Franziska Denk, Group Leader

Besides working on our research, I am very keen on fostering open, reproducible and interdisciplinary science.

I am Co-Director of a Wellcome Trust funded PhD Training Programme in Neuro-immune Interactions and am passionate about data sharing. Check out our resources page for many exciting RNA-seq web-tools relevant to pain and neuro-immune research.

My lab is keen to engage with diverse stakeholders in pain research, such as charities and industrial partners. For instance, I am a member of Scientific Advisory Boards for Ataxia UK and Cellectricon.

Academic Background

2009- 2017: Postdoctoral research with Prof Stephen McMahon (King's College London)  

2005 - 2009: Wellcome-Trust funded DPhil in Neuroscience (Supervisor: Prof Richard Wade-Martins, University of Oxford)

2004 - 2005: MSc in Neuroscience (New College, University of Oxford)

2001 - 2004: BA in Experimental Psychology (St. Hilda's College, University Oxford)

Isabella Noelle Chiong, PhD student

My PhD project is on the role of neuro-immune-epithelial interactions in the initiation of Parkinson’s Disease within the gut. For this, I am co-supervised by Dr Joana Neves.

Academic Background

I graduated from University College London with a BSc in Biomedical Sciences in 2018. I then returned to Hong Kong to work as a junior research assistant in the Chinese University of Hong Kong for 9 months, before commencing my Masters of Research in Brain Sciences at UCL in 2019 where I developed my interest for neuroimmunology.

Isabella Doria Durazzo, Research Assistant

I am in charge of the general running of the lab and am involved in a variety of projects, which include immunostaining, genotyping and flow cytometry.

Academic Background

2021-2022: MSc in Molecular Medicine, Imperial College London

2018-2021: BSc in Biochemistry, University of Warwick

Laura Fedele, Postdoc

I am interested in cellular (hyper)excitability and the employment of human in vitro models to study the crosstalk of different cell types.

My project aims to investigate the involvement of stromal cells in chronic inflammatory pain using human stem cell derived sensory neurons. To study this I mostly use patch clamp electrophysiology and imaging techniques.

In December 2022, I was awarded an IoPPN Early Career Research Award to develop a human cell culture model to study the interaction of parasympathetic neurons and cardiomyocytes.

Academic Background

2019-2022: Postdoc at the NHLI, Imperial College London (PI: Prof Thomas Brand and Prof Julia Gorelik)

2017-2018: Postdoc in Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology, UCL (PI: Prof Trevor Smart)

2013-2017: PhD in Neuroscience UCL (PI: Prof Trevor Smart and Prof Robert Harvey)

2012-2013: MSc in Neuroscience, UCL

2009-2012: BSc (Hons) in Neuroscience, University of Dundee

George Goodwin, Postdoc Fellow

I am interested in understanding peripheral pain mechanisms. To study this, I mostly use in vivo and ex vivo electrophysiological and imaging techniques.

I have recently obtained MRC funding to study spontaneous sensory neuron activity in musculoskeletal pain conditions, such as osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Academic Background

2018-2021: Postdoc in Prof. Stephen McMahon’s group - WCARD, King’s College London

2014-2018: Neuroscience PhD in Prof Andrew Dilley’s group - Brighton and Sussex Medical School

2011 – 2012: Industry Placement - AstraZeneca, Safety Pharmacology, Alderley Park

2009-2013: MSci Pharmacology - University of Bristol

Yuening Li, PhD student

My PhD project is on the bi-directional communication between neurons, immune and stromal cells in rheumatoid arthritis. For this, I am co-supervised by Prof Leonie Taams.

Academic Background

I completed my BSc in Biological Sciences at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University in China, before moving on to an MSc Neuroscience at University College London.

Amy Lock, PhD student

My PhD project is looking at the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying pain and pruritus in keloid scars. For this, I am co-supervised by Dr Tanya Shaw.

Academic Background:

2014-2018: BSc in Natural Sciences (with industrial placement), University of Bath

2019-2020: Research Assistant at Haoma Medica (Biotech)

2020-2021: MRes in Biomedical and Translational Sciences, King’s College London

2021-present: MRC DTP PhD at King’s College London

Alina-Cristina Marin, Postdoc

I am a sensory systems neuroscientist passionate about all things home cage behaviour, using naturalistic sensory landscapes and automation of behavioural tasks. My research also involves in vivo calcium imaging of neurons in the dorsal root ganglion.

I am passionate about Research Culture, Credibility in Neuroscience, Animal Welfare and Open Science.

Academic Background

2017-2022: PhD in Neuroscience at Francis Crick Institute / UCL, supervised by Prof Andreas Schaefer

2013-2017: BSc (Hons) in Neuroscience, University of Glasgow

Sara Villa, Postdoc Fellow

My work is focused on the study of neuronal enhancers in the sensory nervous system. 

For this, I'm using different sequencing technologies after sorting neurons from dorsal root ganglion and spinal cord. 

Academic Background

2017-2018: Postdoc at LMB-MRC, Cambridge University (PI: Joe Yeeles)

2012-2017: PhD at the Institute of Functional Biology and Genomics, Salamanca & the Centre for Biological Research, Madrid (Supervisor: Prof Rodrigo Bermejo)

2011-2012: MSc in Cancer Biology and Clinics (Cancer Research Centre, Salamanca, Spain)

2005-2011: BSc in Biology (University of Salamanca, Spain)

Academic Background

2018-2023: PhD on Inflammation & Obesity, Imperial College London (PI: Chris Schiering)

2013-2018: Research Technician & part-time MPhil in Medical Studies, University of Dundee & University of Exeter (PI: Craig Beall)

2012-2013: Research Technician, University of Dundee (PI: Will Fuller)

2009-2012: BSc (Hons) in Neuroscience, University of Dundee