Professor Fiona Boissonade

I have a major research interest in the mechanisms of altered neuronal excitability that occur under the pathological conditions of nerve injury and inflammation, and which contribute to the development of chronic pain, including that in the oro–facial region. Much of this research has been done at the academic–industrial interface. Collaborations with GSK, Pfizer and Eli Lilly have funded a wide range of pre-clinical translational studies, using pre-clinical models and human tissues to identify and validate a range of regulators of neuronal excitability as potential targets for the development of novel analgesics and anti-inflammatory mediators.
Other research projects are directed towards improvement of nerve regeneration. This work investigates methods of improving nerve repair through the use of a range of therapeutic agents, bioengineered conduits and cell therapies, and includes collaborations with the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, the Department of Biomedical Science and the Centre for Stem Cell Biology at the University of Sheffield. I also collaborate with the Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN) investigating the role of chemokines in CNS disease. Other projects focus on neural–immune interactions and their role in tumour progression and wound healing.

This work is and has been supported by grant income from the EU, Research Councils UK (BBSRC, MRC), industry (GSK, Eli Lilly, Pfizer and Renovo) and charities (Wellcome Trust, Action Research), including Industrial Partnership Awards and CASE Industrial Studentships.

Research team

• Emma Bird (PDRA)
• Adam Harding (PDRA)
• Milena De Felice (Marie Curie Fellow)
• Matt Worsley (Research Technician)