How does the nervous system sense and respond to environmental dangers?
Quickly pulling away your hand from a hot stove.
Brushing a bug off of your skin.
The sensations of pain and itch are designed to protect our bodies from potential dangers in the environment. Yet these sensations can go awry and give rise to debilitating diseases like chronic pain and chronic itch (e.g. eczema). In the Sheahan Lab, our research focus is to first understand how pain and itch are typically encoded throughout the nervous system and then pinpoint changes that occur to give rise to disease, with the long-term goal of identifying novel therapeutic targets for pain and itch relief.
To do this, we use a range of approaches in rodent models including molecular genetics, circuit mapping, two-photon Ca2+ imaging, and behavioral analysis to understand the neural mechanisms of somatosensation. We also leverage human tissues to assess the translational relevance of findings made in animal models.
Where are we?
Medical College of Wisconsin
The Sheahan Lab is in the Department of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy, a department at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) with broad research interests, and the largest basic science department at the institution. The lab is also affiliated with the MCW Neuroscience Research Center, and we are a founding laboratory of the MCW Pain Research Group.
Milwaukee
Milwaukee is an overlooked gem in the Midwest! It’s nestled right on Lake Michigan and offers big city charm, while still being affordable. There is so much to explore from the food scene, arts, sports, and the outdoors.
Sheahan Lab 