I am a PhD student at McGill University studying the role of the chloride co-transporter NKCC1 in touch-evoked pain. Although much has been learned about pain mechanisms in recent years, much remains to be done. Some of my interests include the involvement of the peripheral nervous system in maintaining persistent pain, neuro-immune/neuro-endocrine interactions, and computational modeling of the pain neuraxis, to name a few.

I am a founding member and current President of the Quebec Network of Junior Pain Investigators (QNJPI), a trainee organization formed to increase both the quality and efficiency of pain research in Quebec by creating lasting collaborations through local networking. The QNJPI has already held two annual conferences in Montreal (2007) and Sherbrooke, Qc (2008). We are currently organizing our third annual meeting, trainee workshops as well as developing an interactive website and blog.

As both a pain neuroscientist and the spouse of a chronic pain sufferer, the CPC allows me to contribute more directly to improving the quality-of-life of pain sufferers as well as to integrate this experience with my work in the laboratory.