Current Projects
Boada Lab Projects
Dr. Boada’s overall goals are focused on the study and characterization of the mammalian somatosensory system physiological functions, in normal as well pathological conditions. Specifically, the molecular basis of the mechanical transduction on primary sensory neurons and the circuits, architecture, and sensory integration in secondary order sensory neurons in the spinal cord. For this task, he uses a combination of different techniques, including electrophysiological (extracellular and intracellular [Sharp electrodes]), pharmacological, inmunohistochemical (ICC), and neuroanatomical approaches, and in some cases fluorescence imaging technologies. The obvious limitation of available models for these studies motivated him to develop novel in vivo spinal cord/DRG or trigeminal ganglia preparations for combined structure/function analyses of individual, physiological indentified skin sensory and spinal cord neurons in adult mice and adult/neonate rats (under well controlled physiological conditions). The unparalleled resolution afforded by this challenging and detailed single-neuron (intracellular record) approach has provided a number of novel insights into sensory neuron biology, particularly with respect to the anatomical and functional diversity of nociceptors and their interaction with tactile afferents at multiple levels on the superficial dorsal horn.