Steve Woodhams

Contact

• workRoom E127 Medical School
  Queen's Medical Centre
  Nottingham
  NG7 2UH
  UK
• Stephen.Woodhams@nottingham.ac.uk

Biography

I completed my undergraduate degree in Neuroscience here at the University of Nottingham, before going on to undertake doctoral studies in Victoria Chapman's lab, utilising behavioural, electrophysiological, and molecular biological approaches to study the role of the spinal cannabinoid and vanillloid systems in models of acute and chronic pain. I subsequently spent 5 years in Budapest, Hungary, conducting post-doctoral research on the anatomy of the spinal endocannabinoid system in Istvan Katona's lab at the Institute of Experimental Medicine, acquiring complementary expertise in immunohistochemical techniques including STORM super-resolution imaging. I returned to Nottingham in 2016 to establish the application of STORM imaging to quantify nanoscale anatomical correlates of pain in neural tissue. Subsequent work combined anatomical and physiological techniques to reveal insights into spinal mechanisms of pain, including investigating the link between anxiety, opioids and OA pain in a translationally-relevant preclinical model, studying the effects of healthy aging on spinal sensory network function, and demonstrating that prior opioid exposure exacerbates OA pain in females. In summer 2025, I took up a teaching-focused position on the Neuroscience degree, with roles in module design & convenorship, as well as all aspects of delivering teaching and assessment.

Expertise Summary

Teaching & Learning: Designing and delivering teaching and assessment in a wide range of contexts, from large lectures and practical workshops to small group tutorials and laboratory projects

Research Skills: In vivo rodent pain models (inflammatory, osteoarthritis), in vivo spinal electrophysiology, ELISAs, Western blotting and enzyme activity assays, immunohistochemistry (DAB, fluorescence, electron microscopy) & STORM super-resolution imaging.

Recent Publications

• BURSTON JJ, VALDES AM, WOODHAMS SG, MAPP PI, STOCKS J, WATSON DJG, GOWLER PRW, XU L, SAGAR DR, FERNANDES G, FROWD N, MARSHALL L, ZHANG W, DOHERTY M, WALSH DA and CHAPMAN V, 2019. The impact of anxiety on chronic musculoskeletal pain and the role of astrocyte activation. Pain. 160(3), 658-669
• GOWLER, PETER R. W., LI, LI, WOODHAMS, STEPHEN G., BENNETT, ANDREW J., SUZUKI, RIE, WALSH, DAVID A. and CHAPMAN, VICTORIA, 2019. Peripheral brain derived neurotrophic factor contributes to chronic osteoarthritis joint pain: PAIN Pain. Articles in Press,
• BURSTON, JAMES J., VALDES, ANA M., WOODHAMS, STEPHEN G., MAPP, PAUL I., STOCKS, JOANNE, WATSON, DAVID J.G., GOWLER, PETER R.W., XU, LUTING, SAGAR, DEVI R., FERNANDES, GWEN, FROWD, NADIA, MARSHALL, LAURA, ZHANG, WEIYA, DOHERTY, MICHAEL, WALSH, DAVID A. and CHAPMAN, VICTORIA, 2019. The impact of anxiety on chronic musculoskeletal pain and the role of astrocyte activation: PAIN Pain. 160(3), 658-669
• WOODHAMS, STEPHEN G., MARKUS, ROBERT, GOWLER, PETER R.W., SELF, TIMOTHY J. and CHAPMAN, VICTORIA, 2019. Cell type–specific super-resolution imaging reveals an increase in calcium-permeable AMPA receptors at spinal peptidergic terminals as an anatomical correlate of inflammatory pain: PAIN Pain. Articles in Press,

