Ehrungen und Preise

• 2021 Invitation from Chiropractic Science, Miami University Podcasts
• 2021 1st Best Published Paper Award, CARLoquium virtual conference
• 2020 Bestes Poster, Swiss Headache Society und Swiss Pain Society Jahreskongress, Bern, Schweiz
• 2018 SPC top-rated abstract and session chair "Pain-related Fear - A Basic and Clinical Update". International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), Boston, USA.
• 2015 Poster award “Best European Poster“. World Federation of Chiropractic and ECU Convention, Athen, Greece
• 2014 Prize Poster award, basic science, Swiss Association for the Study of Pain, Interlaken, Switzerland
• 2013 EAC Jean Robert Research Award, Prize for Best New Researcher, European Chiropractic Union, Sitges, Spain
  • NCMIC Louis Sportelli Original Research Award 3rd prize for the best research paper, World Federation of Chiropractic, Durban, South Africa
  • Neuroscience Young Investigator Award, International Association of Dental Research, Seattle, USA

Grants

• 2022–2024 EUR 141’480. Does spinal manipulation therapy impact lumbar proprioception? A double-blind randomized controlled trial using a novel outcome. European Centre for Chiropractic Research Excellence (ECCRE). Principal Investigator.
• 2022–2024 CHF 48’300. Unravelling cortical sensorimotor representations of the human back and their role in chronic low back pain. EMDO Foundation. Principal Investigator.
• 2022–2024 CHF 151’400. Does spinal manipulation therapy impact lumbar proprioception? A double-blind randomized controlled trial using a novel outcome. Balgrist Foundation. Principal Investigator.
• 2019–2023 CHF 588'000 SNF. Low back pain: Unveiling the contribution of motor control adaption using biomechanical modeling and neuroimaging. Principal Investigator
• 2013–2016 CHF 448'620 GlaxoSmithKline. Investigating dental hypersensitivity by neuroimaging. Co-Investigator
• 2012–2013 CHF 12'000 Swiss Society for Endodontology, Berne, Switzerland (SSE). Zerebrale Aktivierungsmuster im Verlaufe des Wirkungseintritts eines zahnärztlichen Lokalanästhetikums bei experimentell induziertem Zahnschmerz. Untersucht mittels funktioneller Magnetresonanztomographie (fMRT). Co-Investigator
• 2012–2013 CHF 50'000 Swiss Dental Association, Berne, Switzerland (SSO). Zerebrale Aktivierungsmuster im Verlaufe des Wirkungseintritts eines zahnärztlichen Lokalanästhetikums bei experimentell induziertem Zahnschmerz. Untersucht mittels funktioneller Magnetresonanztomographie (fMRT). Co-Investigator
• 2010–2011 CHF 265'500 GlaxoSmithKline. Investigating dental hypersensitivity using fMRI. Co-Investigator

Wissenschaftliche Projekte

• Low back pain: Unveiling the contribution of motor control adaption using biomechanical modelling and neuroimaging (project).
• Does spinal manipulation therapy impact lumbar proprioception? A double-blind randomized controlled trial using a novel outcome.
• Cortical mapping of the human back using ultra-high field functional imaging (7T).

Sonstige Aktivitäten

Talks

2022

• Die Psycho-Biomechanik des Rückens. Neuartige Erklärungsmodelle zur Entstehung von chronischen Rückenschmerzen. Hirslanden Academy, Zurich
• Revealing cortical-topographic maps of thoracolumbar proprioceptive input and their potential role in chronic low back pain. Conference on Mechanotransduction, Muscle Spindles and Proprioception, Munich, Germany

2021

• The role of cortical changes and movement adaptions in persistent low back pain. ZNZ annual symposium, September 2021, Zurich, Switzerland.
• Adaptive and maladaptive movement strategies. Joint Annual Meeting SPS & ChiroSuisse 2021, September 2021, Lausanne, Switzerland.
• Pain-related fear, motor control and low back pain – A cross-discplinary approach bridging neurosciences with biomechanics. 2nd conference on Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience of Pain (CANoP), June 2021, (ZOOM)
• Bewegungsbezogene Ängste und Rückenschmerzen. Ein «whole-body approach». March 2021, Fortbildung Psychosomatische und Psychosoziale Medizin (SAPPM).

