Jeffrey I. Gold

Jeffrey I. Gold is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Anesthesiology and Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California. He directs the Pediatric Pain Management Clinic within the Comfort, Pain Management and Palliative Care Program at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, as well as the Children’s Outcomes, Research, and Evaluation (C.O.R.E.) program. He also leads the Children’s Hospital – Yo San University Pediatric Acupuncture Program. His work focuses on acute/chronic pain management in children with chronic illnesses like sickle cell disease, leveraging virtual reality (VR) and complementary therapies. He has held roles including NIH-funded researcher and grant reviewer for NIH study sections since 2010.

His research spans neurobiological mechanisms of pain attenuation via VR, neuropsychological dysfunction in sickle cell disease, and PTSD in trauma-exposed children. Notable programs include VR interventions for procedural pain, acupuncture trials, and mindfulness-based stress reduction for healthcare providers. He has pioneered pediatric-focused VR applications such as the 'Doc McStuffins' preoperative anxiety tool.

Key contributions include:

• NIH-funded studies on VR pain distraction
• Neuroimaging research linking sickle cell disease to cognitive deficits
• Development of pediatric pain cost-benefit frameworks
• Advocacy for integrative medicine in pediatric care

His work integrates biopsychosocial models with cutting-edge technologies to address unmet needs in pediatric pain management. Over 100 peer-reviewed publications reflect his translational research spanning 35 years.