After a long search for the correct person we are pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Andrew Marshall to the Pain Relief Foundation Dr Marshall will join us on the 13^th May as a Senior Lecturer in Pain Medicine; the role is a joint role and will also see Andrew working for the Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease at the University of Liverpool and also the Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust where he will conduct clinical work as an honorary Consultant

Dr Marshalls research focus involves investigating the structure and function of small nerve fibres, mainly C-Fibres, in both health and disease (e.g. in small fibre neuropathy). This work involves imaging of C-Fibres (skin and cornea) as well as functional assessments with quantitative sensory testing (using the German Pain Consortium protocol) and microneurography.

His particular interest, and the thrust of his current work, relates to a relatively recently discovered C-Fibre, the C-Tactile afferent, which appears to be involved encoding pleasant, affiliative, touch as well as having a significant pain modulatory effect. He is also studying the spinal cord processing of the C-Tactile afferent system in collaboration with Dr Manohar Sharma at the Walton Centre.

These are very exciting times for the Pain Relief Foundation and Pain Research Institute and we welcome Dr Marshall as we look to put new strategies in place and hopefully expand the name and role of both the Pain Relief Foundation and Institute.