• View all publications

• BURSTON JJ, VALDES AM, WOODHAMS SG, MAPP PI, STOCKS J, WATSON DJG, GOWLER PRW, XU L, SAGAR DR, FERNANDES G, FROWD N, MARSHALL L, ZHANG W, DOHERTY M, WALSH DA and CHAPMAN V, 2019. The impact of anxiety on chronic musculoskeletal pain and the role of astrocyte activation. Pain. 160(3), 658-669
• GOWLER, PETER R. W., LI, LI, WOODHAMS, STEPHEN G., BENNETT, ANDREW J., SUZUKI, RIE, WALSH, DAVID A. and CHAPMAN, VICTORIA, 2019. Peripheral brain derived neurotrophic factor contributes to chronic osteoarthritis joint pain: PAIN Pain. Articles in Press,
• BURSTON, JAMES J., VALDES, ANA M., WOODHAMS, STEPHEN G., MAPP, PAUL I., STOCKS, JOANNE, WATSON, DAVID J.G., GOWLER, PETER R.W., XU, LUTING, SAGAR, DEVI R., FERNANDES, GWEN, FROWD, NADIA, MARSHALL, LAURA, ZHANG, WEIYA, DOHERTY, MICHAEL, WALSH, DAVID A. and CHAPMAN, VICTORIA, 2019. The impact of anxiety on chronic musculoskeletal pain and the role of astrocyte activation: PAIN Pain. 160(3), 658-669
• WOODHAMS, STEPHEN G., MARKUS, ROBERT, GOWLER, PETER R.W., SELF, TIMOTHY J. and CHAPMAN, VICTORIA, 2019. Cell type–specific super-resolution imaging reveals an increase in calcium-permeable AMPA receptors at spinal peptidergic terminals as an anatomical correlate of inflammatory pain: PAIN Pain. Articles in Press,
• KWOK HT, DEVONSHIRE IM, IMRAISH A, GREENSPON CM, LOCKWOOD S, FIELDEN C, COOPER A, WOODHAMS S, SARMAD S, ORTORI CA, BARRETT DA, KENDALL D, BENNETT AJ, CHAPMAN AND HATHWAY GJ, 2017. Age dependent plasticity in endocannabinoid modulation of pain processing through postnatal development Pain.
• WOODHAMS, STEPHEN G., CHAPMAN, VICTORIA, FINN, DAVID P., HOHMANN, ANDREA G. and NEUGEBAUER, VOLKER, 2017. The cannabinoid system and pain: Neuropharmacology Neuropharmacology. 124, 105-120
• KWOK, C. H., DEVONSHIRE, I. M., IMRAISH, A., GREENSPON, C. M., LOCKWOOD, S., FIELDEN, C., COOPER, A., WOODHAMS, S., SARMAD, S., ORTORI, C. A., BARRETT, D. A., KENDALL, D., BENNETT, A. J., CHAPMAN, V. and HATHWAY, G. J., 2017. Age-dependent plasticity in endocannabinoid modulation of pain processing through postnatal development: Pain Pain. 158(11), 2222-2232
• KELLY, S., CHAPMAN, R. J., WOODHAMS, S., SAGAR, D. R., TURNER, J., BURSTON, J. J., BULLOCK, C., PATON, K., HUANG, J., WONG, A., MCWILLIAMS, D. F., OKINE, B. N., BARRETT, D. A., HATHWAY, G. J., WALSH, D. A. and CHAPMAN, V., 2015. Increased function of pronociceptive TRPV1 at the level of the joint in a rat model of osteoarthritis pain ANNALS OF THE RHEUMATIC DISEASES. 74(1), 252-259
• WOODHAMS SG, SAGAR DR, BURSTON JJ and CHAPMAN V, 2015. The role of the endocannabinoid system in pain. Handbook of experimental pharmacology. 227, 119-43
• WOODHAMS, S. G., SAGAR, D. R., BURSTON, J. J. and CHAPMAN, V., 2015. The role of the endocannabinoid system in pain: Handb Exp Pharmacol 227, 119-43
• KELLY, S, CHAPMAN, R J, WOODHAMS, S, SAGAR, D R, TURNER, J, BURSTON, J J, BULLOCK, C, PATON, K, HUANG, J, WONG, A, MCWILLIAMS, D F, OKINE, B N, BARRETT, D A, HATHWAY, G J, WALSH, D A and CHAPMAN, V, 2015. Increased function of pronociceptive TRPV1 at the level of the joint in a rat model of osteoarthritis pain: Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases. 74(1), 252-259
• DUDOK, B., BARNA, L., LEDRI, M., SZABO, S. I., SZABADITS, E., PINTER, B., WOODHAMS, S. G., HENSTRIDGE, C. M., BALLA, G. Y., NYILAS, R., VARGA, C., LEE, S. H., MATOLCSI, M., CERVENAK, J., KACSKOVICS, I., WATANABE, M., SAGHEDDU, C., MELIS, M., PISTIS, M., SOLTESZ, I. and KATONA, I., 2015. Cell-specific STORM super-resolution imaging reveals nanoscale organization of cannabinoid signaling: Nature Neuroscience Nature Neuroscience. 18(1), 75-86
