Dr Kelsi Dodds is a Senior Lecturer in the Adelaide Dental School, University of Adelaide.  Kelsi coordinates the Biodental Sciences component of Dental Science and Practice I-III (Bachelor of Dental Surgery) and IOH Human Biology (Bachelor of Oral Health). Additionally, she teaches biology, anatomy, and physiology across multiple undergraduate programs, courses, and year levels. 

Kelsi is also an early-career researcher in the School of Biomedicine, University of Adelaide. Her primary expertise is in visceral neurophysiology, determining the structure and function of sensory pathways between the pelvic organs and central nervous system, and how these pathways change in disease. Recently, she has assisted in coordinating a clinical trial with Professor Mark Hutchinson examining the Wim Hof Method as a novel treatment for endometriosis pain. 

Research background: Dr Kelsi Dodds started her research career examining muscle contraction patterns in the gut and uterus. Igniting a passion for research into female reproductive health and disease, Kelsi then undertook a PhD at the University of Adelaide, Australia, exploring the role of spinal glial cells in the development of endometriosis and pelvic pain. 

Throughout her PhD, Kelsi was fortunate to interact with pelvic pain patients, hearing of the daily burden their conditions (e.g., endometriosis, period pain) had on their lives. For many women, available medical management options for pain were (and still are) largely invasive and/or ineffective. Considering this need, Kelsi engaged in a postdoctoral position at Flinders University, Australia, to study pain signalling pathways from the pelvis (primarily the female reproductive tract). 

Kelsi has received numerous awards and international esteem for her research this far, notably including a personal invitation to lead the pain behaviour theme for the World Endometriosis Research Foundation (WERF) consortium on harmonising experimental models of endometriosis. She has also been appointed in the prestigious Science and Technology Australia 2023-24 Superstars of STEM program, through a highly competitive national selection process.

Current Projects

Title: Unravelling the role of the neuroimmune system in endometriosis-associated pain
Project description: Several projects are available for an animal study that will explore the relationship between glial cell adaptations and pain associated with endometriosis. Experimental techniques include pain and wellbeing behaviour testing, fluorescence immunohistochemistry, and novel photonics imaging.
Projects available for: Honours
Location: Helen Mayo Building
Research project start: Semester 1 and 2
Special requirements: N/A