Research focus

Chronic pain is defined simply as pain that persists beyond 3 months, but in reality is a suffering marked by emotional distress and physical disability. The socioeconomic impact of chronic pain is tremendous; current annual healthcare expenditure and employment costs for Europe and the United States are estimated at €200 billion and $635 billion respectively, far exceeding costs associated with heart disease, cancer and diabetes. For many patients, the extent of disease or injury does not fully account for the severity of pain. We seek to understand their experience of pain, and the associated physiological responses in laboratory and free-living conditions. Our goal is to discover better adapt existing treatments or discovery new ones to help with chronic pain.