2020

• Fear avoidance beliefs in pain-free adults are associated with restricted lumbar spine motion during object lifting. A protective mechanism? European Chiropractors Union Convention, Utrecht, Netherlands. May 2020, Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
• Revealing cortical-topographic maps of thoracolumbar proprioceptive input and their potential role in chronic low back pain. Conference on Mechanotransduction, Muscle Spindles and Proprioception, Munich, Germany. Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic

2019

• Lifting with a round-back is dangerous! How beliefs might affect lumbar spine motion during object lifting in pain-free individuals. 11th congress of the european pain federation EFIC, Valencia, Spain
• Deconstructing pain-related fear in chronic low back pain. Expert meeting on avoidance behavior pain and fear, Leuven, Belgium
• Neuroimaging of psychological contributors to (spine) motor adaption and their potential role in chronic pain. 9th NEUROspine meeting, Swiss Society for Neurosurgery, Bern, Switzerland
• Pain-related fear – One or many? Special Interest Group meeting “Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience of Pain (CANoP), Swiss Society for the Study of Pain, Fribourg, Switzerland

2018 

• Exploring the validity of pain-related fear questionnaires – an fMRI machine learning approach. Canadian Pain Society - 39th Annual Scientific Meeting
• Fear of movement, fear of pain and neural predictors. Why are these important to you and your patients? Invasive Procedures in Motion 2018 & 20th Anniversary Center for Pain Medicine Nottwil, Switzerland

2017

• From mechanical spine stimulation, to spinal movement, to brain activation. Pacific Spine Research & Education Foundation (PSREF), Burnaby, Canada
• fMRI – Brain Mapping. What do we know about chronic back pain patients? Implications for practice, possible solutions. Pacific Spine Research & Education Foundation (PSREF), Burnaby, Canada
• Fear of movement, fear of pain. Why are these important to you and your patients? Solutions for clinicians. Pacific Spine Research & Education Foundation (PSREF), Burnaby, Canada
• Multivariate decoding of sensorimotor brain activity during lumbar pressure stimulation accurately identifies chronic low back pain patients. European Chiropractic Union Convention, Cyprus

2016

• Maladaptive Veränderungen im Gehirn beim chronischen Schmerz. Schmerzklinik Basel, Fortbildung
• Fear Avoidance Beliefs underlie differential brain processing in chronic low back pain compared to pain-free subjects. 9th Interdisciplinary World Congress on Low Back and Pelvic Pain, Singapore
• The impact of fear of movement on descending pain modulation systems in chronic low back pain patients. European Chiropractic Union Convention, Oslo
• Fear avoidance behaviour and its underlying brain mechanism in chronic low back pain. Pain conference Swiss Paraplegic Centre, Nottwil
• Functional neuroimaging for chiropractic research questions. Vereinigung Pro Chiropraktik Region Basel, Switzerland

2015

• In the search of nociceptive brain regions & mechanisms. Gesellschaft der Ärztinnen und Ärzte des Kantons Solothurn, Switzerland
• Basic introduction to fMRI analysis. Workshop. International Association for Dental Research, Boston
• Brain activation patterns of posterior-anterior lumbar mobilisation. European Chiropractic Union, Sitges
• Fear Avoidance Beliefs in healthy subjects. European Chiropractic Union, Sitges
• Psychophysical characterization of a dental anaesthetic. Advanced education, Center of Dental Medicine, University of Zurich
• Brain activation induced by spinal movement – a novel and promising method to investigate neuroplastic changes in chronic low back pain. World Federation of Chiropractic, Durban

2012

• Evidence for differential fear responses dependent on the stimulation site. Schmerzagora, Zurich
• Resting state functional connectivity – Watching brain activity at rest. Technical Unit Pain, Zurich

Media

2016

• Tages-Anzeiger - Sind Tausende Hirnscan-Studien falsch?
• FOCUS Gesundheit – Leiden am Limit

Peer reviewing und memberships

Journal article reviewing:
European Journal of Pain, Cerebral Cortex, Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, Journal of Neurophysiology, Neuroscience Letters, Neuroimage Clinical, PlosONE, PAIN, European Journal of Physiotherapy, Scientific Reports

Grant reviewing:
Quebec Pain Research Network (QPRN), German Research Foundation (DFG), Dutch Research Council (NWO)

Memberships:
International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), Society for Neuroscience (SfN), Swiss Pain Society (SPS), Neuroscience Center Zurich (ZNZ)
 

Teaching

Pain - mechanisms and clinical presentations (Neuroscience Center Zurich, BME 355, Course Director: PD Dr. Petra Schweinhardt)

Research colloquium, Department of Chiropratic Medicine, University of Zurich
Current topics in chiropractic, Neurophysiology and motor control, University Hospital Balgrist

Referenzen

• Publikations- / Zitierungsliste