Dr Sam Hughes

About me:

Research carried out in my lab focuses on measuring activity in descending pain modulation systems using psychophysical and neurophysiological techniques. We are interested in using this information alongside mechanistic multimodal data derived from human surrogate pain models to help identify risk factors for developing chronic pain and to help assess the mechanisms and therapeutic efficacy of novel centrally acting pain therapies.

I am one of the founding members of the UK Chronic Pain Neurotechnology Network (CPNN+): A UKRI-funded academic-clinical-patient network+ dedicated to next-generation neurotechnology for chronic pain launched in 2022 (www.cpnn.ac.uk).

I am the co-lead of the Exeter Brain Network and co-lead of the neuroscience research theme in the Department of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences.

I helped to establish the Exeter Pain Group, which comprises experts from various fields, including neuroscience, psychology, data science and clinical medicine with a view to understand phenotypic characteristics of pain conditions and to help inform more effective pain management.

Interests:

We use a number of techniques to measure top-down modulation within central nociceptive pathways (e.g., quantitative sensory testing, neurophysiological assessment of spinal and brainstem reflexes, immersive virtual reality, non-invasive brain stimulation) alongside human pain models.

We currently have three broad areas of interest:

1) Immersive virtual reality-based analgesia

We are interested in understanding how immersive virtual reality can be used to harness the therapeutic effects of nature. We are interested in understanding how natural environments interact with key endogenous analgesic circtuiry in the brain, brainstem and spinal cord using human pain models, neurophysiology and neuroimaging techqniues. We are also interested in understanding how this approach can be used to manage chronic pain using mixed-methods approaches in patient groups. Collaborators: Dr Kayleigh Wyles (University of Plymouth); Dr Giorgio Ganis (University of Plymouth); Prof Patricia Schofiled (University of Plymouth)

2) Non-invasive deep brain stimulation of pain-related brain regions

We are using transcranial ultrasound stimulation to harness endogenous analgesic activity in deeper brain regions using a combination of neuroimaging, neurophysiology and human pain models. Collaborators: Dr Elsa Fouragnan

3) Assessment of mechanisms and therapeutic efficacy of centrally-acting pharmacological agents

We are interested in using a battery of neurophysiological tests (e.g. spinal and brainstem nociceptive reflexes alongside cortical EEG) to assess the mechanisms of centrally acting pharmacological approaches. We are particulalry interested in understanding how psychedelic-based therapies work to alleviate pain. Collaborators: Prof Celia Morgan (University of Exeter); Dr Alex Shaw (University of Exeter).

Career:

I have a BSc in Pharmacology (1st class) from University College London and a PhD in Systems Neuroscience from the University of Bristol. During my PhD, I researched descending noradrenergic control systems during neuropathic pain in the labs of Prof Tony Pickering and Prof Bridget Lumb.

After my PhD, I moved to Imperial College London, where I spent four years using non-invasive brain stimulation techniques in sciatica patients and in human pain models in Dr Paul Strutton’s lab. I then moved to Kings College London to start a research fellowship (Kings Prize/Anthony Mellow Award) investigating the effects of non-invasive deep brain stimulation on the sensitisation of central nociceptive pathways with Dr Matthew Howard.

In 2020 I joined the University of Plymouth as a Lecturer and started the Pain Modulation Lab at the Brain Research and Imaging Centre (BRIC). In 2022, I joined the University of Exeter as a Senior Lecturer in Pain Neuroscience.