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

    1. 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.
    2. 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

    Michael Burman
    Professor of Psychology
    Project Leader, COBRE
    Academic Director, School of Social and Behavioral Sciences
    Headshot of Geoff Ganter
    Professor of Biology
    Co-Director, Histology and Imaging Core
    Headshot of Diana Goode
    Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences
    Headshot of Russell Ferland
    Professor
    Chair, Biomedical Sciences
    Headshot of Karen Houseknecht
    Professor of Pharmacology
    Associate Provost for Research and Scholarship
    Headshot of Tamara King
    Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences
    Director, Behavior Core
    Headshot of Ian Meng
    Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences
    Director, Center of Biomedical Research Excellence for the Study of Pain and Sensory Function
    Director, Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences
    Headshot of Derek Mulliver
    Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences
    Director, Histology and Imaging Core
    Headshot of Kerry Tucker
    Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Sciences

    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.