Our Research

Opportunities to be involved in research

The following studies are actively recruiting participants:

MiTiGate Trial

Elucidate Study

FacE-PD study

Current projects

  • Investigating the role of the kynurenine pathway in irreversible pulpitis

    Investigating the role of the kynurenine pathway in irreversible pulpitis

    The kynurenine pathway is responsible for the catabolism of the essential amino acid kynurenine. This pathway has been linked to acute and chronic pain in animal models of viral infections. Research by the team has shown upregulation of this pathway in pulpititis (toothache) and it appears to be pushing the pathway towards neuroinflammation and pain.…

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  • Mechanism of Spinal Cord Stimulation in the management of chronic neuropathic pain

    Mechanism of Spinal Cord Stimulation in the management of chronic neuropathic pain

    Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) is used as a safe and effective option for multiple chronic neuropathic pain disorders. While different stimulation paradigms have been implemented into clinical practice, it remains unclear how these paradigms affect the spinal and supraspinal circuits. Evoked compound action potentials (ECAP) have been successfully used as an objective measure to quantify…

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  • FacE-PD- Facial pain Experience in Parkinson’s Disease 

    This study aims to understand the types of pain affecting the face, head and mouth regions in people with Parkinson’s disease. Most people living with Parkinson’s disease experience pain, and this pain is often not well managed. Pain acts as the body’s warning system, signalling that something may be wrong so that the area can…

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See all research projects

Our Research Themes

Mechanisms and pathways of pain

Our work aims to understand how and why acute and persistent pain is experienced in painful conditions such as toothache, persistent facial pain, and neuropathic pain.

Pain therapeutics and clinical trials

In this research theme, our work explores new targets to treat painful conditions and assesses the efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness of clinical treatments.

Pain diagnostics

This work aims to improve on the current methods that clinicians have to diagnose pain conditions, and to measure and assess people’s experience of pain.

Applied pain research

Our research uses innovative clinical research, integrating multidisciplinary perspectives, to explore how best to help people who suffer from painful conditions.

Our Collaborators

Academic collaborators
  • Osaka University, Japan
  • University of Minnesota, MN, USA
  • Aarhus University, Denmark
  • University of Liverpool, UK
  • University of Sheffield, UK
  • University of Leeds, UK
  • University of Manchester, UK
  • Durham University, UK
Industrial collaborators

We work with several companies in the pharmaceutical and medical device sectors.