Ryan Wexler, ND, MSCR, is a naturopathic physician-scientist and Assistant Professor at the Helfgott Research Institute at the National University of Natural Medicine. His research focuses on developing and evaluating multicomponent, mind-body interventions for patients with chronic pain, with particular emphasis on conditions involving nociplastic pain and central sensitization, chronic back pain, and lumbosacral radiculopathy.

Dr. Wexler employs a mixed methods approach to examine how interventions that integrate mindfulness, physical activity, and motivational interviewing affect pain intensity, physical function, and psychosocial outcomes – including motivation, autonomy, and self-efficacy. His work utilizes objective assessments including inertial measurement units, quantitative sensory testing, and actigraphy to complement patient-reported outcomes.

He is particularly interested in the potential of digital health tools to increase accessibility and scalability of mind-body therapies. His planned projects involve optimizing asynchronous, web-based interventions to support behavior change and improve recovery in diverse populations with musculoskeletal pain. His research is informed by a strong commitment to community and patient engagement, integrating stakeholder feedback throughout the research process – from intervention development to data interpretation and dissemination.