Skip to menu Skip to content Skip to footer
Dr

Jonathan Davies

Email: 

Overview

Background

Dr Jonathan Davies is a chronic pain researcher working to improve how pain is understood, assessed and treated. His research focuses on pain phenotyping, precision pain care, and the psychological, physiological and contextual factors that shape pain and treatment response.

At UQ’s Centre for Innovation in Pain and Health Research, he contributes to DISCERN, an NHMRC Synergy-funded multidisciplinary research program developing and validating new approaches to pain assessment. A major focus of his work is DECIPHER PAIN, a standardised, multimodal tool designed to characterise the relative contributions of nociceptive, neuropathic and nociplastic pain and support more personalised care.

His research integrates clinical assessment, quantitative sensory testing, experimental pain methods, psychophysiology, digital health and population data. He is particularly interested in how physiological signals, behaviour, language, psychosocial context and real-world health data can be combined to better understand individual differences in pain and treatment outcomes.

His broader expertise includes placebo and nocebo effects, mindfulness, mental health, quality of life, health outcome measurement and population health. His work aims to support more precise, scalable and patient-centred approaches to pain research and care.

Availability

Dr Jonathan Davies is:
Available for supervision

Fields of research

Affective computing Allied health and rehabilitation science Allied health and rehabilitation science not elsewhere classified Applications in health Applied and developmental psychology Applied computing Applied economics Applied statistics Autonomic nervous system Behavioural epidemiology Biological psychology Biomedical and Clinical Sciences Biostatistics Cellular nervous system Central nervous system Clinical and health psychology Clinical sciences Clinimetrics Cognition Cognitive and computational psychology Cognitive neuroscience Computer vision and multimedia computation Data engineering and data science Data management and data science Data mining and knowledge discovery Decision making Deep learning Digital health Economics Epidemiological methods Epidemiology Epidemiology not elsewhere classified General practice Health Sciences Health and community services Health economics Health equity Health informatics and information systems Health policy Health promotion Health psychology Health services and systems Health services and systems not elsewhere classified Health systems Human Society Human biophysics Human-centred computing Human-computer interaction Implementation science and evaluation Information and Computing Sciences Information extraction and fusion Learning, motivation and emotion Machine learning Machine learning not elsewhere classified Major global burdens of disease Mathematical Sciences Medical physiology Memory and attention Mental health services Mixed initiative and human-in-the-loop Multimodal analysis and synthesis Multimorbidity Neural networks Neurosciences Neurosciences not elsewhere classified Pain People with disability Peripheral nervous system Physiotherapy Policy and administration Primary health care Psychological methodology, design and analysis Psychology Psychology of religion Psychophysiology Public health Rehabilitation Rheumatology and arthritis Semi- and unsupervised learning Sensory processes, perception and performance Sensory systems Social and affective neuroscience Social and personality psychology Social determinants of health Social epidemiology Social psychology Statistical data science Statistics Stream and sensor data Systems physiology Testing, assessment and psychometrics Traditional, complementary and integrative medicine Traditional, complementary and integrative medicine not elsewhere classified

Qualifications

  • Doctoral (Research) of Psychology, University of Sydney

Research interests

  • Precision Pain Assessment and Phenotyping

    I develop and validate tools to improve the assessment and classification of chronic pain. My research combines patient-reported outcomes, quantitative sensory testing, clinical assessment and digital technologies to identify pain phenotypes and support more personalised diagnosis and treatment.

  • Population Health Research and Research Infrastructure

    I develop population-scale research resources, including longitudinal cohorts, national surveys and digital research platforms, to improve understanding of chronic pain and accelerate precision pain research. My interests include real-world data, research infrastructure, participant engagement and data harmonisation across studies.

  • Pain Mechanisms and Pain Psychology

    My research investigates the biological, psychological and social processes that contribute to chronic pain. I have a particular interest in nociceptive, neuropathic and nociplastic pain, and how cognitive and contextual factors influence pain perception and clinical outcomes.

  • Placebo, Nocebo and Contextual Effects

    I study placebo and nocebo effects, treatment expectancy, therapeutic alliance and other contextual influences on health outcomes. My work aims to understand how these mechanisms can be ethically incorporated into clinical care and rigorously controlled in clinical trials.

  • Digital Health and Clinical Decision Support

    I develop digital health approaches that integrate multimodal clinical data to support precision pain care. My interests include digital phenotyping, clinical decision support, implementation science and the translation of research tools into routine healthcare.

  • Psychophysiology and Experimental Pain

    I use experimental pain models together with psychophysiological measures including electroencephalography (EEG), heart rate variability (HRV) and electrodermal activity to investigate mechanisms of pain perception, treatment response and symptom modulation.

