Members

The main research area is whithin chronic pain and neuromodulation. The title of my PhD project is “Changing the way we think about pain: Strategies for selective cortical engagement of noradrenergic descending pain control”.

Characterisation of neuromodulator mechanisms for analgesic effects of transcutaneous spinal stimulation; spinal cord electrophysiology in rats to identify the effects of transcutaneous spinal direct current stimulation (tsDCS) on spinal cord nociceptive neurons, supraspinal modulatory regions, and their descending fibres. Research aims involve identifying the mechanisms underlying the lasting effects of tsDCS on spinal network dynamics in acute and chronic pain models. Chemogenetic manipulations will also be utilised to assess secondary hyperalgesia in an inflammatory arthritis model.

During my PhD, I studied hemodynamic and structural changes during sepsis-associated encephalopathy by combining imaging techniques with histological analysis. Currently, I am investigating the neuroprotective effects of selected bioactive molecules using both in vivo and in vitro neuroinflammatory models.

Human spinal cord circuitry and pain chronification in the Pain Neurobiology Research Group

Chronic pain, Neuropathic pain, musculoskeletal pain.
Nerve injury, nerve repair, bioengineered conduits for nerve regeneration.
EEG in human pain states.
EMG as a therapeutic tool.
Transcriptomic approaches in human pain tissues – identification of potential analgesic targets and biomakers.

Integrating pathways in opioid addiction and chronic pain. Molecular and Imaging biomarkers for Chronic Pain using animal models, fMRI and fNIRS study.

*Neuroscience, Infectious diseases, Environmental factors (light, air, etc) affecting health, Neurotechnology and neuroethics, Healthy Built environment design, Building Biology

I am engaged in the study of the intricate relationship between affective disorders and their associated comorbidities, particularly chronic pain. To delve into this complex interplay, I employ a multi-faceted approach. For human subjects, I utilize behavioral tasks and non-invasive imaging methods to unravel the neural and behavioral foundations of these conditions. When working with animal models, I employ in-house developed, customizable polyimide-based flexible electrodes. These specialized tools enable me to gain deeper insights into the neural underpinnings of these disorders.

Hongyan earned her MBBS degree and the Master of Medicine degree in China. Then she got her Master of Research degree from Imperial College London. She is currently working as a doctoral researcher at Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences and exploring how the brain and spinal cord interact to establish the multi-faceted experience of pain and combining basic and clinical research to explore pain modulation in greater depth.