Dr Kavita Poply is a Consultant in Pain Medicine & Neuromodulation at St Bartholomew’s Hospital and Senior Lecturer at Queen Mary University, London, UK. She completed FRCA (Fellowship of Royal College of Anaesthetics, 2006) and FFPMRCA (Fellowship in Pain medicine, 2016) whilst getting trained in Anaesthetics and Pain medicine in UK. She is PhD in neuromodulation and is currently the Deputy Director of Pain Research Centre at St Bartholomew’s Hospital London.
She is the lead for the QMUL accredited Post Graduate Certificate Course (PG Cert) in neuromodulation. She is also the co-director for the Executive Education Program in Neuromodulation (EEPIN), with international faculty collaboration from Europe, India, Australia, and US. She is also working as a Co-section editor for the “Pain Practice” journal. She has expertise in managing patients with back pain, persistent spinal pain syndrome 1&2, headaches, sciatica, pelvic pain, complex regional pain syndrome and fibromyalgia within multi-modal pain management strategies offering bespoke solutions for these complex issues. She has expertise and extensive experience in various neuromodulation techniques i.e. Spinal cord stimulation, Occipital nerve stimulation, Sacral nerve stimulation and Sphenopalatine ganglion stimulation.
Her passion is to raise the standards of Neuromodulation therapy by promoting structured evidence-based education and cutting-edge research in the field. For leisure, she enjoys swimming, yoga, cycling, and listening to soulful music besides fine wines.
Dr Mehta is currently the Clinical Network Director of Pain Services Barts Health NHS Trust, a combination of several hospitals and community care services in London, one of the largest institutions in the UK. He also heads the Academic Pain Medicine division of the Trust and is Honorary Reader at William Harvey Institute and Queen Mary University, London.
He has been awarded the Bronze award by National Clinical Excellence Awards committee in 2021 a public acknowledgment of his professional expertise and sustained and dedicated contribution to the NHS over and above his contractual requirements.
Dr Mehta has been appointed as an examiner for the Fellowship of Pain Medicine (FFPMRCA) by the Royal Court of Examiners of Faculty of Pain Medicine (FFPM) and Royal College of Anaesthesia (RCOA).
He has been elected as a council member of NSUKI (Neuromodulation Society of UK and Ireland) in 2016 and re-elected for the second term in 2019. He has been involved in supporting and drafting commissioning policies for neuromodulation by NHS England, particularly for headache services. He is an eminent speaker and has several invited lectures including IASP Yokohama 2016 and further topical workshops in 2014, 2015 and 2016 at the British Pain Society annual scientific meetings, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 NSUKI annual meetings. He was an invited speaker at North American Neuromodulation Society in 2017, 2018, and 2019.
He has lectured at over 100 clinical and academic meetings and has published extensively in the field of pain. His work on functional and restorative neurostimulation has been recognised by the international neuromodulation society and received one of the top 5 research in World Congress for 2017. His multicentre three-year outcome data on multifidus stimulation was one of the top 5 research in the UK for the year 2022.
The faculty is world-class, working to inspire brilliant minds using a range of lectures and tutorials, fostering the next generation.
You will study modules on anatomy and pathophysiology of central and peripheral pain pathways. You will gain understanding of the role of neuromodulation in pain including Post Spinal Pain Syndrome (PSPS) type 1 and 2, intractable neuropathic pain, refractory angina, complex regional pain syndrome, headache and pelvic pain, and evaluate current evidence.
You will gain knowledge of the current spectrum of devices and be able to differentiate between the hardware and software platforms to tailor the therapy to suit individual patient requirements. You will also attain an understanding of allied neuromodulation modalities like deep brain stimulation for movement disorders, parkinsonism, epilepsy, etc. Besides, you will learn the available programming options tailored to the need of the individual patient.
You will gain an understanding of patient selection recognising the signs and symptoms of common indications of neuromodulation. The module will allow you to understand the medical, surgical and psychological contraindications, and the use of the validated tools for assessment. You will gain insight on spectrum of procedural skills with the help of informative videos of various techniques. You would also be able to identify perioperative complications, troubleshoot and manage them.
You will get a sound understanding of intrathecal therapy for cancer and non-cancer pain. You will be provided with the knowledge of current national guidelines and evidence base for setting up intrathecal services, learning the skills of patient selection and therapy maintenance, including ethical considerations around cancer and non-cancer pain.
The modular nature of the programme is designed to fit in with the needs of students in full-time employment. You will receive the taught element of the modules in three-day blocks approximately every four to six weeks.
