Research Themes

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Our research is organised into thematic areas, also called "work packages" (abbreviated WP). Click on the links below to find out more about each of our research themes:
  1. Protocols and recruitment (WP1)
  2. Improving how we assess neuropathic pain (WP2)
  3. Psychosocial factors (WP3)
  4. Imaging and microneurography (WP4)
  5. Genetic factors (WP5)
  6. Human tissues (WP6)
  7. Data modelling (WP7)

 

These research themes interact with each other. For example:

  • Participants recruited in WP1 fill in questionnaires. The data from the questionnaires will be used in WP3 to study the importance of psychological and social factors in neuropathic pain.
  • Some participants recruited in WP1 can take part in an imaging study, which will be used in WP4 to study the relationships between brain activity and neuropathic pain.
  • We take a blood sample from every participant recruited in WP1. This blood sample will be stored in a biobank (WP6). DNA will be  extracted from this blood sample and will contribute to the study of genetic variants linked with neuropathic pain (WP5).

The results from all these work packages will be brought together in a work package dedicated to data integration (WP7).

 

A diagram showing the interactions between the Painstorm research themes. The first work package (WP) branches out to WP 2 to 6, which all feed into WP7.

Visualisation of the interactions between the PAINSTORM research themes