In her talk, Marie Mehlfeldt presented new insights into Paroxysmal Extreme Pain Disorder (PEPD), a rare genetic pain condition caused by mutations in the voltage‑gated sodium channel Nav1.7. These mutations enhance so‑called resurgent sodium currents, thereby increasing the excitability of neurons in the pain pathway, especially at lower temperatures.
By combining temperature‑dependent automated patch‑clamp recordings with mathematical modeling approaches, Marie Mehlfeldt demonstrated how disease‑associated Nav1.7 variants alter the electrical behavior of neurons. The resulting models provide mechanistic explanations for why affected individuals experience extreme pain even in response to mild stimuli such as touch or cold.
The Channelopathy Conference 2026, held on the African continent for the first time, brought together more than 100 international researchers from the channelopathy community. We warmly congratulate Marie Mehlfeldt on this well‑deserved recognition.
