Overview

Dr Charlotte Lawrenson is a neuroscientist whose research focuses on cerebellar contributions to emotional control, including pain and affective state.

She earned her undergraduate degree in Neuroscience BSc (hons) from the University of Leeds and then pursued a PhD in Systems Neuroscience at the University of Bristol, where she worked closely with Prof Richard Apps and Dr Maria Usowicz. During this time she gained an appreciation of cerebellar physiology, exploring climbing fibre function and ageing in cerebellar Purkinje cells.

After completing her PhD, she continued at Bristol University, supported by postdoctoral funding from the BBSRC. During this time her work focused on investigating the role of the cerebellum in defensive behaviour. More recently, in collaboration with Prof Bridget Lumb, she was awarded funding from the Medical Research Council to study the role of the cerebellum in individual susceptibility to chronic pain.

In 2023 Charlotte was appointed Lecturer at the University of Exeter.

Qualifications

• Neuroscience BSc(hons) University of Leeds
• PhD Systems Neuroscience University of Bristol

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Research

Research interests

Our emotions play a significant role in shaping our perception of the world. Charlotte’s research focuses on understanding how the cerebellum and its interactions with other brain regions contributes towards emotional control and associated disorders, including anxiety. More recently her research interests have expanded to explore what makes some individuals susceptible to chronic pain. Given the established connections between anxiety disorders and chronic pain, her latest research employs animal models to gain better mechanistic insights into the neural networks underpinning these conditions.

Charlotte uses a systems neuroscience approach, combining behavioural studies in animal models with targeted manipulations of neural networks using techniques such as chemogenetics and pharmacology. She also uses electrophysiological methods to record neural activity in specific brain regions, providing valuable insights into how neurons encode information during tasks such as fear learning and extinction.

She is part of the Exeter Pain Group and the GW4 Biopsychosocial Pain Network. 

Research projects

• Mechanisms underlying individual susceptibility to chronic pain.
• Understanding the role of cerebellar-periaqueductal grey projections in chronic pain.
• Investigating the function of cerebellar endocannabinoids in anxiety and pain.

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