Shan Meltzer Receives Mallinckrodt Award for Sensory Research

Pharmacologist Shan Meltzer has been awarded the prestigious Edward Mallinckrodt, Jr. Foundation Award to advance her groundbreaking research into how the body’s sensory circuits develop and function. This award aims to support early-stage investigators engaged in biomedical research and will enable Meltzer to explore the complex organization of sensory circuits in the brain and spinal cord, a fundamental question in neuroscience.

Meltzer’s work focuses on understanding how these intricate networks perform a wide range of sensory functions, including touch and pain. As one in three adults in the United States experiences some form of somatosensory dysfunction, her research holds significant implications for treating disorders such as chronic pain, nerve injuries, and spinal cord injuries.

Understanding Sensory Circuitry

The spinal cord plays a critical role in processing sensory signals. Disruptions to its circuits can result in disorders that significantly impact daily life, such as chronic pain and touch hypersensitivity. Despite the importance of somatosensation, which includes touch and pain, its underlying molecular and developmental mechanisms remain poorly understood.

Meltzer expressed her enthusiasm for the award, stating, “This award will allow my lab to pursue high-risk, high-reward studies that bridge molecular and developmental neuroscience.” With support from the Edward Mallinckrodt, Jr. Foundation, Meltzer and her team will investigate the molecular and cellular processes that guide the wiring of somatosensory circuits during development.

Utilizing advanced techniques such as transcriptomics, mouse genetics, pharmacology, and anatomy, Meltzer’s research aims to decode the formation of mouse somatosensory circuits at single-cell resolution. This approach will help identify critical genes and cells involved in the development of touch and pain pathways, paving the way for new therapeutic targets for rewiring these circuits.

Recognized Achievements and Future Potential

Professor Ege Kavalali, the William Stokes Professor of Experimental Therapeutics and chair of the Department of Pharmacology, commended Meltzer’s achievements. He noted, “Shan has established a robust, highly innovative independent research program in mammalian somatosensation assembly and has an international reputation in neurobiology.” Kavalali emphasized that her work not only provides insights into developmental and sensory neurobiology but also has the potential to transform treatments for somatosensory dysfunctions.

Meltzer joined Vanderbilt University in 2024 after completing her postdoctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School. Her research has already garnered numerous accolades, including selection as a HHMI Hanna Gray Fellow and MIT Biology Catalyst fellow, as well as receiving the C.J. Herrick Award in Neuroanatomy and the Grass Foundation Trustees Recognition Award.

As Meltzer embarks on this next phase of her research, her work promises to enhance our understanding of sensory circuitry and may lead to innovative treatments for individuals suffering from debilitating sensory disorders.