apl. Prof. Dr. med. Barbara Namer

Professional career

Since 2019
Leader of the research group Neuroscience: translational pain research at the university hospital of the RWTH Aachen funded by the interdisciplinary center for clinical research (IZKF)

Since 2018
Independent group leader (third party funded, German research council, DFG) at the Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology of the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg.  Methylglyoxal- Effects on nociceptors, mechanisms of sensitisation and desensitisation”  (NA 970 3-1)

2016-2018
Independent group leader of the group “translational pain research in human experiments“ in Erlangen associated to the collaborative research centre SFB 1158 at the University of Mannheim/Heidelberg

2011- 2015
Independent group leader (third party funded, German research council, DFG) at the Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology of the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, “The role of sodium channels in neuropathic pain: regulation of sensory and axonal properties of human C-fibers through axonal sodium channel activity” (NA 970 1-1).

2009–2011
Independent group leader (Grant for “Habilitation“) at the Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology of the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg

2003-2008
Postdoc at the Institute for Physiology and Pathophysiology at Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg, group of Prof..Handwerker

since 2004
Yearly research visits at Rikshospitalet Oslo, Norway

2004-2008
Yearly research visits at the University hospital Uppsala, Sweden

University education and academic degrees

2018
Title of adjunct professor “ Außerplanmäßige Professorin”, University Erlangen-Nürnberg

2010
Venia legendi (Habilitation) for Physiology: University Erlangen-Nürnberg

2000 – 2004
Doctor of medicine, University Erlangen-Nürnberg, Supervisor: Prof. Schmelz

2002 – 2003
Residency, Clinic for Neurology, University Erlangen-Nürnberg

1995 – 2002
MD program, University Erlangen-Nürnberg

Awards

2010
EGG, “EFIC Grünenthal grant” from the European Federation of Chapters of the International Association for the Study of Pain

2019
Poster award of the German pain society (DGSS)

2015
Poster award of the German pain society (DGSS)

2005
Poster award of the German society for neurology

2003
Poster award of the German society for neurology

Referee activity

Reviewer for Funding associations:Advanced Pain Discovery Platform, Medical Research Council (MRC) UK RI, DFG.

Guest Associate Editorat the Frontiers group in “Systems Interactions and Organ Networks“

Reviewer for the following scientific journals: (selected): Journal of Physiology, Pain, Journal of pain, European Journal of Pain, Journal of the peripheral nervous system, Cephalalgia, Experimental Neurology, Science translational Medicine, Journal of Gerontology, Biological Sciences; Muscle and Nerve, Archives of Dermatological research

List of publications since 2019

Spontaneous activity of specific C-nociceptor subtypes from diabetic patients and mice: involvement of reactive dicarbonyl compounds and (sensitized) transient receptor potential channel A1.
Becker AK, Babes A, Düll MM, Khalil M, Kender Z, Gröner J, Namer B, Reeh PW, Sauer SK.J Peripher Nerv Syst. 2023 Apr 7. doi: 10.1111/jns.12546. Online ahead of print.PMID: 37029502

Measuring pain and nociception: Through the glasses of a computational scientist. Transdisciplinary overview of methods.
Kutafina E, Becker S, Namer B.Front Netw Physiol. 2023 Feb 10;3:1099282. doi: 10.3389/fnetp.2023.1099282. eCollection 2023.PMID: 36926544 Free PMC article. Review.

Decoding Neuropathic Pain: Can We Predict Fluctuations of Propagation Speed in Stimulated Peripheral Nerve?
Kutafina E, Troglio A, de Col R, Röhrig R, Rossmanith P, Namer B.Front Comput Neurosci. 2022 Jul 28;16:899584. doi: 10.3389/fncom.2022.899584. eCollection 2022.PMID: 35966281 Free PMC article.

Cyclic changes of sensory parameters in migraine patients.
Helfenstein C, Strupf M, Stefke A, Fraunberger B, Renner B, Suchantke I, Rothermel M, Messlinger K, DeCol R, Namer B.Cephalalgia. 2022 Oct;42(11-12):1148-1159. doi: 10.1177/03331024221097932. Epub 2022 May 6.PMID: 35514204

openMNGlab: Data Analysis Framework for Microneurography - A Technical Report.
Schlebusch F, Kehrein F, Röhrig R, Namer B, Kutafina E.Stud Health Technol Inform. 2021 Sep 21;283:165-171. doi: 10.3233/SHTI210556.PMID: 34545832

The Potential Effect of Na _v 1.8 in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Evidence From a Congenital Case With Compound Heterozygous SCN10A Mutations.
Heinrichs B, Liu B, Zhang J, Meents JE, Le K, Erickson A, Hautvast P, Zhu X, Li N, Liu Y, Spehr M, Habel U, Rothermel M, Namer B, Zhang X, Lampert A, Duan G.Front Mol Neurosci. 2021 Jul 27;14:709228. doi: 10.3389/fnmol.2021.709228. eCollection 2021.PMID: 34385907 Free PMC article.

