Vice-Chairman, Dr Tuck, presents Kathryn with her reward 

Kathryn Berg is a Data Manager, at the Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, within the University of Edinburgh.  Kathryn attended our information meeting in Nottingham to discuss her work for a pain study, known as Pain in Paget's (PIP), which has received funding from the Paget's Association.  We are delighted to say that the Association, in conjunction with the Michael Davie Research Foundation, awarded Kathryn a Student Research Bursary, which will enable her to use her involvement with the PiP research to study towards a master's degree.

The PIP project aims to achieve greater understanding of the causes of pain in Paget's disease.  The research team will be looking at the bacterial makeup of disease activity in the blood, and the genetics of volunteers recruited from hospitals across the UK.

Kathryn explained that they are looking for 250 volunteers from across the country to help with this important project.  Patients who volunteer to get involved in the study are required to answer a questionnaire, undergo sensory testing, and provide blood and saliva samples.  This takes about an hour and a half. Kathryn demonstrated the simple sensory tests and explained why they might help us to understand pain associated with Paget's diease.

The recruitment of volunteers has already begun in Edinburgh, with 19 volunteers coming into clinic in just three weeks!  The study is soon to begin in Glasgow, Liverpool, London and Newcastle.  In the near future, there are also plans to recruit from hospitals in Manchester, Middlesbrough, Norwich, Nottingham, Salford, Sheffield and Cardiff.

Whether you have pain or not, you could be an important part of this study.  If you are interested in taking part in this research, you can contact the central study team by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or by phoning 0131 6518741.  They will get in touch with your local research team on your behalf.  If you would like to know more, they are happy to send you an information sheet in the post.