The role of ion channels in pain pathways (Award Seminar)

Dr Jennifer Deuis
NHMRC ECR Fellow
Vetter Group
Institute for Molecular Bioscience
The University of Queensland

Abstract: In Australia, one in five people live with chronic pain, and the prevalence of chronic pain is projected to increase further as Australia’s population ages. In recent years, ion channels have received attention as putative analgesic targets due to their crucial role in the generation of action potentials (electrical signals) in pain-sensing nerves. Our research aims to define the precise role of specific ion channel isoforms in modality- and disease-specific pain pathways to identify novel drug targets.

Bio: Dr Jennifer Deuis graduated with a Bachelor of Pharmacy in 2010 from The University of Queensland. After working as a community pharmacist, she returned to do a PhD entitled “Using toxins to elucidate the role of voltage-gated sodium channels in pain” awarded in 2016. After this, she commenced working as a postdoctoral researcher in A/Prof Vetter’s group at The Centre for Pain Research, IMB, continuing to look at the role of ion channels in pain pathways.