• HORVÁTH, ESZTER, WOODHAMS, STEPHEN G., NYILAS, RITA, HENSTRIDGE, CHRISTOPHER M., KANO, MASANOBU, SAKIMURA, KENJI, WATANABE, MASAHIKO and KATONA, ISTVÁN, 2014. Heterogeneous presynaptic distribution of monoacylglycerol lipase, a multipotent regulator of nociceptive circuits in the mouse spinal cord: European Journal of Neuroscience European Journal of Neuroscience. 39(3), 419-434
• BURSTON,JAMES J. and WOODHAMS,STEPHEN G., 2014. Endocannabinoid system and pain: an introduction: Proceedings of the Nutrition Society Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 73(01), 106-117
• OKINE BN, NORRIS LM, WOODHAMS S, BURSTON J, PATEL A, ALEXANDER SPH, BARRETT DA, KENDALL DA, BENNETT AJ and CHAPMAN V, 2012. Lack of effect of chronic pre-treatment with the FAAH inhibitor URB597 on inflammatory pain behaviour: evidence for plastic changes in the endocannabinoid system. British journal of pharmacology. 167(3), 627-40
• WOODHAMS, S.G., WONG, A., BARRETT, D.A., BENNETT, A.J., CHAPMAN, V. and ALEXANDER, S.P.H., 2012. Spinal administration of the monoacylglycerol lipase inhibitor JZL184 produces robust inhibitory effects on nociceptive processing and the development of central sensitization in the rat British Journal of Pharmacology. 167(8), 1609-1619
• WOODHAMS, S. G., WONG, A., BARRETT, D. A., BENNETT, A. J., CHAPMAN, V. and ALEXANDER, S. P. H., 2012. Spinal administration of the monoacylglycerol lipase inhibitor JZL184 produces robust inhibitory effects on nociceptive processing and the development of central sensitization in the rat: British Journal of Pharmacology British Journal of Pharmacology. 167(8), 1609-1619
• SAGAR, DEVI RANI, BURSTON, JAMES J., WOODHAMS, STEPHEN G. and CHAPMAN, VICTORIA, 2012. Dynamic changes to the endocannabinoid system in models of chronic pain: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 367(1607), 3300-3311
• OKINE, B. N., NORRIS, L. M., WOODHAMS, S., BURSTON, J., PATEL, A., ALEXANDER, S. P., BARRETT, D. A., KENDALL, D. A., BENNETT, A. J. and CHAPMAN, V., 2012. Lack of effect of chronic pre-treatment with the FAAH inhibitor URB597 on inflammatory pain behaviour: evidence for plastic changes in the endocannabinoid system: Br J Pharmacol Br J Pharmacol. 167(3), 627-40
• SAGAR, D. R., BURSTON, J. J., HATHWAY, G. J., WOODHAMS, S. G., PEARSON, R. G., BENNETT, A. J., KENDALL, D. A., SCAMMELL, B. E. and CHAPMAN, V., 2011. The contribution of spinal glial cells to chronic pain behaviour in the monosodium iodoacetate model of osteoarthritic pain: Mol Pain Mol Pain. 7(1), 88
• SAGAR, D.R., STANIASZEK, L.E., OKINE, B.N., WOODHAMS, S., NORRIS, L.M., PEARSON, R.G., GARLE, M.J., ALEXANDER, S.P.H., BENNETT, A.J., BARRETT, D.A., KENDALL, D.A., SCAMMELL, B.E. and CHAPMAN, V., 2010. Tonic modulation of spinal hyperexcitability by the endocannabinoid receptor system in a rat model of osteoarthritis pain Arthritis & Rheumatism. 62(12), 3666-3676
• SAGAR, DEVI RANI, STANIASZEK, LYDIA E., OKINE, BRIGHT N., WOODHAMS, STEPHEN, NORRIS, LEONIE M., PEARSON, RICHARD G., GARLE, MICHAEL J., ALEXANDER, STEPHEN P. H., BENNETT, ANDREW J., BARRETT, DAVID A., KENDALL, DAVID A., SCAMMELL, BRIGITTE E. and CHAPMAN, VICTORIA, 2010. Tonic modulation of spinal hyperexcitability by the endocannabinoid receptor system in a rat model of osteoarthritis pain: Arthritis Rheum Arthritis Rheum. 62(12), 3666-3676
• SAGAR, DEVI, GAW, A. GEMMA, OKINE, BRIGHT, WOODHAMS, STEPHEN, WONG, AMY, KENDALL, DAVID and CHAPMAN, VICTORIA, 2009. Dynamic regulation of the endocannabinoid system: implications for analgesia: Molecular Pain Molecular Pain. 5(1), 59