About

Dr. Michael D Robinson is an assistant professor in the University of Florida's Department of Medicine, within the Division of General Internal Medicine. He serves as the Medical Director of Internal Medicine at Springhill and has been in this role since 2023. Dr. Robinson is recognized for his excellence in medical student teaching and has been inducted into the University of Florida Internal Medicine Residency program in 2015, as well as the Chapman Chapter of the Gold Humanism Honor Society in the same year. He teaches courses such as the Family Medicine and Ambulatory Care Clerkship. His clinical profile includes specialties in General Internal Medicine, and his research contributions include publications on topics such as patient perspectives on incretin-based weight loss medications, sarcoidosis with laryngeal and tracheal involvement, and perioperative anemia. Dr. Robinson's educational background includes completing his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Florida from 2015 to 2018.

Research topics

• Computer Science
• Medicine
• Physical therapy
• Psychology
• Geology
• Physics
• Astrobiology
• Astronomy
• Remote sensing
• History
• Pathology
• Art
• Dermatology
• Audiology
• Clinical psychology

Selected publications

• Cortico-midbrain-spinal mechanisms underlying placebo analgesia

  Journal of Pain · 2025-11-08

  articleOpen accessSenior author
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• The Two Sides of Placebo Analgesia: Differential Functional Connectivity Reveals Mechanisms of Placebo Analgesic Response

  Journal of Pain Research · 2025-01-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Background: Previous research has demonstrated that placebo induction manipulations can reduce an individual's pain through non-specific mechanisms, such as expectancy manipulations. However, despite robust research characterizing these effects, individual differences in predicting placebo analgesic responses are not well understood. Methods: Fifty-four healthy pain-free adults over 18 (M=22.8, SD=7.82) were recruited (66.7% women). Participants completed a baseline followed by a placebo session involving the application of an inactive cream in the context of an expectancy-enhancing instruction set while undergoing a functional magnetic resonance imaging scan (fMRI). Painful heat stimuli were applied to the thenar eminence of the right palm. Stimulus intensity was individually calibrated to produce pain ratings of approximately 40 on a 100-point visual analog scale. Generalized psychophysiological interaction (gPPI) was used to assess the group differences in functional connectivity during painful stimulation compared to warmth stimulation. Results: About 68.5% showed a reduction in pain in the placebo condition with an average decrease of 30.3%. Non-responders showed an increase in pain in the placebo condition, with an average increase of 18.6%. Repeated measures ANOVA demonstrated a significant within-subjects interaction between expectancy and responder type (F(1,49)=4.27, p=0.04, ηp2=0.08). Expected pain was significantly associated with pain in the placebo session for the responders (b=0.37, R2=0.29, p<0.001), but not for the non-responders (b=0.11, R2=0.04, p=0.42). gPPI analysis revealed three clusters exhibiting greater increases in FC in areas related to attention and sensory integration in placebo responders compared to non-responders. One cluster was identified where greater increases in functional connectivity were associated with non-responders compared to responders in regions associated with attention and motor processing. Conclusion: Our results provide evidence that responders and non-responders have differential behavioral and functional responses to acute pain during a placebo analgesic task.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Acute alcohol intake disrupts resting state network topology in healthy social drinkers

  Drug and Alcohol Dependence · 2025-11-22

  articleOpen access
  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Impact of repeated exposure to CPM on CPM efficiency and pain sensitivity in healthy adults: a randomized controlled trial

  Frontiers in Pain Research · 2025-11-13 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Conditioned pain modulation (CPM) is a behavioral measure of diffuse noxious inhibitory control (DNIC), an endogenous central pain modulatory mechanism in which one pain stimulus suppresses the perception of another. CPM efficiency is reduced in individuals with chronic pain and serves as a potential predictor for the development of chronic pain conditions. Current research indicates that CPM, traditionally viewed as a static metric, may exhibit protocol-dependent variability in its effects on pain sensitivity, potentially through neuroplastic mechanisms and central pain processing pathways. This randomized controlled trial (NCT05783362) investigated whether repeated activation of central pain modulatory systems enhances CPM efficiency. The secondary aim examined associations between repeated CPM exposure and pain-related psychological factors. Sixty healthy participants (52% female; ages 18–75) were randomly allocated to High Exposure (HE), Low Exposure (LE), or No Exposure (NE) CPM intervention groups. Pre- and post-intervention measures included CPM efficiency and pain sensitivity across thermal and pressure pain tests. Two-way ANOVA analyses revealed significant main effects for both time ( p &amp;lt; 0.001, η 2 = 0.23) and intervention ( p = 0.030, η 2 = 0.107) on CPM efficiency when comparing HE and LE groups from pre- to post-intervention. One-way ANOVA analysis at the final visit showed that HE demonstrated significantly higher CPM efficiency compared to LE ( p = 0.02, Cohen's d = 0.73), while comparisons between HE and NE approached but did not reach statistical significance ( p = 0.053–0.060; medium-to-large effect sizes, Cohen's d &amp;gt; 0.70). This was supported by increased heat threshold pain intensity ratings ( p &amp;lt; 0.001, η 2 = 0.13), suggesting broader adaptations in pain processing that strengthen descending pain control mechanisms. Other QST measures and psychological variables remained unchanged, suggesting the specificity of the modulatory enhancement. Results support the plasticity of endogenous pain modulation and suggest potential therapeutic applications for pain management interventions. Clinical Trial Registration https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05783362 , identifier NCT05783362.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Normosmic Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism, Pituitary Hypoplasia, and Testicular Microlithiasis as Presentation of 45XY Robertsonian Translocation

