Beth Darnall

{{Short description|American scientist and pain psychologist}}

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| name = Beth Darnall

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| birth_place = Las Cruces, NM

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| citizenship = United States

| fields = Behavioral Medicine for Pain

| workplaces = Stanford University

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| alma_mater = Texas Woman's University University of Colorado, Boulder Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

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| known_for = Pain psychology and voluntary opioid reduction

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| website = https://profiles.stanford.edu/beth-darnall

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Beth Darnall is American scientist, pain psychologist, author, and Associate Professor of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine where she directs the Stanford Pain Relief Innovations Lab.{{Cite web|url=https://med.stanford.edu/pril.html|website=med.stanford.edu|publisher=Stanford Pain Relief Innovations Lab|title=Home }} From 2005 to 2012, Darnall was an assistant professor and associate professor at Oregon Health & Science University.

She is known for developing and investigating brief and scalable behavioral medicine treatments for acute, post-surgical {{Cite journal |last1=Ziadni |first1=Maisa S. |last2=You |first2=Dokyoung S. |last3=Keane |first3=Ryan |last4=Salazar |first4=Brett |last5=Jaros |first5=Sam |last6=Ram |first6=Jesmin |last7=Roy |first7=Anuradha |last8=Tanner |first8=Natalie |last9=Salmasi |first9=Vafi |last10=Gardner |first10=Michael |last11=Darnall |first11=Beth D. |date=August 2022 |title="My Surgical Success": Feasibility and Impact of a Single-Session Digital Behavioral Pain Medicine Intervention on Pain Intensity, Pain Catastrophizing, and Time to Opioid Cessation After Orthopedic Trauma Surgery—A Randomized Trial |journal=Anesthesia & Analgesia |language=en |volume=135 |issue=2 |pages=394–405 |doi=10.1213/ANE.0000000000006088 |issn=0003-2999 |pmc=9259046 |pmid=35696706}}{{Cite web |url=https://academic.oup.com/painmedicine/article/20/11/2228/5488546 |access-date=2023-10-14 |doi=10.1093/pm/pnz094 |pmc=6830264 |pmid=31087093 |title="My Surgical Success": Effect of a Digital Behavioral Pain Medicine Intervention on Time to Opioid Cessation After Breast Cancer Surgery—A Pilot Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial |date=2019 |last1=Darnall |first1=Beth D. |last2=Ziadni |first2=Maisa S. |last3=Krishnamurthy |first3=Parthasarathy |last4=Flood |first4=Pamela |last5=Heathcote |first5=Lauren C. |last6=MacKey |first6=Ian G. |last7=Taub |first7=Chloe Jean |last8=Wheeler |first8=Amanda |journal=Pain Medicine |volume=20 |issue=11 |pages=2228–2237 }}{{Cite web |last1=Wosen |first1=Jonathan |last2=Correspondent |first2=Correspondent {{!}} |date=2019-12-28 |title=Stanford offers a mindful approach to pain relief |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/12/28/stanford-offers-a-mindful-approach-to-pain-relief/ |access-date=2023-10-14 |website=The Mercury News |language=en-US}} and chronic pain,{{Cite journal |last1=Darnall |first1=Beth D. |last2=Roy |first2=Anuradha |last3=Chen |first3=Abby L. |last4=Ziadni |first4=Maisa S. |last5=Keane |first5=Ryan T. |last6=You |first6=Dokyoung S. |last7=Slater |first7=Kristen |last8=Poupore-King |first8=Heather |last9=Mackey |first9=Ian |last10=Kao |first10=Ming-Chih |last11=Cook |first11=Karon F. |last12=Lorig |first12=Kate |last13=Zhang |first13=Dongxue |last14=Hong |first14=Juliette |last15=Tian |first15=Lu |date=2021-08-16 |title=Comparison of a Single-Session Pain Management Skills Intervention With a Single-Session Health Education Intervention and 8 Sessions of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Adults With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial |journal=JAMA Network Open |language=en |volume=4 |issue=8 |pages=e2113401 |doi=10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.13401 |issn=2574-3805 |pmc=8369357 |pmid=34398206}}{{Cite journal |last1=Ziadni |first1=Maisa S |last2=Gonzalez-Castro |first2=Lluvia |last3=Anderson |first3=Steven |last4=Krishnamurthy |first4=Parthasarathy |last5=Darnall |first5=Beth D |date=2021-09-10 |title=Efficacy of a Single-Session "Empowered Relief" Zoom-Delivered Group Intervention for Chronic Pain: Randomized Controlled Trial Conducted During the COVID-19 Pandemic |journal=Journal of Medical Internet Research |language=en |volume=23 |issue=9 |pages=e29672 |doi=10.2196/29672 |issn=1438-8871 |pmc=8463950 |pmid=34505832 |doi-access=free }}{{Cite journal |last1=Darnall |first1=Beth D |last2=Krishnamurthy |first2=Parthasarathy |last3=Tsuei |first3=Jeannette |last4=Minor |first4=Jorge D |date=2020-07-07 |title=Self-Administered Skills-Based Virtual Reality Intervention for Chronic Pain: Randomized Controlled Pilot Study |journal=JMIR Formative Research |language=en |volume=4 |issue=7 |pages=e17293 |doi=10.2196/17293 |issn=2561-326X |pmc=7381022 |pmid=32374272 |doi-access=free }}{{Cite journal |last1=Garcia |first1=Laura M |last2=Birckhead |first2=Brandon J |last3=Krishnamurthy |first3=Parthasarathy |last4=Sackman |first4=Josh |last5=Mackey |first5=Ian G |last6=Louis |first6=Robert G |last7=Salmasi |first7=Vafi |last8=Maddox |first8=Todd |last9=Darnall |first9=Beth D |date=2021-02-22 |title=An 8-Week Self-Administered At-Home Behavioral Skills-Based Virtual Reality Program for Chronic Low Back Pain: Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial Conducted During COVID-19 |journal=Journal of Medical Internet Research |language=en |volume=23 |issue=2 |pages=e26292 |doi=10.2196/26292 |issn=1438-8871 |pmc=7939946 |pmid=33484240 |doi-access=free }}{{Cite journal |last1=Garcia |first1=Laura M. |last2=Birckhead |first2=Brandon J. |last3=Krishnamurthy |first3=Parthasarathy |last4=Mackey |first4=Ian |last5=Sackman |first5=Josh |last6=Salmasi |first6=Vafi |last7=Louis |first7=Robert |last8=Maddox |first8=Todd |last9=Darnall |first9=Beth D. |date=May 2022 |title=Three-Month Follow-Up Results of a Double-Blind, Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial of 8-Week Self-Administered At-Home Behavioral Skills-Based Virtual Reality (VR) for Chronic Low Back Pain |journal=The Journal of Pain |language=en |volume=23 |issue=5 |pages=822–840 |doi=10.1016/j.jpain.2021.12.002|pmid=34902548 |s2cid=245164142 |doi-access=free }}{{Cite journal |last1=Garcia |first1=Laura |last2=Birckhead |first2=Brandon |last3=Krishnamurthy |first3=Parthasarathy |last4=Mackey |first4=Ian |last5=Sackman |first5=Josh |last6=Salmasi |first6=Vafi |last7=Louis |first7=Robert |last8=Castro |first8=Carina |last9=Maddox |first9=Roselani |last10=Maddox |first10=Todd |last11=Darnall |first11=Beth D |date=2022-05-25 |title=Durability of the Treatment Effects of an 8-Week Self-administered Home-Based Virtual Reality Program for Chronic Low Back Pain: 6-Month Follow-up Study of a Randomized Clinical Trial |journal=Journal of Medical Internet Research |language=en |volume=24 |issue=5 |pages=e37480 |doi=10.2196/37480 |issn=1438-8871 |pmc=9177046 |pmid=35612905 |doi-access=free }}{{Cite journal |last1=Maddox |first1=Todd |last2=Garcia |first2=Heidy |last3=Ffrench |first3=Kelsey |last4=Maddox |first4=Roselani |last5=Garcia |first5=Laura |last6=Krishnamurthy |first6=Parthasarathy |last7=Okhotin |first7=David |last8=Sparks |first8=Charisse |last9=Oldstone |first9=Liesl |last10=Birckhead |first10=Brandon |last11=Sackman |first11=Josh |last12=Mackey |first12=Ian |last13=Louis |first13=Robert |last14=Salmasi |first14=Vafi |last15=Oyao |first15=Alexis |date=2022-11-25 |title=In-home virtual reality program for chronic low back pain: durability of a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial to 18 months post-treatment |journal=Regional Anesthesia & Pain Medicine |volume=49 |issue=5 |language=en |pages=rapm–2022–104093 |doi=10.1136/rapm-2022-104093 |pmid=36427904 |s2cid=253966824 |issn=1098-7339|doi-access=free |pmc=11103290 }} leading teams of investigators in the conduct of federally-funded randomized controlled clinical pain treatment trials, research on patient-centered voluntary prescription opioid tapering,{{Cite journal |last1=Mardian |first1=Aram |last2=Perez |first2=Luzmercy |last3=Pun |first3=Ting |last4=Cheung |first4=Matthias |last5=Porter |first5=Joel |last6=De Bruyne |first6=Korina |last7=Kao |first7=Ming-Chih |last8=Flood |first8=Pamela |last9=Moore |first9=Nathaniel |last10=Colloca |first10=Luana |last11=Cramer |first11=Eric |last12=Ashton-James |first12=Claire E. |last13=Lorig |first13=Kate |last14=Mackey |first14=Sean C. |last15=Darnall |first15=Beth D. |date=April 2022 |title=Engagement in Prescription Opioid Tapering Research: the EMPOWER Study and a Coproduction Model of Success |journal=Journal of General Internal Medicine |language=en |volume=37 |issue=S1 |pages=113–117 |doi=10.1007/s11606-021-07085-w |issn=0884-8734 |pmc=8993995 |pmid=34389937}}{{Cite journal |last1=Ziadni |first1=Maisa |last2=Chen |first2=Abby L. |last3=Krishnamurthy |first3=Parthasarathy |last4=Flood |first4=Pamela |last5=Stieg |first5=Richard L. |last6=Darnall |first6=Beth D. |date=September 2020 |title=Patient-centered prescription opioid tapering in community outpatients with chronic pain: 2- to 3-year follow-up in a subset of patients |journal=Pain Reports |language=en |volume=5 |issue=5 |pages=e851 |doi=10.1097/PR9.0000000000000851 |issn=2471-2531 |pmc=7808679 |pmid=33490845}}{{Cite journal |last1=Darnall |first1=Beth D |last2=Mackey |first2=Sean C |last3=Lorig |first3=Kate |last4=Kao |first4=Ming-Chih |last5=Mardian |first5=Aram |last6=Stieg |first6=Richard |last7=Porter |first7=Joel |last8=DeBruyne |first8=Korina |last9=Murphy |first9=Jennifer |last10=Perez |first10=Luzmercy |last11=Okvat |first11=Heather |last12=Tian |first12=Lu |last13=Flood |first13=Pamela |last14=McGovern |first14=Mark |last15=Colloca |first15=Luana |date=2020-08-01 |title=Comparative Effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Chronic Pain and Chronic Pain Self-Management within the Context of Voluntary Patient-Centered Prescription Opioid Tapering: The EMPOWER Study Protocol |url=https://academic.oup.com/painmedicine/article/21/8/1523/5687295 |journal=Pain Medicine |language=en |volume=21 |issue=8 |pages=1523–1531 |doi=10.1093/pm/pnz285 |issn=1526-2375 |pmc=7530567 |pmid=31876947}}{{Cite journal |last1=Darnall |first1=Beth D. |last2=Ziadni |first2=Maisa S. |last3=Stieg |first3=Richard L. |last4=Mackey |first4=Ian G. |last5=Kao |first5=Ming-Chih |last6=Flood |first6=Pamela |date=2018-05-01 |title=Patient-Centered Prescription Opioid Tapering in Community Outpatients With Chronic Pain |journal=JAMA Internal Medicine |volume=178 |issue=5 |pages=707–708 |doi=10.1001/jamainternmed.2017.8709 |issn=2168-6114 |pmc=5876887 |pmid=29459978}}{{Cite web |title=NEJM Journal Watch: Summaries of and commentary on original medical and scientific articles from key medical journals |url=https://www.jwatch.org/na46164/2018/02/22/approach-tapering-opioid-dosages-patients-with-chronic?query=etoc_jwneuro&jwd=000012578829&jspc= |access-date=2023-10-14 |website=www.jwatch.org}}{{Cite web |last=Lopez |first=German |date=2018-09-25 |title=Solving America's painkiller paradox |url=https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/9/25/17327976/opioid-epidemic-painkiller-prescriptions |access-date=2023-10-14 |website=Vox |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Wallis |first=Claudia |title=How to Break the Bonds of Opioids |url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-break-the-bonds-of-opioids/ |access-date=2023-10-14 |website=Scientific American |date=January 2020 |language=en}} advocacy for patient protections during opioid tapering,{{Cite journal |last1=Darnall |first1=Beth D |last2=Juurlink |first2=David |last3=Kerns |first3=Robert D |last4=Mackey |first4=Sean |last5=Van Dorsten |first5=Brent |last6=Humphreys |first6=Keith |last7=Gonzalez-Sotomayor |first7=Julio A |last8=Furlan |first8=Andrea |last9=Gordon |first9=Adam J |last10=Gordon |first10=Debra B |last11=Hoffman |first11=Diane E |last12=Katz |first12=Joel |last13=Kertesz |first13=Stefan G |last14=Satel |first14=Sally |last15=Lawhern |first15=Richard A |date=2019-03-01 |title=International Stakeholder Community of Pain Experts and Leaders Call for an Urgent Action on Forced Opioid Tapering |url=https://academic.oup.com/painmedicine/article/20/3/429/5218985 |journal=Pain Medicine |language=en |volume=20 |issue=3 |pages=429–433 |doi=10.1093/pm/pny228 |issn=1526-2375 |pmc=6657573 |pmid=30496540}}{{Cite web |last=Huber |first=Jennifer |date=2018-09-25 |title=Looking beyond opioids: Stanford pain psychologist briefs Congress |url=https://scopeblog.stanford.edu/2018/09/25/looking-beyond-opioids-stanford-pain-psychologist-briefs-congress/ |access-date=2023-10-14 |website=Scope |language=en-US}}{{Cite news |last=Ribeiro |first=Celina |date=2020-02-15 |title=Life after opioids: 'We have not served our patients well' |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/feb/16/life-after-opioids-we-have-not-served-our-patients-well |access-date=2023-10-14 |issn=0261-3077}} and vocal opposition of forced opioid tapering practices.