Dr Karen H Simpson Expert Reports Ltd · Pain Medicine

Research & publications

Research, publications and teaching

Dr Simpson has published more than 135 textbooks, book chapters, scientific papers, editorials and reviews, and has lectured on pain medicine for over 40 years.

Research

Dr Simpson has been active in research throughout her career. Her early work at the University of Bradford and in Leeds covered the pharmacology of analgesic and anaesthetic drugs, including their effects on gastric emptying and cognitive function; one study won an Association of Anaesthetists research prize. In 1990 she was awarded the Evans National Palliative Medicine Research Prize.

She was a founder member of the Leeds Pallium Group, a research partnership in pain and palliative care between Leeds Teaching Hospitals and the Leeds universities. The group won national research funding and helped to establish the Chair in Palliative Medicine at Leeds. Her research work has also included:

  • Cochrane systematic reviews of TENS for cancer pain
  • Chief investigator for a national intrathecal drug delivery registry and audit
  • European multicentre studies in neuromodulation, including dorsal root ganglion stimulation
  • The European Open Minds group survey of chronic pain and barriers to opioid prescribing across Europe (PDF)
  • Supervision of a PhD in pain research

She has been an Associate Editor of the Clinical Notes section of the journal Pain, served on the editorial board of the British Journal of Anaesthesia’s continuing education journal for 14 years, and reviews for leading anaesthesia and pain journals.

Books

In 2015 Dr Simpson’s handbook on complex cancer pain won the British Medical Association book of the year prize. A completely rewritten second edition followed in 2022.

Cover of Practical Management of Complex Cancer Pain
Practical Management of Complex Cancer PainSharma, Gupta, Bennett and Simpson. Oxford University Press, 2014; 2nd edition 2022. BMA book of the year prize, 2015.
Cover of Spinal Interventions in Pain Management
Spinal Interventions in Pain ManagementSimpson, Baranidharan and Gupta. Oxford University Press, 2012.
Cover of Pain: its nature and treatment
Pain: its nature and treatmentBond and Simpson. Churchill Livingstone, 2006.
Cover of Chronic Pain, Oxford Pain Management Library
Chronic PainDickman and Simpson (eds). Oxford Pain Management Library, Oxford University Press, 2008.

Selected publications

  • Simpson KH, Johnson T. Pain management. In: Powers M, Barton A (eds). Clinical Negligence, 6th edition. Bloomsbury Professional, 2023.
  • Sharma ML, Gupta S, Bennett MI, Simpson KH. Practical Management of Complex Cancer Pain, 2nd edition. Oxford University Press, 2022.
  • Bhaskar A, Simpson KH. Interventional management of pain in cancer and palliative care. Medicine, 2022.
  • Hurlow A, Bennett MI, Robb KA, Johnson MI, Simpson KH, Oxberry SG. Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) for cancer pain in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2012.
  • Kress HG, Simpson KH, Marchettini P et al. Intrathecal therapy: what has changed with the introduction of ziconotide? Pain Practice, 2009.
  • Simpson KH, Jones I. Intrathecal drug delivery for management of cancer and non-cancer pain. Journal of Opioid Management, 2008.
  • Simpson KH. Opioids in chronic non-malignant pain (editorial). British Journal of Anaesthesia, 2004.

A full list of publications is available on request.

Teaching and speaking

Dr Simpson has presented at more than 30 international and 100 national scientific meetings. She lectures and gives seminars and webinars to medical and legal audiences on pain management and medico-legal practice, and is available for educational events by arrangement. She also mentors expert witness colleagues.

Recent teaching includes the Patrick Wall Lecture at the Faculty of Pain Medicine’s annual meeting (2025), a lecture on chronic pain after pelvic mesh surgery (2026) and a presentation on cauda equina syndrome alongside counsel (2026).

Leeds Cadaver Workshop. Dr Simpson is Co-Director of the annual Leeds Pain Interventional Cadaver Workshop, which she set up with two colleagues in 2008. The course gives hands-on training in spinal and other interventional pain procedures, now including neuromodulation, to experienced doctors from the UK and abroad, and has made Leeds a national centre for this training. She is editing the second edition of the textbook that supports the course. Course details

Professional roles

  • 2025Patrick Wall Medal, Faculty of Pain Medicine
  • 2022–nowAssessor for Expert Witness Institute certification
  • 2017–nowExaminer trainer and auditor, Faculty of Pain Medicine examination
  • 2016–nowHonorary Consultant in Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine, Leeds Teaching Hospitals
  • 1987–nowSenior Clinical Lecturer, School of Medicine, University of Leeds
  • 2015Faculty of Pain Medicine Commendation for Meritorious Service
  • 2013–2017Chairman, Faculty of Pain Medicine Court of Examiners
  • 2010–2013GMC Appeals Panellist
  • 2009–2013Chairman, Professional Standards Committee, Faculty of Pain Medicine
  • 2007–2009First Vice Dean, Faculty of Pain Medicine
  • 2003–2007Royal College of Anaesthetists Regional Adviser in Pain Medicine, Yorkshire
  • 2002–2004Honorary Secretary, British Pain Society
  • 1987–2016Consultant in Anaesthesia and Pain Medicine, Leeds Teaching Hospitals
  • 1984–1987Lecturer in Anaesthesia, University of Leeds

She was an FRCA examiner for 13 years and later a Faculty of Pain Medicine examiner, examining in the UK, Ireland, Egypt, Hong Kong and Sri Lanka.