  Genetics & Molecular Medicine · 2024-12-31

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  Male hypogonadism is characterized by the failure of the testes to produce normal levels of testosterone, sperm, or both. It can manifest as either primary hypogonadism (testicular dysfunction) or secondary hypogonadism (hypothalamic pituitary dysfunction). Testosterone is critical for the development of male physical characteristics and plays an essential role in maintaining muscle mass, bone density, sexual function, and overall mood and energy levels. Hypogonadism, either primary or secondary, can present in various stages of life with different associated symptoms. Most commonly prepubertal age males present with delayed puberty, whereas adult males present with symptoms of decreased libido, erectile dysfunction, fatigue, overall lack of energy and infertility. This report describes a case of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, testicular microlithiasis, and pituitary hypoplasia associated with a 13;14 Robertsonian translocation, an uncommon and incompletely understood etiology of hormonal dysfunction and infertility.

  PublisherDOI

• Delayed Recovery After Exercise-Induced Pain in People with Chronic Widespread Muscle Pain Related to Cortical Connectivity

  Brain Sciences · 2024-10-30 · 2 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: There is a subset of patients with pain who become worse after exercise. To explore this, we examined the responses of people with chronic primary pain to a standardized high intensity exercise protocol used to induce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). METHODS: Ten participants with a diagnosis of chronic widespread muscle pain (CWMP) were matched by age and reported gender to ten participants without muscle pain (i.e., no pain (NP)). Participants completed a standardized DOMS protocol. Pain intensity in the arm at rest and with movement was assessed using daily electronic diaries. Peak pain, the timing of peak pain, and the time to recovery were compared between groups. Associations of pain variables with the functional connectivity of the sensorimotor (SMN), cerebellum, frontoparietal control (FPN), and default mode network (DMN) both within network nodes and the rest of the brain was assessed. RESULTS: Significant differences in peak pain, the time to peak pain, and the time to recovery were noted between groups for both pain at rest and pain with movement after controlling for catastrophizing and pain resilience. Connectivity across the SMN, FPN, and DMN was associated with all pain-related variables. Significant group differences were identified between groups. CONCLUSIONS: A standardized muscle "injury" protocol resulted in more pain, a longer time to peak pain, and a longer time to resolve pain in the patient group compared to the NP group. These differences were associated with differences in connectivity across brain regions related to sensorimotor integration and appraisal. These findings provide preliminary evidence of the dysregulation of responses to muscle (micro)trauma in people with chronic pain.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Guide to the FIDIC Conditions of Contract for Construction

  2023-01-06 · 1 citations

  book1st authorCorresponding

  Enables readers to easily understand the contract to enable better compliance and efficiency Guide to the FIDIC Conditions of Contract for Construction: The Red Book 2017 helps the reader overcome some of the difficulties encountered on a typical international construction project using the FIDIC Construction Contract 2nd Edition (the 2017 Red Book), by summarizing the activities and duties of those involved, and crystallizing the requirements of the contract. To aid in reader comprehension, the text explains clauses in the sequence they appear in the contract, but also in the order they happen in real time on site. It further provides practical guidance in a concise manner, and in straightforward, jargon-free language. It is a highly practical resource for use during the project, rather than a legal review of the contractual requirements, ensuring readers are fully conversant with the revised requirements and procedures mandated by the 2017 edition of the contract. Guide to the FIDIC Conditions of Contract for Construction: The Red Book 2017 includes: A review of the duties and responsibilities of the three parties, the Employer, the Engineer and the Contractor, engaged on a FIDIC-based Contract A review of the flow of documentation and instructions which is to be provided by one party to another party throughout the contract period Practical guidelines are provided for the avoidance of disputes and delays in order that contracts are completed as plannedGuide to the FIDIC Conditions of Contract for Construction: The Red Book 2017 is a practical and highly useful resource for engineers, consultants, project managers, and others who are engaged in the site management of international projects using the FIDIC Construction Contract, along with those involved in contractual administration on behalf of the client.

