Christopher Brown
Senior Lecturer in Psychology, Institute of Population Health, University of Liverpool
Contact: Christopher.Brown@liverpool.ac.uk
Main research interests
My reearch focuses on the long-term vision of advancing personalised pain treatment by exploring the brain’s response to pain and related psychological factors. My team is dedicated to transforming pain management by investigating the brain, psychological, and clinical dimensions of chronic pain, aiming to enable personalised, effective treatment strategies for diverse patient populations. Using advanced neuroimaging and mathematical modelling, we explore how brain structure and function contribute to pain perception and resilience, and whether predictive brain biomarkers can help identify central mechanisms of chronic pain. We also investigate psychological influences on pain, such as maladaptive beliefs and pain catastrophising, which can worsen patient outcomes. By integrating statistical modelling and machine learning, we aim to develop predictive models that guide patient selection and personalise Pain Management Programmes, addressing unique healthcare needs in Northwest England. Additionally, we explore brain ageing and pain interactions to predict chronic pain onset in at-risk populations, with a goal of enhancing preventative care. Together, our projects contribute to a comprehensive understanding of chronic pain, supporting innovations in assessment, prediction, and targeted interventions that respond to individual patient needs.
Selected publications
Halicka, M., Wilby, M., Duarte, R., and Brown, C. (2023) Predicting patient-reported outcomes following lumbar spine surgery: development and external validation of multivariable prediction models, BMC Musculoskelet Disord, 24(333). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12891-023-06446-2
Halicka, M., Duarte, R., Catherall, S., Maden, M., Coetsee, M., Wilby, M., and Brown, C. (2022) Systematic Review and meta-analysis of predictors of return to work after spinal surgery for chronic low back and Leg Pain, The Journal of Pain, 23(8). DOI:10.1016/j.jpain.2022.02.003.
Lee, M., Nahorski, M., Hockley, J., Lu, V., Ison, G., Pattison, L., Fletcher, E., ... Brown, C. (2020) Human Labor Pain Is Influenced by the Voltage-Gated Potassium Channel KV6.4 Subunit, Cell Reports, 32(3). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2020.107941.
Power, A., Brown, C., Sivan, M., Lenton, A., Rainey, T., El-Deredy, W., . . . Watson, A. (2020). Individuals with chronic pain have the same response to placebo analgesia as healthy controls in terms of magnitude and reproducibility. Pain, 161(12). DOI:10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001966