  • Mindfulness and Non-pharmacological Pain Management

    My research examines mindfulness and related non-pharmacological approaches for pain management, with a particular focus on the mechanisms underlying mindfulness-based analgesia and the role of expectancy and contextual factors in treatment response.

Research impacts

Dr Jonathan Davies’ research aims to improve how pain, wellbeing and treatment experiences are understood, measured and translated into better care.

His population-health and outcomes research has generated nationally representative evidence on meditation, mindfulness, yoga, and related contemplative practices in Australia, New Zealand and the United States. He has also contributed to work with the EuroQol Group to refine the EQ-HWB measure using normative Australian population data, supporting more robust assessment of mental health and wellbeing related quality of life in research and health-economic evaluation.

His methodological work has contributed to the development and validation of tools that improve the quality and safety of contemplative and behavioural research. This includes the Inventory of Meditation Experiences (IME), which helps identify and characterise adverse effects associated with meditation, and the Standardised Open-source Mindfulness Architecture (SOMA), which provides a transparent and reproducible framework for designing and reporting mindfulness-based interventions.

His current work within DISCERN is focused on advancing DECIPHER PAIN, a standardised, multimodal approach to pain phenotyping. The team is seeking MRFF Critical Research Infrastructure funding to build and deploy the tool as sustainable national research infrastructure, with the aim of enabling more consistent pain characterisation across studies and creating a pathway toward future clinical assessment and personalised pain care.

In parallel, planned knowledge-exchange and translation work will engage clinicians, end-users, designers and regulatory stakeholders to co-design the digital platform and physical sensory-testing components for real-world use. This work is intended to improve clinical relevance, usability, adoption, commercial viability and readiness for future implementation.

Across these programs, he works with clinicians, consumers and multidisciplinary researchers to translate complex science into practical tools, stronger evidence and more patient-centred approaches to research and care.

Works

Search Professor Jonathan Davies’s works on UQ eSpace

27 works between 2007 and 2026

1 - 20 of 27 works

2026

Journal Article

Validation of the EQ-HWB-9 in a mental health sample and an investigation of modifications to items

Bailey, Cate, Trapani, Karen, Davies, Jonathan N., Van Dam, Nicholas T., Galante, Julieta and Peasgood, Tessa (2026). Validation of the EQ-HWB-9 in a mental health sample and an investigation of modifications to items. Health and Quality of Life Outcomes. doi: 10.1186/s12955-026-02579-9

Validation of the EQ-HWB-9 in a mental health sample and an investigation of modifications to items

2026

Journal Article

Real-world meditation app engagement: a longitudinal study of the Medito meditation app

Adams, Julia Alice, Davies, Jonathan, Wattanakulchat, Prai, Galante, Julieta, D'Alfonso, Simon and Van Dam, Nicholas T. (2026). Real-world meditation app engagement: a longitudinal study of the Medito meditation app. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 14 e79366, 1-20. doi: 10.2196/79366

Real-world meditation app engagement: a longitudinal study of the Medito meditation app

2026

Journal Article

Contemplative practices serve as complementary mental health strategies in nationally representative samples from Australia and New Zealand

Matko, Karin, Bailey, Cate, Galante, Julieta, Davies, Jonathan N. and Van Dam, Nicholas T. (2026). Contemplative practices serve as complementary mental health strategies in nationally representative samples from Australia and New Zealand. Scientific Reports, 16 (1) 22765, 1-15. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-51375-4

Contemplative practices serve as complementary mental health strategies in nationally representative samples from Australia and New Zealand

2026

Journal Article

Quality of life, healthcare use and cost of practice from a nationally-representative Australian survey to inform future economic evaluations of contemplative practices

Bailey, Cate, Van Dam, Nicholas, Davies, Jonathan N, Schilling, Chris and Galante, Julieta (2026). Quality of life, healthcare use and cost of practice from a nationally-representative Australian survey to inform future economic evaluations of contemplative practices. Mindfulness, 17 (4), 1158-1169. doi: 10.1007/s12671-026-02788-9

Quality of life, healthcare use and cost of practice from a nationally-representative Australian survey to inform future economic evaluations of contemplative practices

2026

Journal Article

Too much or not enough of a good thing?: Reconciling differing perspectives on the optimal dose of mindfulness meditation and advancing a dose-response research agenda

Bowles, Nicholas I., Davies, Jonathan N., Strohmaier, Sarah, Galante, Julieta and Van Dam, Nicholas T. (2026). Too much or not enough of a good thing?: Reconciling differing perspectives on the optimal dose of mindfulness meditation and advancing a dose-response research agenda. Journal of Contemplative Studies, 1-37. doi: 10.57010/caxs3076

Too much or not enough of a good thing?: Reconciling differing perspectives on the optimal dose of mindfulness meditation and advancing a dose-response research agenda

2026

Journal Article

Engagement with meditation apps: a cross-sectional survey of use and associations

