Wendy Imlach

Roles & Affiliations: Associate Professor in Physiology at Monash University, Head of the Pain Mechanisms Lab, and Deputy Head of the Neuroscience Program at the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute. Active in interdisciplinary research with ARC-funded projects and collaborations globally.

Education: PhD in Pharmacology from the University of Otago (New Zealand), followed by postdoctoral work at Columbia University (USA), University of Queensland, and University of Sydney (Australia).

Research Focus: Investigates spinal cord neural circuits and chronic pain mechanisms. Key areas include

• Spinal dorsal horn circuitry and nociceptive signaling
• Therapeutic targets for chronic pain
• Role of endocytosis and receptor signaling in pain pathways

Recent Trends in Publications: Emphasis on translational approaches like microfluidic devices (Pain-on-a-Chip) and nutrigenomic strategies. Explores receptor signaling (e.g., adenosine A1, neurokinin 1) and gene therapy using AAV vectors to modulate pain pathways.

Grants & Projects: Leads ARC-funded projects targeting adenosine’s role in pain, dietary therapies for metabolic disorders, and opioid-independent analgesia. Collaborates internationally on gut motility and pain biomarkers.

Labs & Teams: Directs the Pain Mechanisms Lab and co-leads the Neuroscience Program within the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute. Supervises graduate students via Monash’s SupervisorConnect portal.