Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesia

B.S., Arizona State University

Ph.D., Duke University

Immune cells and sensory neurons are in constant communication to coordinate host defense, but how this cellular conversation shapes sensory processing in health and disease remains an open question. To this end, the Lacagnina Lab is dedicated to unraveling how neuroimmune signaling influences the development and maintenance of chronic pain. We are particularly interested in exploring the role of B cells and their release of autoantibodies in the etiology of neuropathic pain. While the importance of B cells in autoimmune disease is well established, their contribution to nerve-injury-induced pain is largely unexplored. We aim to overcome this knowledge gap by deciphering how B cells communicate with neurons, glial cells, and other immune cells across tissues to shape pain pathogenesis, and by leveraging these discoveries to inform rational design of effective pain immunotherapies.