COBRE 1:Center for the Study of Pain and Sensory Function (Equipment Supplement)

The Center for Pain Research (COBRE) at the University of New England is an NIH-funded center dedicated to advancing scientific understanding of chronic pain and sensory function. Established in 2012, the center’s mission is to foster cutting-edge neuroscience research that elucidates the neurobiology of chronic pain and accelerates discovery and development of novel therapies.

The center’s support model focuses on building a critical mass of neuroscience investigators, recruiting faculty, supporting junior investigators, and launching new research programs via a pilot project mechanism and start-up support. The center explicitly positions core research facilities as a central part of its strategy: the Behavioral Core and the Histology and Imaging Core provide access to specialized instrumentation, training, and expertise so investigators can undertake sophisticated experimental and analytical approaches relevant to pain and sensory function.

The center’s aims emphasize both people and infrastructure: creating a sustainable, vibrant community of neuroscience researchers at UNE, and expanding the institutional research infrastructure to enable competitive, innovative pain research. The center supports promising junior scientists through pilot project grants designed to launch new lines of investigation and to position investigators for external funding. It also supports recruitment through start-up funds for new faculty, thereby strengthening the long-term research environment. The center’s organization includes internal governance and advisory structures to guide its scientific direction.

A Steering Committee and an External Advisory Board provide oversight and strategic advice, drawing on local UNE faculty and distinguished external scientists.

The center’s stated goals—supporting junior investigators, recruiting faculty and providing accessible, state-of-the-art core services—are intended to catalyze discoveries about chronic pain mechanisms and to facilitate translation toward new therapeutic approaches.