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.
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 Jennifer Malon, M.S., M.P.H., COBRE program coordinator at jmalon@une.edu or (207) 602-2517.
*NIGMS grant # 5P20GM103643, 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.
Faculty and Professional Staff
Advisory Committees
The center is pleased to enlist the advice and expertise of its Steering Committee and External Advisory Board.
Steering Committee
Geoffrey Ganter, Ph.D., Professor, School of Biological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences
Diana Goode, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine
Russell Ferland, Ph.D., Professor and Chair, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine
Karen Houseknecht, Ph.D., Associate Provost for Research and Scholarship
Tamara King, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Director of the Behavioral Core
Jennifer Malon, M.S., M.P.H., COBRE Program Manager
Ian Meng, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Director of the Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences
Derek Molliver, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Director of the Histology and Imaging Core
Christoph Straub, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine
Kerry Tucker, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Assistant Director of the Behavioral Core
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