91AV

Ph.D. Candidate, UMaine’s Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering

I’ve used numerous Behavior Core services including training on several types of injections, reflexive behavioral assays, a surgical model of neuropathic pain, and proper surgical techniques. I consistently use the available surgery suite in Stella Maris, and I utilize the Behavior Core to run behavioral assays and consult on project ideas related to my dissertation research. It’s awesome to have the Behavior Core available to me as a student as it offers great one-on-one training on a variety of techniques. The core helps to ensure the rigor and reproducibility of my behavioral results.

The 91AV Behavior Core has helped us characterize the behavioral phenotype of our mouse model and has helped to investigate mechanical and thermal sensitivities in our mouse model under conditions of inflammatory pain.

My research focuses on investigating RNA-protein interactions in sensory neurons and their role in the development of persistent pain. Specifically, I am pursuing an RNA-binding protein as a novel therapeutic target for relieving persistent pain and I’m working to alter the activity of this RNA-binding protein in sensory neurons to reduce behavioral sensitivities and neuronal excitability under conditions of inflammatory and neuropathic pain.

I’ve benefited greatly from having the opportunity to work with Behavior Core staff. They have extensive knowledge and are an awesome team to learn from and work with. As someone who is planning to study pain throughout my career, having a solid foundation of knowledge and experience with animal behavior in a variety of pain models will be very useful and help me to achieve my research goals. The techniques I’ve learned from the Behavior Core have been instrumental to the progress I’ve made in my dissertation research, and I will continue to utilize the Behavior Core throughout the rest of my Ph.D.