Interdisciplinary center of excellence for the study of pain and sensory function

描述（由申请人提供）：尽管研究极大地增加了我们对急性、炎症性和神经性疼痛的基本机制的了解，但从急性到慢性疼痛的转变过程所涉及的知识相对较少。这个COBRE申请的目标是建立一个卓越的生物医学研究中心，这将大大有助于对慢性针刺和感觉功能的神经生物学的科学理解，促进新疗法的发现和发展。拟议中的研究中心将围绕新英格兰大学（UNE）的神经科学家、药理学家和化学家组成的核心小组建立，他们的研究重点是理解疼痛的神经生物学。COBRE将为初级调查员提供职业发展计划、指导和研究基础设施，以促进他们获得独立调查员的地位。此外，招募新教员的目的是加强我们与药学院合作的药物化学能力。在建立化学小组方面，本COBRE的努力符合将创新化学作为疼痛基础知识和治疗之间的桥梁的概念。这些努力将为中心的科学家提供新的化合物，这些化合物可以作为探索慢性疼痛病理生理学的有价值的工具，并最终可能在生物制药环境中作为临床候选药物发展。具体目标1将增加新英格兰大学神经科学研究人员的数量，以创造必要的研究人员数量，以维持一个充满活力和竞争力的研究中心。这一目标将通过培养四名没有获得R01或类似研究项目资助的现任新英格兰大学初级教员的疼痛相关研究项目来实现。此外，我们将招聘和雇用另外三名研究员，他们的研究项目将补充现有教员的研究项目。Specific Aim 2将扩大UNE的神经科学研究基础设施，提供核心设施，使研究人员能够开展涉及慢性疼痛发展的神经生物学过程的前沿研究。这一目标将通过改造实验室空间、购买核心行为、成像和组织学设备以及为关键支持人员提供资金来实现。这些目标的完成将发展一个多学科小组的初级研究人员的研究事业，并建立必要的核心设施和设备，以构成一个有竞争力的研究中心。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Although research has vastly increased our knowledge regarding the basic mechanisms of acute, inflammatory and neuropathic pain, relatively little is known about the processes involved in the transition from acute to chronic pai. The goal of this COBRE application is to develop a Center of Biomedical Research Excellence that will significantly contribute to the scientific understanding of the neurobiology of chronic pin and sensory function, facilitating the discovery and development of novel therapies. The proposed research center will build around a core group of neuroscientists, pharmacologists and chemists at the University of New England (UNE) whose research is focused on understanding the neurobiology of pain. The COBRE will provide the junior investigators with a career development plan, mentorship, and research infrastructure that will facilitate gaining independent investigator status. Furthermore, new faculty recruitment is designed to strengthen our medicinal chemistry capabilities in collaboration with the College of Pharmacy. In building the chemistry group, the efforts in this COBRE are consistent with the concept of bringing innovative chemistry as a bridge between basic knowledge of pain and therapy. These efforts will provide Center scientists with novel compounds that can be used as valuable tools to explore the pathophysiology of chronic pain and ultimately may be advanced as clinical candidates in partnerships developed within the biopharmaceutical setting. Specific Aim 1 will increase the number of neuroscience investigators at UNE to create a critical mass of researchers necessary to sustain a vibrant and competitive research center. This Aim will be accomplished by fostering the pain related research programs of four current UNE junior faculty members who have not received R01 or comparable Research Project Grant support. In addition, we will recruit and hire an additional three investigators whose research programs will complement those of the existing faculty. Specific Aim 2 will expand neuroscience research infrastructure at UNE, providing access to core facilities that allow investigators to carry out cutting edge research on the neurobiological processes involved in the development of chronic pain. This Aim will be accomplished through the renovation of laboratory space, the purchase of core behavioral, imaging and histology equipment, and funding of key support personnel. Completion of these Aims will develop the research careers of a multidisciplinary group of junior investigators, and establish the core facilities and equipment necessary to constitute a competitive research center.