Adams, Julia, Davies, Jonathan, Wattanatakulchat, Prai, Galante, Julieta, Miller, Felicity, Alfonso, Simon D and Van Dam, Nicholas T (2026). Engagement with meditation apps: a cross-sectional survey of use and associations. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 28 e71960, 1-23. doi: 10.2196/71960

Engagement with meditation apps: a cross-sectional survey of use and associations

2026

Journal Article

Prevalence and predictors of meditation use in Australia and New Zealand: results from a nationally representative survey

Davies, Jonathan N., Bailey, Cate, Galante, Julieta and Van Dam, Nicholas T. (2026). Prevalence and predictors of meditation use in Australia and New Zealand: results from a nationally representative survey. BMC Complementary Medicine and Therapies, 26 (1) 11, 1-15. doi: 10.1186/s12906-025-05183-4

Prevalence and predictors of meditation use in Australia and New Zealand: results from a nationally representative survey

2025

Journal Article

The psychometric performance of the EQ-HWB-9 for measuring health and wellbeing in a general population sample from Australia and New Zealand

Bailey, Cate, Trapani, Karen, Davies, Jonathan N., Van Dam, Nicholas, Galante, Julieta and Peasgood, Tessa (2025). The psychometric performance of the EQ-HWB-9 for measuring health and wellbeing in a general population sample from Australia and New Zealand. Quality of Life Research, 34 (12), 3707-3719. doi: 10.1007/s11136-025-04061-3

The psychometric performance of the EQ-HWB-9 for measuring health and wellbeing in a general population sample from Australia and New Zealand

2025

Journal Article

Examining dose-response effects of mindfulness meditation interventions on wellbeing: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Bowles, Nicholas, Burger, Alexander, Davies, Jonathan N., Simpson, Julie A., Galante, Julieta, Dennis, Simon J., Stone, Benjamin and Van Dam, Nicholas T. (2025). Examining dose-response effects of mindfulness meditation interventions on wellbeing: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial. JMIR Research Protocols, 14 e72786, 1-19. doi: 10.2196/72786

Examining dose-response effects of mindfulness meditation interventions on wellbeing: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

2025

Journal Article

Feasibility and acceptability of a smartphone-delivered mindfulness intervention for stress reduction in adult Singaporeans: a pilot randomized controlled trial

Sparacio, Alessandro, Davies, Jonathan Nicholas, Lee, Erin and Schmitt, Jeroen Antonius Johannes (2025). Feasibility and acceptability of a smartphone-delivered mindfulness intervention for stress reduction in adult Singaporeans: a pilot randomized controlled trial. JMIR Mental Health, 12 e77793, 1-16. doi: 10.2196/77793

Feasibility and acceptability of a smartphone-delivered mindfulness intervention for stress reduction in adult Singaporeans: a pilot randomized controlled trial

2025

Journal Article

Incidence and predictors of meditation-related unusual experiences and adverse effects in a representative sample of meditators in the United States

Van Dam, Nicholas T., Targett, Jessica, Davies, Jonathan N., Burger, Alex and Galante, Julieta (2025). Incidence and predictors of meditation-related unusual experiences and adverse effects in a representative sample of meditators in the United States. Clinical Psychological Science, 13 (3), 632-648. doi: 10.1177/21677026241298269

Incidence and predictors of meditation-related unusual experiences and adverse effects in a representative sample of meditators in the United States

2024

Journal Article

Author spotlight: Melissa Day, PhD, Jonathan Davies, PhD, Claire Walker, BSc (Hons), Jeffrey Kim, PhD

Day, Melissa A., Davies, Jonathan N., Walker, Claire, Kim, Jeffrey and Meyer-Junco, Laura (2024). Author spotlight: Melissa Day, PhD, Jonathan Davies, PhD, Claire Walker, BSc (Hons), Jeffrey Kim, PhD. Journal of Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy, 38 (3), 195-198. doi: 10.1080/15360288.2024.2412495

Author spotlight: Melissa Day, PhD, Jonathan Davies, PhD, Claire Walker, BSc (Hons), Jeffrey Kim, PhD

2024

Journal Article

Prevalence and 20-year trends in meditation, yoga, guided imagery and progressive relaxation use among US adults from 2002 to 2022

Davies, Jonathan N., Faschinger, Anna, Galante, Julieta and Van Dam, Nicholas T. (2024). Prevalence and 20-year trends in meditation, yoga, guided imagery and progressive relaxation use among US adults from 2002 to 2022. Scientific Reports, 14 (1) 14987, 14987. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-64562-y

Prevalence and 20-year trends in meditation, yoga, guided imagery and progressive relaxation use among US adults from 2002 to 2022

2024

Journal Article

Development and validation of the Inventory of Meditation Experiences (IME)