{{Cite journal |last1=Darnall |first1=Beth D |last2=Juurlink |first2=David |last3=Kerns |first3=Robert D |last4=Mackey |first4=Sean |last5=Van Dorsten |first5=Brent |last6=Humphreys |first6=Keith |last7=Gonzalez-Sotomayor |first7=Julio A |last8=Furlan |first8=Andrea |last9=Gordon |first9=Adam J |last10=Gordon |first10=Debra B |last11=Hoffman |first11=Diane E |last12=Katz |first12=Joel |last13=Kertesz |first13=Stefan G |last14=Satel |first14=Sally |last15=Lawhern |first15=Richard A |date=2019-03-01 |title=International Stakeholder Community of Pain Experts and Leaders Call for an Urgent Action on Forced Opioid Tapering |url=https://academic.oup.com/painmedicine/article/20/3/429/5218985 |journal=Pain Medicine |language=en |volume=20 |issue=3 |pages=429–433 |doi=10.1093/pm/pny228 |issn=1526-2375 |pmc=6657573 |pmid=30496540}}{{Cite web |first=Beth |last=Darnall |date=2018-10-31 |title=Addressing the dual crises of pain and opioids — a case for patient-centeredness |url=https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/414140-addressing-the-dual-crises-of-pain-and-opioids-a-case-for-patient/ |access-date=2023-10-14 |website=The Hill |language=en-US}} She is creator of Empowered Relief(R), a 1-session (2 hour) pain relief skill intervention that has been shown to be non-inferior to 8-session cognitive behavioral therapy for reducing multiple symptoms at 3 months post-treatment (pain distress, pain intensity, pain interference, sleep disturbance, fatigue, depression and anxiety).{{Cite journal |last1=Darnall |first1=Beth D. |last2=Roy |first2=Anuradha |last3=Chen |first3=Abby L. |last4=Ziadni |first4=Maisa S. |last5=Keane |first5=Ryan T. |last6=You |first6=Dokyoung S. |last7=Slater |first7=Kristen |last8=Poupore-King |first8=Heather |last9=Mackey |first9=Ian |last10=Kao |first10=Ming-Chih |last11=Cook |first11=Karon F. |last12=Lorig |first12=Kate |last13=Zhang |first13=Dongxue |last14=Hong |first14=Juliette |last15=Tian |first15=Lu |date=2021-08-16 |title=Comparison of a Single-Session Pain Management Skills Intervention With a Single-Session Health Education Intervention and 8 Sessions of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Adults With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Clinical Trial |journal=JAMA Network Open |language=en |volume=4 |issue=8 |pages=e2113401 |doi=10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.13401 |pmid=34398206 |pmc=8369357 |issn=2574-3805}} The study publication was covered by the National Institutes of Health{{Cite news |date=August 16, 2021 |title=NIH-funded study suggests a single skills-based session on pain management packs a punch |work=National Institutes of Health |url=https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/nih-funded-study-suggests-single-skills-based-session-pain-management-packs-punch |access-date=November 12, 2021}} and multiple media outlets including The New York Times,{{Cite news |last=Subramanian |first=Sushma |date=November 10, 2021 |title=How Psychologists Can Treat Chronic Pain |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/09/well/mind/psychologists-chronic-pain-therapy.html |access-date=November 12, 2021}} MedPage Today{{Cite news |last=George |first=Judy |date=August 16, 2021 |title=Single-Session Skills Class Provides Chronic Pain Relief |work=MedPage Today |url=https://www.medpagetoday.com/neurology/painmanagement/94054 |access-date=September 1, 2021}} and Physician's Weekly.{{Cite news |date=August 31, 2021 |title=Pain Management Skills Class Aids Those With Chronic Low Back Pain |work=Physician's Weekly |url=https://www.physiciansweekly.com/pain-management-skills-class-aids-those-with-chronic-low-back-pain/ |access-date=September 1, 2021}}

