H. Richard Koerber

The paper identifies a GRPR-expressing spinal neuron population that encodes itch and shows that kappa opioid receptor agonists inhibit itch by targeting these neurons.

The paper uses two-photon calcium imaging and pharmacological profiling to identify neuronal populations involved in capsaicin-induced central sensitization.

The paper uses optogenetics to assess how non-peptidergic C-fiber afferents contribute to aversive behaviors before and after nerve injury.

The paper uses molecular profiling to show that visceral afferents from different ganglia have distinct gene expression patterns, indicating functional specialization and integration of sensory information.

The paper identifies a cold-specific neural pathway from the periphery to the parabrachial nucleus, characterized by unique physiological and connectivity properties.

The paper uses single cell qPCR and functional assays to correlate gene expression with functional properties in identified sensory neurons, finding transcriptional heterogeneity within functional subgroups.