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Sharmila Khot  FRCA FFPMRCA  MBBS MSc Pain Management, Cardiff University

Dr Sharmila Khot

(she/her)

FRCA FFPMRCA MBBS MSc Pain Management, Cardiff University

Teams and roles for Sharmila Khot

Overview

I am a Consultant in the Department of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board. I work within the Division of Perioperative Medicine. I am currently Honorary Senior Lecturer in the Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre (CUBRIC), School of Psychology, Cardiff University. My associated research groups are the Imaging Cerebral Physiology and MEG group at CUBRIC.

Publication

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2010

Articles

Conferences

Monographs

Websites

Research

 

My specialist clinical interests are in the management of non-inflammatory pain in inflammatory arthropathies such as Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). I also see patients with primary and secondary fibromyalgias.

I am recently appointed pain fellow within the OMERACT pain working group 2024-2025 https://omeract.org/working-groups/pain/

Pain Physiology and measurements:

I am trained in using and interpreting Quantitative Sensory Testing and have used this modality in healthy volunteers and patient groups. My current project involves collaboration with School of Engineering in developing and automation of my prototype pain device measuring mechanical allodynia. 

Clinical: I was a Co-Investigator in a clinical neuroimaging pain study assessing the effect of Tofacitinib (JAK-STAT inhibitor) on Pain processing in rheumatoid arthritis. Cytokines have been implicated in the pathophysiology of abnormal pain processing. Effective inhibition of cytokines may lead to rapid restoration of pain processing and more substantial reduction in pain as well as other symptoms. However specific neural mechanisms of pain and response to biological treatments remain unknown. Applying cutting edge brain imaging techniques we collected pilot data .

Drug research: Through a process of clinical audit, research and publications I have successfully led the development of a market for a ‘specials product’: topical Gabapentin cream, manufactured in a local NHS pharmaceutical unit. My group has validated the existing formulation and trademarked the product; Gabagel. 

Neuroscience: Pain is a complex bio-psycho-social phenomenon involving peripheral and central mechanisms. I was a Wellcome Trust funded fellow for pharmacological sedation workstream of the WTSA project evaluating brain mechanisms of sedation including electrical, metabolic and functional connectivity underlying GABAergic and non-GABAergic sedation. We evaluated heat pain phasic and tonic stimuli and oscillatory changes with and without a GABA ergic and opioidergic sedation in healthy male volunteers. I am interested in both forward and reverse translational research.

Methodological: I am interested in supporting the development of functional neuroimaging for clinical applications such as drug development, exploring mechanisms of drug activity with sedation, e.g. GABAergic/non-GABAergic and in clinical pain conditions. I have contributed to the development of advanced methods of functional and structural neuroimaging to characterise anatomical and functional changes in the development of neuroimaging markers of drug effects.

Research Collaborators

Prof Krishna Singh, Head of Human Electrophysiology, CUBRIC, School of Psychology, CU

Prof Ernest Choy, Head of Rheumatology and Translational Research-School of Medicine CU

Prof Kevin Murphy, School of Physics and Astronomy, CUBRIC, CU

Dr Girish Patel, Consultant Dermatologist, Cardiff and Vale UHB and Honorary Senior Lecturer, European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute, Haydn Ellis Building, CU

Dr Sarah Hiom, All Wales Specialist Pharmacist, R and D, St Mary’s Pharmaceutical Unit, Cardiff and Vale UHB

Dr David Nunns, Consultant in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nottingham University Hospital NHS Trust.

Dr Neeraj Saxena, Consultant in Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine, Cwm Taf University Health Board, Clinical Senior Lecturer, CUBRIC, Visiting Professor University of South Wales.

Grants

2018-2022 ASPIRE Pfizer Rheumatology and Inflammatory Bowel Disease Research Awards, Co-I

2021- GW4 Generator Fund, Family care in ME/CFS, Co-PI

2021- Wellcome Trust-Translation of Concept Scheme, Institutional Translational Partnership Award (ITPA)-PI

2021-2022-HEFCW Research Fund, Innovation for All Fund-Translational Kickstart-PI

 

 

 

Teaching

My teaching activity as Honorary Senior Lecturer, School of Medicine, CU (2008-2013), covered several aspects of teaching, from one-to-one sessions as personal tutor to developing innovative teaching techniques locally and at national courses. My audience includes medical students, clinical staff, and undergraduate and postgraduate students and colleagues from various specialities including psychiatry, physiotherapy, rehabilitation medicine, neurology and general practice.

Undergraduate teaching:

I supervise Student Selected Projects most of which have been presented in local and National meetings- SCP project 2024 - abstract submitted to the upcoming British Pain Society ASM 2025.

I have co-supervised UG Engineering student projects involving medical (pain) device development (LTA internship funding) and medical students on summer placements developing a literature review on the subject of pain devices (Welsh Pain Society - Seed Corn funding-PI)- 2022-2023

I supervise medical student doing Intercalated projects (pain or sedation related) in School of Pharmacy.

I have previously taught on the Professionalism and Diversity module (old curriculum) including the interpreter led immersive learning sessions.  I have been an examiner for final MBBS and

Clinical specialist teaching: I was appointed Regional Advisor in Pain Management for Wales for the Royal College of Anaesthetists for two 3-year terms, and a member of the Anaesthesia Speciality Training Committee, as well as the Welsh Anaesthesia advisory group as representative for Pain Medicine. I developed the structured training in Pain Medicine in Wales.

I have been invited Lecturer at several national study courses for anaesthetists most notably on the Training the Trainers: Small Group Teaching techniques at the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland.

I continue to teach an integrated biopsychosocial approach to pain management and pain physiology to all levels of anaesthesia, GP and pharmacy trainees.

PhD supervision:

I co supervise a PhD student-Mr Mohammed Alghamdi HCARE - The difference between embodiment and distraction approach in immersive virtual reality on patient-reported outcome measures and quantitative sensory testing in people with persistent low back pain  

Biography

Undergraduate Education: MBBS

Postgraduate Education: FRCA, FFPMRCA, MD Anaesthesia, Diploma in Anaesthesia, MSc Pain Management Cardiff University

Employment:

2004-present: Consultant in Anaesthesia, Pain Medicine and Intensive Care, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board

June 2023- to present: Honorary Senior Lecturer, School Of Psychology, CUBRIC, CU.

April 2019-May 2023: Clinical Research Fellow (Drugs & Physiology), CUBRIC, CU

2013-2018: Honorary Senior Lecturer, CUBRIC, School of Psychology, Cardiff University (research secondment)

2007-2013: Honorary Senior Lecturer in Medical Education, School of Medicine, Cardiff University (undergraduate and postgraduate teaching, simulation education, course development and training)

Professional memberships

  • Fellow of the Royal College of Anaesthetists of Great Britan and Ireland
  • Fellow of the Faculty of Pain Medicine, Royal College of Anaesthetists
  • British Pain Society
  • Welsh Pain Society
  • Society of Anaesthetists in Wales

Contact Details

Email KhotS@cardiff.ac.uk
Telephone +44 29208 74000 ext 20030
Campuses Cardiff University Brain Research Imaging Centre, Maindy Road, Cardiff, CF24 4HQ

Specialisms

  • Anaesthesiology
  • Medical devices
  • Pain