A study of online delivered Empowered Relief(R) in patients with different types of chronic pain showed multidimensional benefits across a range of outcomes at 3 months post-treatment (compared to a usual care control group). In 2019, the Health and Human Services Pain Task Force{{Cite web |date=May 2019 |title=Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force Report: Updates, Gaps, Inconsistencies, and Recommendations. |url=https://www.hhs.gov/ash/advisory-committees/pain/reports/index.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181230040939/https://www.hhs.gov/ash/advisory-committees/pain/reports/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=December 30, 2018 |website=U.S. Department of Health and Human Services}} cited Empowered Relief as being an important and promising solution to address the unmet need of broad scale access to behavioral pain care in the U.S. Empowered Relief(R) is being delivered by more than 1,000 certified instructors in 25 countries and in 7 languages.{{Cite web |title=Empowered Relief |url=https://empoweredrelief.stanford.edu/ |access-date=2023-10-14 |website=empoweredrelief.stanford.edu |language=en}} Tailored versions of Empowered Relief(R) have been created for people with injury/surgery, opioid use disorder, Veterans, and youth with pain.

In 2018 she briefed the U.S. Congress on the opioid and pain crises, and in 2019 provided invited testimony to the FDA on iatrogenic harms from forced opioid tapering. Her work has been featured in Scientific American, NPR Radio, BBC Radio, and Nature.{{Cite journal|last=Darnall|first=Beth|date=2018-05-01|title=To treat pain, study people in all their complexity|journal=Nature|language=en|volume=557|issue=7703|pages=7|doi=10.1038/d41586-018-04994-5|pmid=29717254|bibcode=2018Natur.557....7D|doi-access=free}} In 2018 she spoke on the psychology of pain relief at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.{{Cite web|url=https://neuroscience.stanford.edu/events/optimizing-pain-management-through-positive-thinking-beth-darnall|title=Optimizing pain management through positive thinking - Beth Darnall|date=2018-02-21|website=Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute|language=en|access-date=2020-01-11|last3=California 94305}} Since 2019 she has served as Chief Science Advisor at AppliedVR,{{Cite web|date=October 26, 2020|url=https://appliedvr.io/}} a virtual reality therapeutics company that published the first study reporting on at-home skills-based virtual reality for chronic pain treatment.{{Cite journal|last1=Darnall|first1=Beth D.|last2=Krishnamurthy|first2=Parthasarathy|last3=Tsuei|first3=Jeannette|last4=Minor|first4=Jorge D.|title=Self-Administered Skills-Based Virtual Reality Intervention for Chronic Pain: Randomized Controlled Pilot Study|journal=JMIR Formative Research|volume=4|issue=7|date=July 7, 2020|page=e17293|doi=10.2196/17293|pmid=32374272|pmc=7381022 |doi-access=free }} Follow-on studies have included a randomized placebo-controlled trial of an 8-week home-based virtual reality program for chronic pain with clinical efficacy demonstrated to 24-months post-treatment.