Dr Mairu’s main research interests focusses on pain mechanisms and the generation of new tools and drugs that could ameliorate persistent pain states. Specifically, her research focuses on uncovering new signalling pathways involved in chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) and provide new targets for its treatment. As well as understanding the long-term consequence of silencing pain-pathways using novel Botulinum constructs. Her approach involves the use of new Botulinum constructs that target specific pain signalling neurons within the spinal cord. This research has the potential to lead to new treatments for neuropathic pain, but potentially it could also improve other forms of chronic pain, such as inflammatory pain or chemotherapy-induced pain.
By applying her work on biological and pharmacological mechanisms, and the CINN Pain Lab’s work on magnetic resonance spectroscopy, we have since been awarded funding to investigate the influence of systemic inflammation on long-COVID induced chronic pain. This pilot work will use phlebotomy and spectroscopy techniques to quantify inflammation in the periphery, as well as in the brain, to understand why some long-COVID sufferers appear to be vulnerable to developing chronic pain alongside. This will facilitate the development of translational bench->bedside models for assessing and managing chronic pain in long COVID patients, as well as improving our understanding of the underlying mechanisms, for the purpose of optimising treatment.