Project description:
Chronic pain is a prevalent health issue affecting over one third of the population in the UK. It is one of the leading causes of morbidity and disability. There is a considerable need to understand how chronic pain is evolved in order to develop efficacious therapies for the treatment of chronic pain. The PhD studentship provides you an excellent opportunity to delve into this topical question and allows you to develop comprehensive research skills.
Pain signals are generated from sensory nerve endings and then transmitted to the spinal cord and brain where they are further processed and interpreted. Abnormal pain signal generation and processing is a key process underlying chronic pain. It involves altered functions of nociceptors and transducers and gene dysregulation. Transient receptor potential (TRP) channels have specialised function of translating harmful stimuli into electrical signals. In addition to acting as a pain signal generator, TRP channels are also involved in pain signal transmission and pain gene dysregulation. In this PhD research programme, you will investigate the role of TRP ion channels in the generation, transmission and regulation of chronic pain. We will generate inflammatory and neuropathic pain models and assess pain behaviour. We will then isolate sensory neurons and associated tissues to probe the molecular and cellular mechanisms that underpin chronic pain. For these experiments, combinational approaches will be used including Ca2+ imaging, electrophysiology, histology, immunohistochemistry, qPCR, RNA-Seq, Western blotting and gene manipulations.
You will be able to engage our cutting-edge research and have excellent opportunities to learn multi-disciplinary knowledge (neuroscience, pharmacology and cell biology) and a range of interdisciplinary techniques in a vibrant and stimulating environment in the purpose-built interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Building (IBRB) at the Gibbet Hill Campus of the School of Life Sciences at the University of Warwick.
Key experimental skills involved: Calcium imaging, electrophysiology, western blotting, behaviour, qPCR, histology and cell culture.
Zhang Lab:
The Zhang lab is interested in the mechanisms of chronic pain and the role of ion channels such as TRP channels and sodium channels in somatosensory physiology. To learn more about the research interests in the group under https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/sci/lifesci/people/xzhang/
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