Head of research group: Carsten Dahl Mørch 

Who we are?

The research group consists of researchers with backgrounds, in biophysics, biomedical engineering and medicine. 

Our research – what we do?

The research into the neuroscience of pain aims at understanding the basic mechanisms of the pain system. Our research is centered on three key areas and their mutual interconnectedness:

• Peripheral nociception. We have developed methods to investigate how nociceptors generate and mediate pain signals in healthy humans and pathological situations.

• Spinal mechanisms. We investigate normal and pathological integration of nociceptive activity at spinal level with a specific focus on the central sensitization phenomenon.

• Cortical processes. We investigate how nociceptive input is transformed into pain and how different cognitive, perceptual and emotional contexts influence pain perception.

How does our research contribute to societal health challenges?

We envision that selective activation and probing of the pain system will provide mechanism-based differential diagnostics and that pain treatments can be individualized based on mechanistic approaches. We therefore strive to provide basic understanding that may identify new targets for attenuating the pain signal even before it reaches the spinal cord. Further insights into the cortical dynamics of pain perception could also provide a new alternative to better characterize and monitor the plastic changes that occur in the brain during the transition to a chronic pain condition.

Who are our key collaborators?

The group has many national and international academic and clinical collaborators. In addition, there is close collaboration with industry. Several senior group members are active in the management of international networks/societies.

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