Basic Research

The PMRI runs an intensive research program in collaboration with the University of Sydney’s Department of Anatomy & Histology and Pharmacology, and other universities in Australia and overseas.

The PMRI’s major areas of research and research leaders are:

• Brain, Behaviour and Society Research Group: A/Prof Michael Nicholas
• Cellular Physiology of Pain: Dr Chris Vaughan
• Epidemiological Pain Research: Dr Fiona Blyth
• Human studies: Prof Michael Cousins
• Opioids and Neuropathic Pain: Dr. Peregrine Osborne
• Peripheral Mechanisms and Injury: A/Prof. Janet Keast
• Spinal cord injury pain clinical research program: A/Prof Philip Siddall

The research programs at PMRI pursue our overall theme that persistent pain is a disease entity with its own symptoms, signs and underlying disorders such as abnormal spinal cord and brain physiology, neurochemistry, anatomy, and pathology. Understanding these abnormalities will allow us to develop new specific treatments for persistent pain.

There are three large 5-year basic PMRI research programs investigating mechanisms and treatment of a wide range of severe persistent pain problems that many people suffer. All three programs have attracted major national and, or international competitive 5-year program funding.  

A/Professor Keast is the leader of a PMRI team that was awarded $2M over 4 years commencing in 2005 for a Spinal Cord Injury and Other Neurological Conditions Research Program grant by the NSW Government to investigate mechanisms and treatments for spinal cord injury induced pain. This was the largest award of its kind in 2004.

A/Professor Keast is also the leader of an international team funded by the National Institutes of Health (USA) to identify mechanisms of pelvic pain.
Professor Christie, as a co-chief investigator with a team of at the University of Queensland was awarded a NHMRC Program grant of $7M over 5 years commencing in 2005 to improve our understanding of pain pathways subserving chronic pain using conopeptides.

For more information on these programs, please check on the following links.

Major Programs:

• Mapping pain pathways with Northern Queensland cone shell neuropeptides
• Mechanisms underlying pelvic visceral pain
• Pain following Spinal Cord Injury (SCI): Understanding mechanisms to develop treatments

Other programs

• Development of Non-Drug Method of Pain Management and Restoration of Life Activities
• Epidemiological Pain Research
• Tolerance to morphine-like drugs (opioids)