My main research area is the pathophysiology of neuropathic pain, in particular the phases of pain induction and resolution. To this end, my group is active in basic and clinical research with a strong translational focus. Clinically, besides being a general neurologist, I see patients with headache, neuropathic pain, and fibromyalgia. I am active in national and international guideline committees on different aspects of pain treatment. During my training, I worked in psychiatry, neuropathology, experimental anesthesia, and neurology. At the University of Würzburg, I serve as a consultant in neurology, organize an outpatient clinic for patients with pain, and lead the neuromorphological laboratory. Since 2017, I am president elect of the German IASP Chapter (Deutsche Schmerzgesellschaft e.V.). With the aim to improve pain treatment, I am active in the development of national and international guidelines, for example on the fibromyalgia syndrome, on neuropathies, neuropathic and facial pain, and on the use of opioids. I have written more than 250 original research papers and more than 100 reviews and book chapters and have edited books on neuropathic and facial pain.
I serve as a reviewer for scientific journals, the German Research Foundation (DFG) and on the editorial boards of several scientific journals.