The University of Texas at Dallas · NeuroscienceThe Pain Pathways Lab
Muhammad Saad Yousuf · Richardson, Texas
Research Focus
Dr. Muhammad Saad Yousuf's lab focuses on understanding and treating diabetic neuropathic pain, a common and often debilitating condition affecting people with diabetes. The research explores how a molecule called methylglyoxal impacts nerve cells, leading to increased pain sensitivity. By using both animal models and human neurons, the lab aims to develop non-opioid treatments targeting specific stress-response pathways involved in pain.
diabetic neuropathic painintegrated stress responsemethylglyoxalnon-opioid therapiesgene expressionnociceptorsRNA sequencing
Research Aims
3AIM 01Investigate the role of eIF2A in nociceptor excitability in diabetic neuropathic pain.
AIM 02Examine how methylglyoxal affects gene expression in human neurons.
AIM 03Develop non-opioid therapies to target the integrated stress response in diabetic pain models.
Skills the Lab Values
mouse modelscell culturegene knockout techniqueselectrophysiologyRNA sequencingpharmacologytissue collection from organ donorsmolecular biology techniquesdata analysis using bioinformaticspain assessment methodologies
Output against the department
Publications101bottom 34% of dept.442nd of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations960bottom 5% of dept.637th 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.