Nicolas “Niko” Massaly is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine at University of California, Los Angeles. Originally from France, he crossed many boarders to build his current research projects.

He did his graduate training in Toulouse, France, where he studied the role of protein degradation in opioid-context associative memories and opioid-seeking behavior. During his post doctoral training in Berlin, Germany he designed and tested a fentanyl derivate lacking centrally-mediated side effect as a promising tool for pain management. To further build his research on the neurocircuits driving pain-induced negative affect and their impact on reinforcing properties of either natural rewards or opioid drugs, he joined the lab of Dr. Jose Moron-Concepcion at Columbia University and then Washington University in St Louis . His lab aims at further dissecting the endogenous opioid neurocircuits mediating pain affect and substance use disorders. In addition, Niko has been dedicated in training and mentoring the upcoming generation of pain/SUD neuroscientists within his former role as post-doc and instructor, as well as organizing trainees-focused international meetings, leading DEI initiatives and summer fellowships.

Outside of lab, Niko loves cooking and going out with his partner, hiking with his dog JohnMetalTheFearless, catching butterflies with his kitties Internet & Dardamort, and spinning records at home. See HumANes of UCLA HERE