The Bingel Laboratory

Prof. Dr. Ulrike Bingel and her research group focuses on the interaction between pain and cognitive processes. We have a longstanding expertise in investigating the CNS mechanisms underlying nociception, pain, and pain modulation in health and disease. In our research, we use behavioural paradigms, pharmacological modulations, as well as functional and structural brain imaging. Being particularly intrigued by the reciprocal effects of pain and cognition, we have a strong focus on translational questions such as the role of expectations and prior experiences on analgesic treatment outcomes. Our interdisciplinary research group comprises neurologists, neuroscientists, psychologists, biologists, and computer scientists and is based at the Department of Neurology at the University Medicine Essen. We are affiliated with the Erwin-L-Hahn institute for magnetic resonance imaging and the Translational Pain Research Department of the University Pain Center. Our research is funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.
Recent News

Pain related learning alterations are a hallmark of chronic pain conditions. Balint, together with others, developed and externally validated a resting state connectivity signature of pain-related learning (RCPL). Connections of amygdala, posterior insula, sensorimotor, frontoparietal regions played the most important role. The model is robust and highly accessible for clinical and translational pain research. Read the preprint here. A joint effort of the collaborative research centers SFB/TRR 289 and 1280!

Our lab members Lea Busch and Elif Buse Caliskan had fun at the SFB 1280‘s “Brain Talks” event in Bochum last weekend. They determined visitors’ pain thresholds using electrical pain.

There are a few ways if you’re interested to come and work with us:
The countdown of this year‘s Max Planck School of Cognition application cycle has started. The application portal is now open for both, the Cognition Track and the Clinician Scientist Track. More information can be found here!
We also have another open PhD position here!

We’re excited to host a lab visit attached to the @bioDGPs_DGPA Young Scientist Retreat and can’t wait to show you all the various ways we induce and measure pain!
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