. O'Connell, and G. L. Moseley. 2014. "Lumbar tactile acuity is near identical between sides in healthy pain-free participants." Manual Therapy 19 (5): 504-507.

2013

Parkitny, L., J. H. McAuley, F. Di Pietro, T. R. Stanton, N. E. O'Connell, J. Marinus, J. J. Van Hilten, and G. L. Moseley. 2013. "Inflammation in complex regional pain syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis." Neurology 80 (1): 106-117.
Di Pietro, F., J. H. McAuley, L. Parkitny, M. Lotze, B. M. Wand, G. L. Moseley, and T. R. Stanton. 2013. "Primary somatosensory cortex function in complex regional pain syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis." Journal of Pain 14 (10): 1001-1018.
Parkitny, L., J. H. McAuley, P. J. Kelly, F. Di Pietro, B. Cameron, and G. L. Moseley. 2013. "Multiplex cytokine concentration measurement: How much do the medium and handling matter?." Mediators of Inflammation 2013
Allen, H. G., T. R. Stanton, F. Di Pietro, and G. L. Moseley. 2013. "Social Media Release Increases Dissemination of Original Articles in the Clinical Pain Sciences." PLoS ONE 8 (7)
Moseley, G. L., A. Gallace, F. Di Pietro, C. Spence, and G. D. Iannetti. 2013. "Limb-specific autonomic dysfunction in complex regional pain syndrome modulated by wearing prism glasses." Pain 154 (11): 2463-2468.
Di Pietro, F., J. H. McAuley, L. Parkitny, M. Lotze, B. M. Wand, G. L. Moseley, and T. R. Stanton. 2013. "Primary motor cortex function in complex regional pain syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis." Journal of Pain 14 (11): 1270-1288.

2012

Parkitny, L., J. H. McAuley, D. Walton, L. O. Pena Costa, K. M. Refshauge, B. M. Wand, F. Di Pietro, and G. L. Moseley. 2012. "Rasch analysis supports the use of the depression, anxiety, and stress Scales to measure mood in groups but not in individuals with chronic low back pain." Journal of Clinical Epidemiology 65 (2): 189-198.

2011

Parkitny, L., B. Cameron, J. McAuley, F. Di Pietro, and L. Moseley. 2011. "CYTOKINE CONCENTRATION MEASURED BY MULTIPLEX BEAD ARRAY IS UNAFFECTED BY SAMPLE TYPE (PLASMA OR SERUM) OR FREEZE-THAW CYCLE." In 10th World Congress on Inflammation, Jun 25, 2011, Paris, FRANCE: BIRKHAUSER VERLAG AG.
Wand, B. M., N. E. O'Connell, F. di Pietro, and M. Bulsara. 2011. "Managing chronic nonspecific low back pain with a sensorimotor retraining approach: Exploratory multiple-baseline study of 3 participants." Physical Therapy 91 (4): 535-546.
Di Pietro, F., and J. H. McAuley. 2011. "(Thermal) quantitative sensory testing-tQST." Journal of Physiotherapy 57 (1)

2010

Wand, B. M., F. Di Pietro, P. George, and N. E. O'Connell. 2010. "Tactile thresholds are preserved yet complex sensory function is impaired over the lumbar spine of chronic non-specific low back pain patients: A preliminary investigation." Physiotherapy 96 (4): 317-323.