University of Pittsburgh-Pittsburgh Campus · NeuroscienceNeural Circuit Pain Research Lab
Rebecca P Seal · Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Research Focus
Dr. Rebecca P Seal's lab at the University of Pittsburgh focuses on understanding the neural circuits that contribute to mechanical allodynia, a painful condition resulting from nerve and tissue damage. The lab investigates how different types of injuries shape the neural pathways involved in this heightened sensitivity to touch. By identifying the excitatory and inhibitory neurons involved, the goal is to uncover new therapeutic targets for pain management.
mechanical allodynianeural circuitsdorsal hornpain managementinjury types
Research Aims
3AIM 01Identify excitatory neuronal populations that facilitate mechanical allodynia in response to various injuries.
AIM 02Investigate the inhibitory networks that regulate mechanical allodynia and their locations in the dorsal horn.
AIM 03Analyze synaptic connectivity and mechanisms of central sensitization related to excitatory and inhibitory neurons.
Skills the Lab Values
electrophysiologychemogeneticsspatial transcriptomicscircuit tracingproteomic analyses
Output against the department
Publications87bottom 27% of dept.488th of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations7.9ktop 47% of dept.318th of 671
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.