CHBH Seminar Series: Prof Thomas Graven-Nielsen

These hybrid seminars are free to attend and are open to all, both within and outside the University. Please register your interest to attend using the link above, stating whether you are attending physically or virtually.

We are delighted to announce that the Centre for Human Brain Health (CHBH) will welcome Professor Thomas Graven-Nielsen, Professor and Director of the Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP), Aalborg University, Denmark, to present a hybrid CHBH Seminar, taking place on Tuesday 14th June, 13:00-14:00.

To arrange a 1:1 meeting or would with the speaker, please contact us or state your interest when registering for the seminar via the link above.

If you wish to attend, you can register your interest using the link above.

Psychophysical and cortical effects in clinical and experimental musculoskeletal pain lasting for several days

Sensory and motor dysfunctions are common features of chronic musculoskeletal pain but still the mechanisms are poorly understood, and available treatments are largely ineffective. Accumulated findings indicate that the sensorimotor system undergoes neuroplastic change in the presence of musculoskeletal pain. In humans such changes may manifest as widespread pain and hyperalgesia, facilitated central pain mechanisms and reorganisation of sensorimotor control at spinal and cortical levels. The mechanistic progression from acute to more persistent pain is still unclear, as is the predictability of individuals vulnerable to persistent pain. Data reflecting how the corticomotor system changes over several days with experimental pain in healthy subjects and in patients will be presented as well as how the somatosensory cortical system is affected in parallel with behavioural effects.

Speaker Biography

Thomas Graven-Nielsen acquired his PhD within Biomedical Science and Engineering in 1997 (Aalborg University, Denmark). In 2006 he obtained a Doctoral degree in Medical Science (DMSc, Copenhagen University). He is Director at Center for Neuroplasticity and Pain (CNAP), Aalborg University, Denmark (since 2015), and Full Professor in Pain Neuroscience since 2008. The Danish National Research Foundation funds CNAP. The research focuses on translational studies of musculoskeletal pain bridging the gap between basic animal findings and clinical manifestations of pain. The scope is to identify and modulate key features of human pain neuroplasticity leading to prevention of maladaptive neuroplasticity and promote advantageous neuroplasticity. Development of pain models, bio-markers, and assessment technologies are key biomedical tools for the translational studies. Thomas has published 350+ peer-reviewed scientific papers (H-index: 66) and received several awards, most notably the Knight of the Order of Dannebrog (2020). He reviews papers on a regular basis for high ranked journals, has presented as keynote speaker at several international conferences, and organised scientific workshops and symposia at international meetings. More than 10 national and international collaborations on translational pain research have been established including research groups in Sweden, UK, Japan, USA and Australia. Several international guest professors have worked with Thomas in his laboratory facilities. Moreover, advocacy for pain research has been a cornerstone activity via dedicated involvement in e.g. the International Association for the Study of Pain.

These hybrid seminars are free to attend and are open to all, both within and outside the University. Please register your interest to attend using the link above, stating whether you are attending physically or virtually.

Information on CHBH events (past and upcoming) can be found here.