Predoctoral Trainees:
Ariel Epouhe – AYE3@pitt.edu
I am working in Kathy Albers laboratory studying mechanisms of visceral pain and the neural and epithelial regulation of GI immune cells.
Sydney Lamerand – SRL57@pitt.edu
I am working in Brad Taylor’s laboratory studying mechanisms of MS pain with a focus on microglial signaling.
Karen Clark– kbc29@pitt.edu
I am working in Michael Gold’s laboratory studying the impact of sex and stress on neuroimmune interactions in the dura mater in the context of migraine.
Tyler Nelson – tsn11@pitt.edu
I am working with Bradley Taylor to investigate the microcircuitry of the spinal cord dorsal horn and how neuropathic injury can lead to maladaptive changes in sensory processing using molecular, behavioral, and physiological approaches.
Jillian Weeks – jillian.j.weeks@pitt.edu
I am working in Alan Sved’s lab studying nicotine behavioral pharmacology in animal models of vulnerable populations with the goal of informing regulatory policy.
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Cynthia Arokiaraj – cma83@pitt.edu
I am training with Becky Seal to develop tools that will allow me to manipulate and study the spinal cord microcircuitry involved in touch and pain in non-human primates.
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Kimberly Meerschaert– kim42@pitt.edu
I am working with Brian Davis to understand the role of vagal and spinal afferents in visceral pain using molecular, physiological, and behavioral techniques.
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Eileen Nguyen – ekn11@pitt.edu
I am working in the laboratory of Dr. Sarah Ross to investigate the spinal neurocircuitry involved in itch and pain. Using molecular, behavioral, and physiological approaches, I seek to elucidate the mechanisms that contribute to somatosensation.
Postdoctoral Trainees:
Heather Allen – ALLENH@pitt.edu
I am working in Brad Taylor’s lab on NPY signaling from the parabrachial nucleus to the amygdala in the presence and absence of traumatic nerve injury.
David Ferreira – davidferreira_2005@hotmail.com
I am working with Dr. Rebecca Seal to investigate the cellular and molecular aspects of persistent pain in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and spinal cord (SC), focusing on the functional/neural circuitry of specific subpopulations of neurons following chronic inflammatory and neuropathic pain models, and in the regulation of morphine analgesia by CCKergic system in mice.
Charles Warwick – warwickc@pitt.edu
I am working with Drs. Sarah Ross and Rick Korber to dissect spinal mechanisms of pain and itch using optogenetics, pharmacology, electrophysiology, and multiphoton calcium imaging. I am trying to determine what neural circuits permit dissociation of itch and pain despite being mediated by overlapping sensory neurons.
Lillian Laemmle – lll19@pitt.edu
My research in the lab of Kip Kinchington exploits that no therapies are currently available to provide relief from the pain of postherpetic neuralgia (PHN), a chronic condition that often persists following reactivation of latent varicella zoster virus (VZV) infection. My research exploits a pre-clinical rat model of chronic VZV-induced pain, along with a library of VZV mutants, to identify the underlying mechanisms and potential strategies to prevent or treat this pain.
Brian Edwards – bse7@pitt.edu
In the Davis lab, I’m using optogenetics to activate and inhibit vagal and spinal afferents running in the greater splanchnic to drive and revers pain behaviors in mice experiencing chronic pancreatitis and in a genetic mouse model of pancreatic cancer. I’m also determining how the transcriptome of vagal and spinal afferents changes during development of chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer.
Jamie Moy – jamie.moy@pitt.edu
My work in the Gold lab focuses on identifying different processes that contribute to pain, specifically the activity-dependent changes involved in sensory neuron excitability such as changes in intracellular calcium and its influence on posttranslational modifications and gene expression. Additionally, I am also interested in the translatability of these mechanisms to human sensory neurons.