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18 December 2025
The Principal Investigator at the King’s College London Headache Research Group explains how her own experience of migraines led her into a career dedicated to reducing the burden of this debilitating condition.
What is your role within King’s Health Partners (KHP)?
I am a Senior Lecturer and Principal Investigator of the Headache Research Group within the Wolfson Sensory, Pain and Regeneration Centre (SPaRC) at King’s College London. In addition, I serve as a Clinical Neuroscientist and Fellow of the Institute of Biomedical Sciences within the Headache and Facial Pain Service at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust (FT).
What do you enjoy most about your role?
My role offers the unique privilege of combining direct patient care with cutting-edge research. I particularly value the opportunity to conduct truly translational research that bridges the gap between clinical need and scientific innovation. My role offers me the ability to adopt a “bedside-to-bench and back” approach which ensures that our research is informed by real-world challenges and, in turn, delivers tangible benefits to headache and facial pain patients.
What inspired you to get into this work?
The desire to make a meaningful difference to patients’ lives has always been at the heart of my motivation. My own experience with migraine was a defining influence, shaping my decision to dedicate my career to reducing the burden of headache and facial pain disorders. Living with migraine gave me first-hand insight into the profound impact these conditions have on every aspect of life.
I vividly remember attending a lecture as a student and feeling devastated when I learned that we still do not know the exact cause of migraine. That moment stayed with me and strengthened my resolve to contribute to KHP clinical and research projects, and it is fascinating to know that my work can have a direct impact on headache patients.
What is the potential of your work to impact the lives of patients?
My current research spans two major projects. The first explores the therapeutic potential of novel non-paralytic botulinum toxins for facial pain/trigeminal neuralgia, and migraine, with the aim of progressing to first-in-human trials in the near future. This represents a highly innovative and safe approach to addressing the treatment of these conditions. In the case of facial pain in particular, there is an urgent unmet need for such treatments, as current medications are often either insufficiently effective or poorly tolerated.
The second project is the National Audit of Headache Disorders, which seeks to map patient pathways within the NHS and benchmark them against approved guidelines, such as the NICE guidelines. This initiative is pivotal for the UK headache field, as it aspires to influence policy and drive systemic improvements in patient care.
What are the benefits of working in partnership?
I am honoured to work along an exceptional team across King’s College London and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS FT. None of my achievements would have been possible without the dedication and expertise of my colleagues, and the partnerships with these wonderful people across KHP is fundamental to our success.
What would be your career top tips for anyone looking to get into neurosciences?
Neuroscience is a dynamic and rewarding field, offering diverse opportunities for exploration and impact. My advice is to seek out mentors and collaborators who will support and challenge you. Throughout my career, I have benefited enormously from the guidance and generosity of colleagues, and I remain deeply grateful for their influence on my professional journey.
Dr Anna Andreou won the Industry and Innovation Award at the 2025 Women in Neuroscience UK (WiNUK) Awards. WiNUK said she has built “exceptional industrial partnerships that advance research, improve patient care, and drive policy change for headache disorders and facial pain”.
