• PhD Candidate, UNSW and NeuRA

Tong En (Daphne) Lim (BPsych [Hons]) is a PhD candidate at the NeuroRecovery Research Hub at the University of New South Wales and the Centre for Pain IMPACT at Neuroscience Research Australia. Her research focuses on understanding the impact of psychological trauma exposure on the brain in individuals living with chronic pain, using a lifespan approach.

Daphne uses neuroimaging techniques and leverages large-scale datasets, including the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study and the UK Biobank, to explore how trauma shapes brain structure and function across different stages of life.

By identifying brain-based markers of trauma-related vulnerability, her work aims to improve our understanding of the complex relationship between trauma, chronic pain, and brain development. Ultimately, her research seeks to inform more targeted and effective interventions for those affected by both trauma and chronic pain.