Project description
Genetic predisposition and chronic pain contribute to cognitive impairment
Chronic pain (CP) affects about 30 % of the global population. It is linked to an increased risk of cognitive impairments, posing challenges for ageing societies. However, uncertainty about which individuals with CP are most vulnerable limits effective prevention. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the gene-CP interaction project will conduct the first genome-wide investigation into how genetic predisposition influences cognitive outcomes in CP. It will identify high-risk genetic subgroups for CP-related cognitive impairment and uncover the underlying proteomic and metabolomic changes. The project will explore drug repurposing and lifestyle recommendations for these subgroups and assess whether accelerated brain ageing affects the CP-cognition link based on genetic predisposition.
Objective
Chronic pain (CP), defined as pain lasting more than three months, affects ~30% of the global population. Emerging evidence indicates that CP increases the risk of cognitive impairments, posing a major challenge for rapidly aging societies. However, it remains unclear which individuals with CP are most vulnerable, limiting precision prevention and targeted intervention.
This project will conduct the first genome-wide investigation of how genetic predisposition modifies the cognitive consequences of CP. It will (i) identify genetic subgroups at high risk of CP-related cognitive impairment; (ii) uncover proteomic and metabolomic alterations underlying this gene-CP interaction, exploring opportunities for drug repurposing and lifestyle recommendations for the confirmed high-risk subgroup; and (iii) test whether the mediating effect of brain aging acceleration on the CP-cognition link is moderated by genetic predisposition.
Building on my prior work demonstrating the CP–cognition association (published in PNAS, Nature Mental Health, and TICS), this project moves decisively from observation to mechanistic and translational insight. It goes beyond the state-of-the-art by leveraging large-scale cohorts (UK Biobank, HUNT) and integrating genetics, multi-omics, neuroimaging, and artificial intelligence within a unified framework.
This fellowship is designed to be a transformative career step. The two-way knowledge exchange with the host, combined with specialized training during the secondment, will strengthen my interdisciplinary expertise, leadership capacity, and project management skills. This will provide the crucial foundation to transition into an independent research leader and secure future collaborative funding, ultimately translating today's discoveries into tomorrow's clinical solutions.
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CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
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Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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72074 Tuebingen
Germany
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