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After receiving dental (King's College London) and medical (University of Cambridge) degrees as well as specialist training in oral medicine, Professor Joanna Zakrzewska went on to obtain an MD in trigeminal neuralgia as well as a personal chair in facial pain.

She was the first person without training in anesthesia to become a member of the Faculty of Pain Medicine. Additionally, she is Chairperson of the Medical Advisory Board and founder Trustee of Trigeminal Neuralgia Association U.K. After 10 years working at the dental school at Queen Mary, London, Professor Zakrzewska moved to University College London Hospital (UCLH) NHS Foundation Trust.

Between 2007 and 2015, she developed and ran the largest award-winning U.K. center for facial pain that is integrated with other disciplines across University College London Hospitals (UCLH). She is currently setting up a National Institute for Trigeminal Neuralgia to ensure all patients in the United Kingdom have equal access to evidence-based management of this condition. The care pathway she developed is incorporated in the National Guidelines for Trigeminal Neuralgia published by the Royal College of Surgeons. The guidelines have had input from all the major U.K. stakeholders, as well as from European and American guideline committees.

She has authored six books, contributed chapters to 28 additional books, and penned over 200 peer-reviewed papers. She is considered the top research expert on trigeminal neuralgia in the world today and has given 100+ invited talks across 30 countries.