October 6, 2025
For pain signaling to be useful, sensory receptors must rapidly detect noxious stimuli and efficiently turn off once the threat has passed. In work published in Nature Communications, the Paulsen lab uncover a critical role for the universal calcium sensor calmodulin in properly turning off the TRPA1 pain receptor. This story was led by former MB&B graduate student Justin Sanders with help from current and former MB&B graduate students Camila Garcia, Gregory Quevedo, and Avnika Bali. This work not only deepens our understanding of pain biology but may also inform new strategies for targeting chronic pain and inflammation.
Congratualtions to the Paulsen lab! You can read more here: https://news.yale.edu/2025/09/30/unraveling-painful-mystery-protein-plays-key-role-modulating-pain-response.