
Mission
The Stony Brook University Pain and Analgesia Research Center (SPARC) is an initiative to promote collaboration on basic and translational pain research. Laboratories in SPARC use multidisciplinary approaches to investigate mechanisms of pain sensation and pathogenesis at molecular, cellular, circuit, and systems levels, with the ultimate goal of helping develop effective non-opioid analgesics for better pain management in patients. Our mission is to develop a collaborative and creative environment to support studies that provide important insights into physiological and/or pathological pain mechanisms and translate the new mechanistic understanding into therapeutics.
SPARC Labs
Martin Kaczocha, PhD - Lipid Metabolism and Signaling: Roles in Pain and Inflammation
Michelino Puopolo, PhD - Ion Channels and Neuronal Excitability, Mechanisms of Pain
Shao-Jun Tang, PhD - Mechanisms of pathological pain
Michelino Puopolo, PhD - Ion Channels and Neuronal Excitability, Mechanisms of Pain
Shao-Jun Tang, PhD - Mechanisms of pathological pain
SPARC Members

Holiday Party 2024
SPARC Publications
Liu X, Bae C, Gelman BB, Chung JM, Tang SJ. A neuron-to-astrocyte Wnt5a signal governs astrogliosis during HIV-associated pain pathogenesis.
Bogdan DM, Studholme K, DiBua A, Gordon C, Kanjiya MP, Yu M, Puopolo M, Kaczocha M. FABP5 deletion in nociceptors augments endocannabinoid signaling and suppresses TRPV1 sensitization and inflammatory pain.
Tang SJ. Reactive astrocytes in pain neural circuit pathogenesis.
Watson Z, Tang SJ. Aberrant Synaptic Pruning in CNS Diseases: A Critical Player in HIV-Associated Neurological Dysfunction?.
Hankerd K, Koo H, McDonough KE, Wang J, Pariyar R, Tang SJ, Chung JM, La JH. Gonadal hormone-dependent nociceptor sensitization maintains nociplastic pain state in female mice.
Liu X, Bae C, Liu B, Zhang YM, Zhou X, Zhang D, Zhou C, DiBua A, Schutz L, Kaczocha M, Puopolo M, Yamaguchi TP, Chung JM, Tang SJ. Development of opioid-induced hyperalgesia depends on reactive astrocytes controlled by Wnt5a signaling.
Ou M, Chen Y, Liu J, Zhang D, Yang Y, Shen J, Miao C, Tang SJ, Liu X, Mulkey DK, Zhu T, Zhou C. Spinal astrocytic MeCP2 regulates Kir4.1 for the maintenance of chronic hyperalgesia in neuropathic pain.
Hankerd K, Koo H, McDonough KE, Wang J, Pariyar R, Tang SJ, Chung JM, La JH. Gonadal hormone-dependent nociceptor sensitization maintains nociplastic pain state in female mice.
Liu X, Tang SJ. Pathogenic mechanisms of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated pain.
Bush K, Wairkar Y, Tang SJ. Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors Are the Major Class of HIV Antiretroviral Therapeutics That Induce Neuropathic Pain in Mice.