Research

I am David Hughes, Professor of Neuroanatomy here in the School of Psychology & Neuroscience. My research aims to improve our understanding of the complex neurocircuitry in the spinal dorsal horn, an area of critical importance in our ability to perceive the sensations of touch, pain, and itch. In my group, we use a combination of anatomical and electrophysiological approaches in both human and rodent tissue to identify individual cell populations and determine how their activity influences our ability to perceive different sensations.

The main focus of my work has been in collaboration with Brett Graham (University of Newcastle, Australia). We have identified populations of spinal neurons that influence how we perceive the sensations of touch and pain, and established that these cells also play key roles in the development of pathological pain states (tactile allodynia and mechanical hyperalgesia). These circuit mapping studies help us gain insights into how our nervous system processes sensory information and are aimed at identifying novel therapeutic targets for the development more effective treatments to manage chronic pain states.