Virginia Tech® home

Special Seminar: Beyond The Headache — The Role of the Autonomic Nervous System and Nociplastic Pain in Migraine Progression

Insert your title here

Your Text Here
Bridget Mueller, M.D., Ph.D.

Bridget R. Mueller, M.D., Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Neuroscience
Research Director, Gottesman Center for Headache Treatment and Translational Research
Co-director, Autonomic Function Laboratory
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
View Speaker Profile

Beyond The Headache — The Role of the Autonomic Nervous System and Nociplastic Pain in Migraine Progression

Date: Feb. 16, 2026

Time:  11 a.m.

About this Seminar

Migraine is one of the most prevalent and disabling neurological disorders worldwide, affecting millions and often progressing to chronic forms characterized by frequent headaches and persistent symptoms that frequently involve dysregulation of stress-responsive systems, including the autonomic nervous system. Dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system leads to symptoms beyond headache — fatigue, mood disturbances, and orthostatic intolerance are common and debilitating symptoms of chronic migraine. In this seminar, Dr. Mueller will define nociplastic pain in the context of migraine, summarize key evidence on the bidirectional interplay between central sensitization and ANS dysregulation, highlight her findings linking autonomic reflex dysfunction to sensory hypersensitivity and chronicity, and discuss implications for precision medicine approaches.

You May Also Be Interested In...

  • Home Item
    Exercise, the Fountain of Youth?
    Exercise, the Fountain of Youth? , home

    Oct. 15, 2026, 5:30 p.m. (Reception at 5 p.m.) | Zhen Yan, Ph.D., Professor and Director, Center for Exercise Medicine Research, Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC | Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture

  • Home Item
    Data-Driven Discovery of Secreted Proteins as Cancer Immunotherapies
    Data-Driven Discovery of Secreted Proteins as Cancer Immunotherapies , home

    Oct. 16, 2026, 11:00 a.m. | Peng Jiang, Ph.D., Senior Investigator, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health | Co-Sponsored by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute and the Cancer Research Center — D.C.

  • Home Item
    Mapping Different Excitatory and Inhibitory Input Types onto Single Cortical Pyramidal Neurons
    Mapping Different Excitatory and Inhibitory Input Types onto Single Cortical Pyramidal Neurons , home

    Oct. 30, 2026, 11:00 a.m. | Elly Nedivi, Ph.D., William R. (1964) & Linda R. Young Professor of Neuroscience, The Picower Institute for Learning & Memory, Departments of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, and Biology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology | Co-Sponsored by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute and the Center for Neurobiology Research

  • Home Item
    Drug Discovery in the Next Decade: From Genome Medicine to Clinical Trial in a Dish
    Drug Discovery in the Next Decade: From Genome Medicine to Clinical Trial in a Dish , home

    Nov. 5, 2026, 5:30 p.m. (Reception at 5 p.m.) | Joseph Wu, M.D., Ph.D., Professor and Director, Stanford Cardiovascular Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine | Maury Strauss Distinguished Public Lecture

  • Home Item
    Presenting Therapeutic Peptides Using Synthetic Polymers
    Presenting Therapeutic Peptides Using Synthetic Polymers , home

    Nov. 13, 2026, 11:00 a.m. | Rachel A. Letteri, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Departments of Chemical Engineering, University of Virginia | Co-Sponsored by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute and the Center for Vascular and Heart Research

  • Home Item
    The Bitter Truth: Alcohol Use and Its Effects on Chemosensory Function
    The Bitter Truth: Alcohol Use and Its Effects on Chemosensory Function , home

    Dec. 11, 2026, 11:00 a.m. | Paule V. Joseph, Ph.D., MBA, Lasker Clinical Research Scholar, NIH Distinguished Scholar, Acting Chief, Section of Sensory Science and Metabolism Unit, NIDCD; Co-Director, National Smell and Taste Center; Attending Nurse Practitioner, Division of Intramural Clinical and Biological Research; National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders | Co-Sponsored by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute and the Center for Health Behaviors Research