Contact Information:
Date Joined Lab
March 2021
Background and Interests
I am a 4th year PhD candidate in the Pharmacology PhD program and a proud member of the Nackley Lab (Translational Pain Research Laboratory). Despite conducting basic science research in pain signaling, as a member of the pharmacology program, I utilize a translational framework to improve the clinical treatment of chronic pain.
My specific research area is investigating the mechanistic role of microRNAs in the development and reversal of pain. My work identified a particular microRNA that is downregulated across species, both in patients with chronic primary pain conditions (CPPCs) and in rat and mouse models of CPPCs. One piece of recent data that we are excited by is that overexpression of this microRNA in adipocytes reverses mechanical hypersensitivity in our mouse model of CPPCs, providing a direct link between this microRNA and pain and pointing to its therapeutic potential:
My previous research experiences have included studying non-opioid treatments for opioid withdrawal and identifying the neurocircuitry associated with conditioned nausea in a chemotherapeutic context. Within the world of pharmacology, my niche is neuropharmacology, but my training program covers general physiology and the pathology of various conditions and biological mechanisms.
Outside the lab, I enjoy coaching springboard and platform diving, writing movie reviews for my film website, learning new languages, and playing strategy games.
Awards and Recognitions
Congratulations to Nathaniel Hernandez on receiving this year’s 2024 US Association for the Study of Pain (USASP) Trainee/Young Investigator Travel Award in recognition of his contributions to pain research and his commitment to advancing the field. This award provides up to $1,000 to support Hernandez’s attendance at the USASP’s Annual Scientific Meeting in Seattle, scheduled for April 14-17, 2024.
Congratulations to Dr. Andrea Nackley and Nathaniel Hernandez, BS (fellow), on receiving a $128,409 fellowship grant from the National Institutes of Health for their 2023 project aimed at advancing the understanding of the epigenetic basis for chronic primary pain conditions and elucidating new therapeutic targets. Read about their award.
Congratulations to Nathaniel Hernandez, 2nd year graduate student, who was awarded the 2022 Diversity Equity and Inclusion Scholarship by the US Association for the Study of Pain.