{{Cite journal|last1=Garcia|first1=Laura M|last2=Birckhead|first2=Brandon J|last3=Krishnamurthy|first3=Parthasarathy|last4=Sackman|first4=Josh|last5=Mackey|first5=Ian G|last6=Louis|first6=Robert G|last7=Salmasi|first7=Vafi|last8=Maddox|first8=Todd|last9=Darnall|first9=Beth D|date=2021-02-22|title=An 8-Week Self-Administered At-Home Behavioral Skills-Based Virtual Reality Program for Chronic Low Back Pain: Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial Conducted During COVID-19|journal=Journal of Medical Internet Research|language=en|volume=23|issue=2|pages=e26292|doi=10.2196/26292|issn=1438-8871|pmc=7939946|pmid=33484240 |doi-access=free }}{{Cite journal |last1=Garcia |first1=Laura |last2=Birckhead |first2=Brandon |last3=Krishnamurthy |first3=Parthasarathy |last4=Mackey |first4=Ian |last5=Sackman |first5=Josh |last6=Salmasi |first6=Vafi |last7=Louis |first7=Robert |last8=Castro |first8=Carina |last9=Maddox |first9=Roselani |last10=Maddox |first10=Todd |last11=Darnall |first11=Beth D |date=2022-05-25 |title=Durability of the Treatment Effects of an 8-Week Self-administered Home-Based Virtual Reality Program for Chronic Low Back Pain: 6-Month Follow-up Study of a Randomized Clinical Trial |journal=Journal of Medical Internet Research |language=en |volume=24 |issue=5 |pages=e37480 |doi=10.2196/37480 |issn=1438-8871 |pmc=9177046 |pmid=35612905 |doi-access=free }}{{Cite journal |last1=Maddox |first1=Todd |last2=Sparks |first2=Charisse |last3=Oldstone |first3=Liesl |last4=Maddox |first4=Roselani |last5=Ffrench |first5=Kelsey |last6=Garcia |first6=Heidy |last7=Krishnamurthy |first7=Parthasarathy |last8=Okhotin |first8=David |last9=Garcia |first9=Laura M. |last10=Birckhead |first10=Brandon J. |last11=Sackman |first11=Josh |last12=Mackey |first12=Ian |last13=Louis |first13=Robert |last14=Salmasi |first14=Vafi |last15=Oyao |first15=Alexis |date=2023-10-03 |title=Durable chronic low back pain reductions up to 24 months after treatment for an accessible, 8-week, in-home behavioral skills-based virtual reality program: a randomized controlled trial |journal=Pain Medicine (Malden, Mass.) |volume=24 |issue=10 |pages=1200–1203 |doi=10.1093/pm/pnad070 |issn=1526-4637 |pmc=10546478 |pmid=37220894}}

In 2020 Darnall was appointed a scientific member of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee (IPRCC) by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Alex Azar.{{Cite web|url=https://www.iprcc.nih.gov/About/Membership-Agency-Representation|access-date=October 26, 2020|website=NIH IPRCC |title=Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee (IPRCC) | National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke }} In 2020, she was appointed to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) opioid workgroup,{{Cite news|title=CDC Opioid Workgroup Roster|url=https://www.cdc.gov/injury/pdfs/bsc/OWG-Roster-External-7-22-2020-FINAL.pdf|access-date=October 26, 2020}} a group that is charged with reviewing the scientific evidence for acute and chronic pain opioid prescribing guidelines and making recommendations on the planned 2021 CDC opioid prescribing guideline. In 2021 Darnall was elected to the Board of Directors of the American Academy of Pain Medicine.