Whitaker group

My research has focused on management of chronic debilitating conditions across the reproductive life-course, including chronic pelvic pain (endometriosis) and abnormal uterine bleeding (adenomyosis and fibroids).

Pelvic pain is responsible for a third of all unscheduled admissions to gynaecology. Many of these patients have underlying endometriosis, a chronic neuroinflammatory pain condition affecting ~190 million women worldwide, a similar prevalence to diabetes in women. As well as resulting in high use of unscheduled care resources, pelvic pain ‘flares’ contribute to decreased physical and mental health and reduced work and education participation. Endometriosis is poorly managed and costs the UK £12.5 billion every year in socioeconomic costs.

My research theme is focused on translational research towards precision treatments for pelvic pain. It encompasses the use of novel imaging techniques including PET-CT and the use of biosampling to better understand pain flares. I investigate the potential for patient stratification and prediction of treatment response using clinical/biological data profiles from women with endometriosis. I have a programme of drug repurposing, novel non-hormonal treatments and surgical trials to ultimately produce rapid change in national clinical guidelines.

• ENDOCAN-1: a pilot randomised controlled trial of the efficacy of a cannabinoid oral tincture in the management of endometriosis-associated pain

  L Whitaker (Chief Investigator), A Horne, J Daniels, L Saraswat, S Lewis, H Durand, A Neilson and E Cox

  2023-2026 Chief Scientist Office Translational Clinical Studies Grant (TCS/22/28)

• EPiC2 A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled feasibility trial to evaluate dichloroacetate in the management of endometriosis-associated pain

  L Whitaker (Chief Investigator), A Horne, J Daniels, L Saraswat, MC Jones and C Graham

  2023-2026 Wellbeing of Women Project Grant (RG2415)

• Improving understanding of endometriosis pain flares to support patients with self-management and prevention (EndoFLARE): a feasibility study

  L Whitaker

  2023-2024 Academy of Medical Sciences Starter Grant (SGL028\1025)

• ESPriT2: A multi-centre randomised controlled trial to determine the effectiveness of laparoscopic treatment of isolated superficial peritoneal endometriosis for the management of chronic pelvic pain in women

  L Whitaker (co-Chief Investigator), A Horne, (co-Chief Investigator), J Norrie, J Stephen, J Daniels, K Cooper, J Clark, J Thornton, Y Cheong, A Maheshwari, C Becker, K Vincent, L Jackson, E Cox, L Hummelshoj)

  2021-2026 National Institute for Health Research HTA (NIHR129801)

• ENVISION: ENdometroisis biomarker VerIfication Sample collectiON.

  L Whitaker (co-Chief Investigator), A Horne, (co-Chief Investigator), M Hund, A-M Olziersky, D Allegranza

  2021-2024 Roche Diagnostics

1. Edgley K, Saunders PTK, Whitaker LHR, Horne AW, Tsanas A. Insights into endometriosis symptom trajectories and assessment of surgical intervention outcomes using longitudinal actigraphy. NPJ Digit Med. 2025; 8(1):236

   PMID: 40316659 

2. Whitaker LHR, Page C, Morgan C, Horne AW, Saunders PTK. Endometriosis: cannabidiol therapy for symptom relief. Trends Pharmacol Sci. 2024; 45(12):1150-1161

   PMID: 39547915

3. Mackenzie SC, Rahmioglu N, Romaniuk L, Collins F, Coxon L, Whalley HC, Vincent K, Zondervan KT, Horne AW, Whitaker LHR. Genome-wide association reveals a locus in neuregulin 3 associated with gabapentin efficacy in women with chronic pelvic pain. iScience. 2024; 27(8):110370

   PMID: 39258169

4. Whitaker LHR, Middleton LJ, Daniels JP, Williams ARW, Priest L, Odedra S, Cheed V, Stubbs CE, Clark TJ, Lumsden MA, Hapangama DK, Bhattacharya S, Smith PP, Elaine P. Nicholls EP, Roberts N, Semple SI, Saraswat L, Walker J, Chodankar RR, Critchley HOD on behalf of the UCON Collaborative. Ulipristal acetate versus levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine system for heavy menstrual bleeding (UCON): a randomised controlled phase III trial eClinMed 2023; 60:101995

   PMID: 37251622

5. Mackenzie S, Moakes C, Doust A, Mol BWJ, Duncan WC, Tong S, Horne AW, Whitaker LHR. Early (day 1–4) post-treatment serum hCG level changes predict single-dose methotrexate treatment success in tubal ectopic pregnancy. Hum Repro 2023; 38(7):1261-1267

   PMID: 37178269

University of Edinburgh

• Professor Andrew Horne,  CRH (pelvic pain and clinical trials)
• Professors Philippa Saunders and Dr Doug Gibson, CIR (fibrosis/steroid micro-environments)
• Professor Thanasis Tsanas, Usher (wearable tech data and algorithmic analysis of combined datasets)
• Professor Dave Newby and Professor Michelle Williams, Centre for Cardiovascular Science (PET-CT)
• Dr Nicola Boydell, Usher Institute (qualitative research)
• Professor Hilary Critchley and Dr Jackie Maybin, CRH (chronic reproductive conditions co-existing with chronic pelvic pain: adenomyosis and abnormal uterine bleeding)
• Professor Marie Fallon, IGMM (clinical trials).

UK

• Professor Katy Vincent, University of Oxford (pelvic pain mechanisms, including functional MRI and clinical trials)
• Professor Krina Zondervan, University of Oxford (Genome Wide Association Studies)
• Professor Justin Clark, Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust (clinical trials)
• Professor Jane Daniels, University of Nottingham (clinical trials)
• Dr Siobhain O’Mahony, University College Cork (gut microbiome)
• Dr Lucky Saraswat, Aberdeen Royal Infirmary (clinical trials)
• Dr Hannah Durand, University of Stirling (qualitative research)