Van Dam, Nicholas T., Targett, Jessica, Burger, Alex, Davies, Jonathan N. and Galante, Julieta (2024). Development and validation of the Inventory of Meditation Experiences (IME). Mindfulness, 15 (6), 1429-1442. doi: 10.1007/s12671-024-02384-9

Development and validation of the Inventory of Meditation Experiences (IME)

2023

Journal Article

Placebo effects contribute to brief online mindfulness interventions for chronic pain: results from an online randomized sham-controlled trial

Davies, Jonathan N., Colagiuri, Ben, Sharpe, Louise and Day, Melissa A. (2023). Placebo effects contribute to brief online mindfulness interventions for chronic pain: results from an online randomized sham-controlled trial. Pain, 164 (10), 2273-2284. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002928

Placebo effects contribute to brief online mindfulness interventions for chronic pain: results from an online randomized sham-controlled trial

2023

Journal Article

Correction to: Dose–response Relationship of Reported Lifetime Meditation Practice with Mental Health and Wellbeing: a Cross-sectional Study

Bowles, Nicholas I., Davies, Jonathan N. and Dam, Nicholas T. Van (2023). Correction to: Dose–response Relationship of Reported Lifetime Meditation Practice with Mental Health and Wellbeing: a Cross-sectional Study. Mindfulness, 14 (9), 2287-2289. doi: 10.1007/s12671-023-02200-w

Correction to: Dose–response Relationship of Reported Lifetime Meditation Practice with Mental Health and Wellbeing: a Cross-sectional Study

2023

Journal Article

Outcome expectancies, effects, and mechanisms of brief training in mindfulness meditation vs. loving-kindness meditation vs a control condition for pain management: a randomized pilot study

Day, Melissa A., Matthews, Natasha, Davies, Jonathan N., Walker, Claire, Bray, Nicola, Kim, Jeffrey and Jensen, Mark P. (2023). Outcome expectancies, effects, and mechanisms of brief training in mindfulness meditation vs. loving-kindness meditation vs a control condition for pain management: a randomized pilot study. Journal of Pain and Palliative Care Pharmacotherapy, 38 (3), 1-11. doi: 10.1080/15360288.2022.2141944

Outcome expectancies, effects, and mechanisms of brief training in mindfulness meditation vs. loving-kindness meditation vs a control condition for pain management: a randomized pilot study

2022

Journal Article

How do placebo effects contribute to mindfulness-based analgesia? Probing acute pain effects and interactions using a randomized balanced placebo design

Davies, Jonathan N., Sharpe, Louise, Day, Melissa A. and Colagiuri, Ben (2022). How do placebo effects contribute to mindfulness-based analgesia? Probing acute pain effects and interactions using a randomized balanced placebo design. Pain, 163 (10), 1967-1977. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002593

How do placebo effects contribute to mindfulness-based analgesia? Probing acute pain effects and interactions using a randomized balanced placebo design

2022

Journal Article

Dose–response relationship of reported lifetime meditation practice with mental health and wellbeing: a cross-sectional study

Bowles, Nicholas I., Davies, Jonathan N. and Van Dam, Nicholas T. (2022). Dose–response relationship of reported lifetime meditation practice with mental health and wellbeing: a cross-sectional study. Mindfulness, 13 (10), 2529-2546. doi: 10.1007/s12671-022-01977-6

Dose–response relationship of reported lifetime meditation practice with mental health and wellbeing: a cross-sectional study

2021

Journal Article

Mindfulness-based analgesia or placebo effect? The development and evaluation of a sham mindfulness intervention for acute experimental pain

Davies, Jonathan N., Sharpe, Louise, Day, Melissa A. and Colagiuri, Ben (2021). Mindfulness-based analgesia or placebo effect? The development and evaluation of a sham mindfulness intervention for acute experimental pain. Psychosomatic Medicine, 83 (6), 557-565. doi: 10.1097/PSY.0000000000000886

Mindfulness-based analgesia or placebo effect? The development and evaluation of a sham mindfulness intervention for acute experimental pain

Funding

Current funding

  • 2026 - 2028
    Matching multidisciplinary management strategies to people with chronic musculoskeletal pain: the MATCH pilot and feasibility randomised clinical trial
    NHMRC MRFF Novel treatments and management strategies for chronic pain
    Open grant

Supervision

Availability

Dr Jonathan Davies is:
Available for supervision

Looking for a supervisor? Read our advice on how to choose a supervisor.

Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Lived Experience and Empathy in Chronic Pain Care: Exploring Provider-Level Influences on Patient Outcomes

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Melissa Day

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Chronic Pain:Integrating Lived Experience, Patient-Centred Outcomes & Neurobiological Correlates

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Melissa Day

Media

Enquiries

For media enquiries about Dr Jonathan Davies's areas of expertise, story ideas and help finding experts, contact our Media team:

communications@uq.edu.au