2023 RTP - Pain, body perception and the human brain

Status: Open

Applications open: 8/07/2022
Applications close: 18/08/2022

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About this scholarship
Description/Applicant information

Of all the chronic diseases, chronic pain is often overlooked. Such oversight is surprising given the annual cost of pain to society is greater than that of heart disease, cancer and diabetes [1]. Defined as pain that lasts longer than three months, chronic pain is one of the leading causes of years lived with disability in the world today [2]. Pain is finally coming into focus, making it into mainstream media – largely due to the opioid crisis facing many countries, including Australia. These tragic stories highlight that the treatment needs of pain sufferers continue to be unmet. There are still fundamental questions about pain and we need answers.
Regardless of where in the body we feel the pain, pain itself is produced by the central nervous system – i.e. the brain and spinal cord. Certainly as pain becomes chronic, the relationship between pain and any injury that may have occurred becomes weaker and more tenuous. It is interesting that there are common features across different chronic pain conditions, irrespective of where the pain is felt. These features highlight the crucial role of the brain in chronic pain. For instance, the more traditional physical treatments – aimed at reducing pain and disability in the affected body part – are not always effective. Second, the spread of pain does not always follow predictable nerve territories but instead occurs in intriguing patterns, for instance in mirroring to the opposite side of the body. Third, pain sufferers have fascinating deficits in their body perceptions, not least of all their perception of touch.
Our research aims to better understand the role of the brain in chronic pain and the perceptual deficits that so often accompany the pain. We are particularly interested in the way pain spreads around the body, and the underlying mechanisms. To understand this we need to investigate how the human nervous system processes and tunes incoming tactile information, i.e. touch. We can do this by using tools such as electroencephalography (EEG) and brain imaging with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We also have virtual reality technology which we can use to study the effects of altering body perception.
Currently funded by the Raine Medical Research Foundation, we are trialling a novel and simple, and importantly evidence-based, graded training program to treat widespread pain using touch. Not only does this work hold promise for chronic pain sufferers in the future, in the short term this work will directly lead into and inform a larger study, aimed at understanding the role of inhibition in sensory processing and motor control (and how our brain might use incoming sensory information to prepare for movement).
This project may be suitable for you if you are interested in some of the following: chronic pain, neuroimaging, neuroscience, sensory processing, sensorimotor control, study design, and data analysis. You will need to be able to problem solve and work independently to a degree. The results of this work will significantly advance knowledge in chronic musculoskeletal pain, one of the most common and costly health issues Australia is likely to face for the foreseeable future. 
[1] Gaskin DJ, et al. J Pain. 2012;13:715. 
[2] Vos T, et al. The Lancet. 2013;380:2163. 

An Internship opportunity may also be available with this project.

Student type

• Future Students

Faculty

• Faculty of Health Sciences

Course type

• Higher Degree by Research

Citizenship

• Australian Citizen
• Australian Permanent Resident
• New Zealand Citizen
• Permanent Humanitarian Visa

Scholarship base

• Merit Based

Value

The annual scholarship package (stipend and tuition fees) is approx. $60,000 - $70,000 p.a.

 

Successful HDR applicants for admission will receive a 100% fee offset for up to 4 years, stipend scholarships, valued at $28,854 p.a. for up to a maximum of 3.5 years, are determined via a competitive selection process. Applicants will be notified of the scholarship outcome in November 2022. 

 

For detailed information, visit: Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarships | Curtin University, Perth, Australia.

Scholarship Details
Maximum number awarded

1

Eligible courses

All applicable HDR courses

Eligibility criteria

Applicants with clinical (eg Physiotherapy) or biomedical background (eg Human Biology) are welcome to apply. You will be required to interact directly with study participants, including healthcare patients, so background/experience in client/patient-facing roles is desirable.

• English language IELTS level of 7 or above
• One of the following academic qualifications in Biomedical Science or similar:
 -Honours degree with no less than a distinction average (1st or 2A Honours)
-Master of Philosophy or Master of Research
-Master's by Coursework (at least ¼ research component);
-Postgraduate Diploma (at least ¼ research component) awarded with distinction.
• Publication of a peer-reviewed paper desirable. 

Application process

If this project excites you, and your research skills and experience are a good fit for this specific project, you should contact the Project Lead (listed below in the enquires section) via the Expression of Interest (EOI) form. ahead of the closing date.

Enrolment Requirements

Eligible to enrol in a Higher Degree by Research Course at Curtin University by March 2023

Enquiries

To enquire about this project opportunity that includes a scholarship application, contact the Project lead, Dr Flavia Di Pietro via the EOI form above.

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