I lead the Denk lab, which studies the peripheral nervous system and its involvement in chronic pain conditions. My group is particularly interested in why pain persists over long periods of time and is exploring the role of neuroimmune interactions and epigenetic mechanisms in this context. Our favourite tools include transgenic models and high-throughput molecular analyses on sorted cell populations (scRNAseq, ChIP-seq, CUT&Tag, ATAC-seq). We also work with induced pluripotent stem cell derived models of peripheral neurons.

I am Co-Director of a Wellcome Trust PhD Training Scheme in Neuroimmune Interactions and in general, my team is looking to promote interdisciplinary research in an open and positive environment. We enjoy sharing data, and engage with other researchers and the public on a regular basis. So please feel free to reach out to us with any questions.

I am an EDI Theme Representative at the NIHR Maudsley BRC.

Please see my  Research Staff Profile for more detail

Find out more about my research:

• Franziska Denk
• RNA Sequence Browser

Key publications:

• Villa-Hernandez S et al., 2025. A role for fibroblast and mural cell subsets in models of neuropathic pain. Brain, Behavior & Immunity. 
• Li Y et al., 2025. Blockade of rheumatoid arthritis synovial fluid-induced sensory neuron activation by JAK inhibitors. JCI Insight.
• Li Y et al., 2025. Modelling inflammation-induced peripheral sensitization in a dish – more complex than expected? Pain. 
• Rutter-Locher Z et al., 2024. An interdisciplinary perspective on peripheral drivers of pain in rheumatoid arthritis. Nature Reviews Rheumatology. 
• Liang Z et al., 2020. A transcriptional toolbox for exploring peripheral neuro-immune interactions. Pain.

View all publications

 

Key collaborators:

• Prof Leonie Taams, King’s College London
• Prof David Bennett, Oxford University
• Prof Chris Buckley, Oxford University
• Prof Ewan St John Smith, Cambridge University