Good vibrations and the healing power of waves

USC professor and chronic pain researcher Jason Kutch studies the effect of surfing on brain activity — but not during his early morning surf sessions. (USC Photo/Kristopher Head)

Good vibrations and the healing power of waves

USC Dornsife historian Peter Westwick and Jason Kutch of USC’s Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy — both surfers — discuss the science and mysteries of the ocean’s primordial force.

ByRachel B. Levin August 13, 2026

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Once or twice a week, chronic pain researcher Jason Kutch rises at dawn and heads to a Los Angeles-area surf break to catch some waves.

Kutch studies the effect of surfing on brain activity — but during those early morning surf sessions, he’s completely focused on keeping his balance in the crashing water.

“You have to coexist with this extremely powerful force that demands all of your attention,” says Kutch, a professor in the USC Division of Biokinesiology and Physical Therapy.

Kutch and Peter Westwick, professor of the practice of thematic option and history at the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, are both experts in the science and technology of surfing. Kutch is studying whether surfing can positively shift brain activity and relieve chronic pain. Westwick, also a surfer, explored the tension between the sport’s natural and engineered elements as co-author of The World in the Curl: An Unconventional History of Surfing.

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