To obtain a Postgraduate Certificate, you are required to complete 4 x 15 credit modules (60 credits). Each module will have 9 lectures spread over 3 consecutive days followed by a written assignment to be submitted in the next 4 weeks.
All modules are compulsory.
Semester 1 modules:
Semester 2 modules:
Anatomy- Neurophysiology of Neuromodulation Students will acquire the knowledge of neural anatomy, pain pathways including peripheral and central transmission relevant to neuromodulation, particularly the targets of stimulation; spinal and supraspinal neurons. Students will learn the emerging concepts of supra spinal mechanisms and closed loop in neuromodulation. Physics of waveform including concept and rationale of differential frequency, charge and neural dose will be discussed and students will be able to ascertain their clinical implications.
Patient care and Procedurals skills Students will gain knowledge of current clinical guidelines, consensus statements and referral criteria for patient selection. Students will understand the validated assessment tools and MDT based clinical/psychological assessments used for selection for neuromodulation procedures. Radiological assessment including review of MRI scans in context of surgical targets and usefulness of SCS following post-surgery scarring (PSPS type 2) or in absence of surgery (PSPS type 1) will be discussed. Students will be provided with knowledge to manage preoperative preparation, patient education and expectations. Surgical skills including percutaneous and surgical placement will be described. Students will learn intraoperative troubleshooting complication management and long-term care of the patients.
Devices and available technology Students will gain knowledge and be able to compare and contrast the hardware of available devices including current leads, implantable pulse generators, primary cell and rechargeable technologies for neuromodulation. Students will gain knowledge about the software platforms and be able to compare and contrast the programming capabilities of available devices. Students will gain understanding of deep brain stimulation, its role and indications including movement disorders, parkinsonism and epilepsy.
Intrathecal drug delivery for cancer and non-cancer painStudents will gain knowledge of ethical challenges, current clinical guidelines and consensus statements for safe delivery of intrathecal therapy for cancer and non-cancer pain. Students will gain knowledge on setting up an intrathecal service and working in conjunction with allied specialities. Students will gain the knowledge on pharmacotherapy for intra-thecal drug delivery and be able to compare and contrast the role of opioid and non-opioid medications. Surgical skills including percutaneous and surgical placement of intrathecal delivery systems will be described. Students will learn intra operative troubleshooting, complication management and long-term care of the patients.
You will be assessed on online submitted written assignments for each module with 50% pass marks. Students will be given the opportunity to demonstrate their learning and receive feedback in tutorial sessions.
You will experience a variety of online teaching and learning methods including lectures and seminars, guided reading exercises, and various activities incorporating individual and group work which will help you to consolidate your learning.
This is fully online program is delivered on the QMPlus platform. The program is a combination of synchronous and asynchronous learning. All lectures will be live interactive sessions with the recordings available on QMPlus platform.
The modules are spread over 2 semesters.
Module 1: 3, 4 & 5 October 2022 Module 2: 7, 8 & 9 November 2022 Module 3: 3, 4 & 5 April 2023Module 4: 8, 9 & 10 May 2023
Last date for registration: 16 September 2022 Last date for bursary application: 31 August 2022
At Queen Mary University of London, you will have access to a number of advanced facilities, including:
September 2022 | 9 months Home: £3,950 Overseas: £5,500
Finance of the course fee is available on the QMUL website. Bursaries are also available pending eligibility from “The Spine Foundation” a registered UK charity.
Please contact enquiries@spinefoundation.org.uk for more bursary information.
What happens if I am unable to attend the modules? All modules will be recorded and available on QM Plus to view at your convenience.
Can I attend modules 3 & 4 before 1 & 2? No, all modules will need to be attended in succession from 1 to 4 and assignments to be completed simultaneously.
How would I get to solve any queries about the assignments?There will be a dedicated tutorial for each module where you will be able to interact with the lecturers who will be able to answer any queries. You will also receive guidance for any assignment queries.
Do I need to come in person to attend the programme? No, the programme is completely online.
Do I need English Language certification? If you got your degree in an English-speaking country or if it was taught in English, and you studied within the last five years, you might not need an English language qualification.
Will I get hands-on experience?PG cert itself is a standalone online course. However, after successful completion of the course, you may wish to apply for the visiting fellowships through spinefoundation.org.uk ranging from 1-12 months with the spectrum of exposure from observer-ship to hands-on experience pending on T&C's of the pertinent trust and GMC regulations.
Find out more about the Neuromodulation and Pain Management Online PGCert, including how to apply.