The Center of Biomedical Research Excellence for the Study of Pain and Sensory Function
Established in 2012, the Center of Biomedical Research Excellence for the Study of Pain and Sensory Function (COBRE) supports a vibrant and collaborative neuroscience research program at UNE. The goal of the center is to increase the scientific understanding of the neurobiology of chronic pain, facilitating the discovery and development of novel therapies.
Through funding from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences*, the center continues to expand and diversify in exciting ways — recruiting neuroscience faculty to UNE, supporting the work of neuroscience investigators, and launching the research programs of junior faculty via our pilot project program.
The center also supports two state-of-the-art research facilities — the Behavioral Core and the Histology and Imaging Core — which provide expertise, training, and instrumentation to perform cutting-edge research.
*NIGMS grant # P30GM145497, PI-Meng
Aims
- Create a critical mass of neuroscience researchers necessary to sustain a vibrant and competitive research center. The center supports promising junior scientists, administers a pilot project grant program to fund additional neuroscience projects, and provides start-up funds for the recruitment of new faculty.
- Expand UNE’s neuroscience research infrastructure, providing core facilities that allow investigators to carry out cutting-edge research. Two core facilities, the Behavioral Core and the Histology and Imaging Core, provide researchers access to specialized instrumentation and equipment, as well as the training and expertise needed to use it.
Current Research
Take a look at the research Ian D. Meng, Ph.D., COBRE Director, performs with the help of UNE students. The Meng lab focuses on studying ocular pain by mapping out corneal nerves.
People
The center is pleased to enlist the advice and expertise of its Steering Committee and External Advisory Board.
Steering Committee
External Advisory Committee
Yves De Koninck, Ph.D., Professor of Psychiatry and Neuroscience; Scientific Director, Quebec Mental Health Institute; Director of Research, Quebec Integrated Health University; Director, Neurophotonics Center, Laval Université, Quebec, Canada
Jon Levine, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, University of California, San Francisco
Diane Lipscombe, Ph.D., Professor of Neuroscience, Director of the Carney Institute for Brain Science, Brown University
Frank Porreca, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Pharmacology and Anesthesiology, College of Medicine, University of Arizona
Related Centers
Individual Development Plans
Contact
If you would like to schedule time at one of our core facilities, or if you have any questions about engaging with the center, please contact Ian Meng, Ph.D., COBRE director at imeng@une.edu or (207) 602-2195.