  PublisherDOI

• Family matters? The impact of family history of alcohol problems on pain relief from alcohol consumption

  Alcohol · 2023-05-09

  articleOpen access
  PublisherDOI

• The Science Performance of JWST as Characterized in Commissioning

  Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific · 2023 · 405 citations

  • Computer Science
  • Astrobiology
  • Remote sensing

  Abstract This paper characterizes the actual science performance of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), as determined from the six month commissioning period. We summarize the performance of the spacecraft, telescope, science instruments, and ground system, with an emphasis on differences from pre-launch expectations. Commissioning has made clear that JWST is fully capable of achieving the discoveries for which it was built. Moreover, almost across the board, the science performance of JWST is better than expected; in most cases, JWST will go deeper faster than expected. The telescope and instrument suite have demonstrated the sensitivity, stability, image quality, and spectral range that are necessary to transform our understanding of the cosmos through observations spanning from near-earth asteroids to the most distant galaxies.

  DOI

• Task‐dependent functional connectivity of pain is associated with the magnitude of placebo analgesia in pain‐free individuals

  European Journal of Pain · 2023-06-21 · 3 citations

  articleOpen accessSenior authorCorresponding

  Abstract Background Task‐based functional connectivity (FC) of pain‐related regions resulting from expectancy‐based placebo induction has yet to be examined, limiting our understanding of regions and networks associated with placebo analgesia. Methods Fifty‐five healthy pain‐free adults over 18 ( M = 22.8 years, SD = 7.75) were recruited (65.5% women; 63.6% non‐Hispanic/Latino/a/x; 58.2% White). Participants completed a baseline followed by a placebo session involving the topical application of an inactive cream in the context of an expectancy‐enhancing instruction set. Noxious heat stimuli were applied to the thenar eminence of the right palm using an fMRI‐safe thermode. Stimulus intensity was individually calibrated to produce pain ratings of approximately 40 on a 100‐point visual analogue scale. Results A total of 67.3% of the participants showed a reduction in pain intensity in the placebo condition with an average reduction in pain across the whole sample of 12.7%. Expected pain intensity was associated with reported pain intensity in the placebo session ( b = 0.32, p = 0.004, R 2 = 0.15). Voxel‐wise analyses indicated seven clusters with significant activation during noxious heat stimulation at baseline ( p FDR &lt; 0.05). Generalized psychophysiological interaction analysis suggested that placebo‐related FC changes between middle frontal gyrus‐superior parietal lobule during noxious stimulation were significantly associated with the magnitude of pain reduction ( p FDR &lt; 0.05). Conclusions Results suggest that stronger expectancy‐based placebo responses might be underpinned by greater FC among attentional and somatosensory regions. Significance This article provides support and insight for task‐dependent functional connectivity differences related to the magnitude of placebo analgesia. Our findings provide key support that the magnitude of expectation‐based placebo response depends on the coupling of regions associated with somatosensory and attentional processing.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

Recent grants

• Characterizing the effects of family history of alcoholism on alcohol analgesia

  NIH · $2.5M · 2018–2024

• NIH Grant R01DE013208

  NIH · $2.0M · 2013

• Brain Imaging and Pain: Analysis of Placebo Analgesia

  NIH · $5.2M · 2003–2023

• NIH Grant R15MH057131

  NIH · $104k · 2002

• NIH Grant R56DE013208

  NIH · $323k · 2009

Frequent coauthors

• Donald D. Price

  118 shared

• Steven Z. George

  Clinical Research Institute

  91 shared

• Roland Staud

  University of Florida

  77 shared

• Joseph L. Riley

  Copenhagen Business School

  67 shared

• Adam T. Hirsh

  Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis

  48 shared

• Erin A. Dannecker

  University of Missouri

  39 shared

• Michael E. Geisser

  University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

  35 shared

• Mark D. Bishop

  32 shared

Awards & honors

• Excellence in Medical Student Teaching (2016)
• University of Florida Internal Medicine Residency Inductee (…
• Chapman Chapter of the Gold Humanism Honor Society Intern of…