GW4 BioMed3 MRC DLP PhD project: Beyond Pain Intensity: Ecological Measurement and Neurostimulation of Pain-Related Motor Interference

About the project

About the Project This project is one of several in competition for funding from the GW4 BioMed3 MRC Doctoral Landscape Programme (DLP), which is offering up to 17 studentships for entry in September 2026. The partnership brings together the Universities of Bath, Bristol, Cardiff and Exeter to develop the next generation of biomedical researchers. Students will have access to the combined research strengths, training expertise and resources of the four research-intensive universities. More information may be found on the DLP’s website . Please note that the application process may close early to either home or international candidates (or both) before the stated deadline if an unprecedented number of applications are received – check the DLP’s website for details and updates. Supervisory Team: Dr Ali Khatibi Dr Jennifer Davies Dr George Tackley Dr Sam Hughes The Project : This project will develop and validate an ecologically meaningful measure of pain-related interference with motor function. Motor function depends on the capacity of the nervous, muscular and skeletal systems to plan, produce, control and adapt movement to achieve a goal. Pain can interfere with several elements of this process, yet research often relies on simple laboratory motor tasks or pain-intensity ratings. This project will move beyond these approaches by quantifying how pain disrupts real-world-relevant performance, including action selection, hazard response, motor control, attention and decision-making during simulated driving. The central research question is: how does pain interfere with motor function, and can neurostimulation reduce this interference even when pain is still present? This question is important because complete pain relief is often difficult or unrealistic for many patients. A more achievable and clinically meaningful target may be to reduce the extent to which pain disrupts movement, activity, confidence and participation. In the first phase, the student will use graded experimental noxious stimulation to examine how different levels of pain affect motor function during highly automated tasks such as driving. This will test whether pain-related interference increases linearly with pain intensity, or whether sensory, attentional, threat-related and predictive processes have differential effects on functional performance. A key objective will be to separate the sensory-discriminative aspects of stimulation from the broader functional consequences of pain. For example, two individuals may report similar pain intensity but show different levels of disruption in attention, decision-making or motor control. The project will therefore examine pain interference as a functional outcome in its own right. In the second phase, the student will test whether neurostimulation can reduce pain-related interference with motor function. Unlike many neurostimulation studies, the primary endpoint will not be analgesia or reduction in pain intensity alone. Instead, the project will ask whether neurostimulation can help restore functional performance despite ongoing pain. This will provide a proof-of-mechanism test of whether modulating activity in the human nervous system can reduce the disruptive impact of pain on movement and performance. The specific objectives of the studentship will be to: Develop and refine an experimental platform for measuring pain-related interference with motor function during real-world-relevant tasks, including simulated driving. Use graded experimental pain to test how pain intensity, attention, threat processing and prediction influence functional performance. Identify behavioural and physiological markers of pain-related interference, including hazard response, action selection, motor control and decision-making. Develop expertise in experimental pain methods, pain modulation and neurostimulation. Test whether neurostimulation can improve functional performance despite ongoing pain, shifting the emphasis from pain relief alone to restoration of movement, activity and participation. The student will have substantial opportunities to take ownership of the project. They will contribute to the design and optimisation of the task platform, select appropriate behavioural, physiological and self-report measures, refine the neurostimulation protocol, shape hypotheses and contribute to analysis decisions. Depending on their interests, they may emphasise experimental pain mechanisms, neurostimulation, motor control, attention and decision-making, or translation into clinically meaningful functional outcomes. Overall, this studentship will provide advanced training in experimental pain research, neurostimulation, motor-function assessment and ecologically valid behavioural measurement. It will generate a new framework for studying pain-related interference with function and inform future interventions that aim not only to reduce pain intensity, but also to help people move, act and participate more effectively despite pain. Requirements: Applicants must have obtained, or be about to obtain, a first or upper second-class UK honours degree, or the equivalent qualifications gained outside the UK, in an appropriate area of medical sciences, computing, mathematics or the physical sciences. Applicants with a lower second-class degree will only be considered if they have a grade of Merit or above in a master’s degree. Academic qualifications are considered alongside significant relevant non-academic experience. Non-UK applicants will also be required to have met the English language entry requirements of the University of Bath. Enquiries and Applications: Informal enquiries are welcomed and should be directed to Dr Ali Khatibi on email address mkt44@bath.ac.uk . Formal applications must be submitted direct to the GW4 BioMed3 DLP using their online application form . A list of all the projects and details on how to apply are available DLP’s website . You may apply for up to 2 projects and submit one application per candidate only. APPLICATIONS CLOSE AT 17:00 (GMT) ON 21 OCTOBER 2026. IMPORTANT: You do NOT need to apply to the University of Bath at this stage – only those applicants who are successful in obtaining an offer of funding from the DTP will be required to submit an application for an offer of study from Bath. Equality, Diversity and Inclusion: We value a diverse research environment and aim to be an inclusive university, where difference is celebrated and respected. We welcome and encourage applications from under-represented groups. If you have circumstances that you feel we should be aware of that have affected your educational attainment, then please feel free to tell us about it in your application form. The best way to do this is a short paragraph at the end of your personal statement.

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