Dr Flavia Mancini

Interests

Chronic pain affects 1 in 5 people and is the leading cause of disability in the world. There are unresolved questions that urgently require answers to treat pain effectively, a crucial one being how the brain processes pain signals and gives rise to the feeling of pain. The brain does not passively receive information from the nerves but rather interprets it based on what it already knows, anticipating and trying to adjust its responses to what will happen next. I aim to discover how the brain accomplishes these fundamental functions when we are in pain. This is important because expectations and predictions shape pain perception and the neural response to noxious input throughout the central nervous system. The ultimate aim of my research is to understand and correct neural computations of pain dynamics in order to improve the prevention, treatment and management of chronic pain. My research is funded by an MRC Career Development Award.

Research Focus

Equipment

Behavioural analysis

Computational modelling

Electroencephalography (EEG)

Electrophysiological recording techniques

Laser stimulation of intra-epidermal nerve fibers

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Neuropsychological testing