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Erin Young

Assistant Professor, University of Connecticut School of Nursing; Assistant Director, UCONN Center for Advancement in Managing Pain, University of Connecticut
My primary interest lies in the understanding of gene x environment interactions on pain outcomes, with a particular focus on stress and injury/inflammation as environmental factors. Genetic factors have been shown to contribute significantly to variability in the response to painful stimuli. We are beginning to unravel the individual gene candidates and the families of genes that contribute to differences in pain responses. Using genetic correlation analysis with standard inbred strains of mice in addition to whole-genome quantitative trait locus (WTL) mapping with genetic reference populations as our most powerful tools, we are able to explore the genetic contribution to both somatic and visceral pain behaviors. Stress and inflammation can both modulate pain responses to various stimuli, and it is likely that different genes are involved in pain under normal conditions and the modulation of pain through environmental factors. Most recently, my research has focused on these issues as they relate to bowel pain after inflammation using animal models of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The candidate genes identified in preclinical models can then be examined in clinical populations to determine whether these genes contribute to pain susceptibility in IBD patients. The goal is to further understand the mechanisms underlying persistent bowel pain and to use this knowledge to identify novel therapeutic targets to reduce pain and suffering in clinical populations.

Why do some people hurt more than others?

Oct 28, 2018 11:57 am UTC| Insights & Views Health

Anyone who came of age in the 1990s remembers the Friends episode where Phoebe and Rachel venture out to get tattoos. Spoiler alert: Rachel gets a tattoo and Phoebe ends up with a black ink dot because she couldnt take the...

Economy

U.S. Stocks End Week Higher as Markets Anticipate Fed Rate Cut

U.S. stocks closed the week with modest gains on Friday, as investors weighed a wave of delayed economic data and maintained strong expectations for a Federal Reserve interest rate cut at next weeks policy meeting. Despite...

Trump Meets Mexico and Canada Leaders After 2026 World Cup Draw Amid USMCA Tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump met with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in Washington on Friday, holding private talks focused on trade, immigration, and regional cooperation. The...

Gold Prices Edge Higher as Markets Await Key U.S. PCE Inflation Data

Gold prices moved higher in Asian trading on Friday, supported by a weakening U.S. dollar and strong expectations that the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates at its upcoming December 910 meeting. Spot gold rose 0.5%...

Asia’s IPO Market Set for Strong Growth as China and India Drive Investor Diversification

Asias equity capital markets are poised for another strong year as a surge of high-profile IPOs from China and India attracts global investors seeking diversification beyond U.S. assets. In 2025, Asian ECM...

Spain’s Industrial Output Records Steady Growth in October Amid Revised September Figures

Spains industrial sector posted a moderate yet encouraging rise in October, with industrial output increasing 1.2% compared to the same month last year, according to new data released by the National Statistics Institute...

Politics

Trump Backs Review of U.S. Childhood Vaccine Schedule After Hepatitis B Policy Change

President Donald Trump on Friday expressed support for a major shift in U.S. vaccine policy after government advisers voted to eliminate the long-standing recommendation that all newborns receive the hepatitis B vaccine at...

Cuba Quietly Signals Openness to Post-Maduro Venezuela as U.S. Pressure Intensifies

U.S. pressure on Venezuela has triggered discreet outreach from figures inside the Cuban government, according to two sources familiar with the sensitive communications. The individuals, who requested anonymity, said that...

Escalating Conflict in Eastern Congo Despite U.S.-Brokered Peace Efforts

Fighting intensified across eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on Friday, just a day after U.S. President Donald Trump met with Congolese President Felix Tshisekedi and Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Washington. The...

Honduras Awaits Final Election Results as Asfura Holds Slim Lead Amid U.S. Attention

Honduras presidential race tightened further on Friday as conservative candidate Nasry Asfura maintained a razor-thin lead while vote counting stretched into a sixth day. With 87.84% of ballots counted, the National Party...

Trump’s New U.S. Strategy Seeks to Deter China and Protect Taiwan

President Donald Trumps administration has outlined a strengthened U.S. strategy aimed at preventing conflict with China over Taiwan and the South China Sea by expanding American and allied military power. The latest...

Science

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Blue Origin’s New Glenn Achieves Breakthrough Success With First NASA Mission

Blue Origins massive New Glenn rocket marked a major milestone as it completed its first mission for paying customers, sending two NASA satellites toward Mars and successfully landing its reusable booster at sea. The...

Cogent Biosciences Soars 120% on Breakthrough Phase 3 Results for Bezuclastinib in GIST Treatment

Cogent Biosciences (NASDAQ: COGT) shares skyrocketed over 120% after the biotech company announced groundbreaking results from its Phase 3 PEAK trial evaluating bezuclastinib in combination with sunitinib for patients with...

Trump and Merck KGaA Partner to Slash IVF Drug Costs and Expand Fertility Coverage

U.S. President Donald Trump and German pharmaceutical company Merck KGaA have announced a groundbreaking deal aimed at lowering the cost of in-vitro fertilization (IVF) treatments while boosting access to fertility care in...

Technology

Taiwan Opposition Criticizes Plan to Block Chinese App Rednote Over Security Concerns

Taiwans political landscape heated up after the government announced a plan to suspend access to the Chinese social media platform Rednoteknown as Xiaohongshufor one year. The interior ministry said the proposed ban stems...

EU Prepares Antitrust Probe Into Meta’s AI Integration on WhatsApp

The European Commission is reportedly preparing to launch a new antitrust investigation into Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ: META) over the companys recent rollout of artificial intelligence features within WhatsApp....

Sam Altman Reportedly Explored Funding for Rocket Venture in Potential Challenge to SpaceX

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reportedly explored raising significant capital to acquire or partner with a rocket company, a move that could have created direct competition with Elon Musks SpaceX. According to a report from the...

Wikipedia Pushes for AI Licensing Deals as Jimmy Wales Calls for Fair Compensation

Wikipedia is seeking additional licensing deals with major technology companies to address the growing financial burden caused by artificial intelligence firms heavily scraping its platform, according to co-founder Jimmy...

Firelight Launches as First XRP Staking Platform on Flare, Introduces DeFi Cover Feature

Firelight reaches 25M XRP deposit cap within hours of launch; ushers in a new era for decentralized XRP staking. A new XRP staking platform, Firelight, has officially launched on the Flare blockchain, marking the first...