Diagnosing small fiber neuropathy in clinical practice: a deep phenotyping study.
Egenolf N, Zu Altenschildesche CM, Kreß L, Eggermann K, Namer B, Gross F, Klitsch A, Malzacher T, Kampik D, Malik RA, Kurth I, Sommer C, Üçeyler N.Ther Adv Neurol Disord. 2021 Mar 23;14:17562864211004318. doi: 10.1177/17562864211004318. eCollection 2021.PMID: 34335876 Free PMC article.

Lysophosphatidic acid activates nociceptors and causes pain or itch depending on the application mode in human skin.
Düll MM, Stengel M, Ries V, Strupf M, Reeh PW, Kremer AE, Namer B.Pain. 2022 Mar 1;163(3):445-460. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002363.PMID: 34166323

Modeling of Activity-Induced Changes in Signal Propagation Speed of Mechano-Electrically Stimulated Nerve Fiber.
Troglio A, de Col R, Namer B, Kutafina E.Stud Health Technol Inform. 2021 May 27;281:93-97. doi: 10.3233/SHTI210127.PMID: 34042712

Maximum axonal following frequency separates classes of cutaneous unmyelinated nociceptors in the pig.
Werland F, Hirth M, Rukwied R, Ringkamp M, Turnquist B, Jorum E, Namer B, Schmelz M, Obreja O.J Physiol. 2021 Mar;599(5):1595-1610. doi: 10.1113/JP280269. Epub 2021 Jan 15.PMID: 33369733 Free article.

Slow depolarizing stimuli differentially activate mechanosensitive and silent C nociceptors in human and pig skin.
Rukwied R, Thomas C, Obreja O, Werland F, Kleggetveit IP, Jorum E, Carr RW, Namer B, Schmelz M.Pain. 2020 Sep 1;161(9):2119-2128. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001912.PMID: 32379219

Sympathetic efferent neurons are less sensitive than nociceptors to 4 Hz sinusoidal stimulation.
Jonas R, Namer B, Schnakenberg M, Soares S, Pakalniskis J, Carr R, Schmelz M, Rukwied R.Eur J Pain. 2020 Jan;24(1):122-133. doi: 10.1002/ejp.1467. Epub 2019 Aug 27.PMID: 31392805

Methylglyoxal causes pain and hyperalgesia in human through C-fiber activation.
Düll MM, Riegel K, Tappenbeck J, Ries V, Strupf M, Fleming T, Sauer SK, Namer B.Pain. 2019 Nov;160(11):2497-2507. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001644.PMID: 31219946

The role of Nav1.7 in human nociceptors: insights from human induced pluripotent stem cell-derived sensory neurons of erythromelalgia patients.
Meents JE, Bressan E, Sontag S, Foerster A, Hautvast P, Rösseler C, Hampl M, Schüler H, Goetzke R, Le TKC, Kleggetveit IP, Le Cann K, Kerth C, Rush AM, Rogers M, Kohl Z, Schmelz M, Wagner W, Jørum E, Namer B, Winner B, Zenke M, Lampert A.Pain. 2019 Jun;160(6):1327-1341. doi: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001511.PMID: 30720580 Free PMC article.

Pain relief in a neuropathy patient by lacosamide: Proof of principle of clinical translation from patient-specific iPS cell-derived nociceptors.
Namer B, Schmidt D, Eberhardt E, Maroni M, Dorfmeister E, Kleggetveit IP, Kaluza L, Meents J, Gerlach A, Lin Z, Winterpacht A, Dragicevic E, Kohl Z, Schüttler J, Kurth I, Warncke T, Jorum E, Winner B, Lampert A.EBioMedicine. 2019 Jan;39:401-408. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2018.11.042. Epub 2018 Nov 28.PMID: 30503201 Free PMC article.

Etomidate and propylene glycol activate nociceptive TRP ion channels.
Niedermirtl F, Eberhardt M, Namer B, Leffler A, Nau C, Reeh PW, Kistner K.Mol Pain. 2018 Jan-Dec;14:1744806918811699. doi: 10.1177/1744806918811699. Epub 2018 Oct 22.PMID: 30345869 Free PMC article.

Cyclic changes in sensations to painful stimuli in migraine patients.
Strupf M, Fraunberger B, Messlinger K, Namer B.Cephalalgia. 2019 Apr;39(5):585-596. doi: 10.1177/0333102418793641. Epub 2018 Aug 12.PMID: 30099953