
WE STUDY THE CELL TYPES AND CELL STATES UNDERLYING CHRONIC PAIN AND HEADACHE
Animal models of pain at single-cell resolution
Characterizing cell-type-specific molecular adaptations in animal models of chronic pain and headache.
Cell atlas of human sensory neurons
We are building single-cell gene expression datasets of human trigeminal and dorsal root ganglia
EPIGENOMIC mechanisms of nerve regeneration
Axonal injury initiates a transcriptional metamorphosis of sensory neurons into cells focused on regeneration. We are studying the epigenetic mechanisms that mediate this dramatic transformation.
next-generation pain therapeutics
Using single-cell genomics, we are characterizing nociceptor-specific molecular features that can be targeted for the development of highly-selective pain therapeutics.
MEET THE TEAM

William Renthal, M.D., Ph.D.
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Dr. Renthal is the Director of Headache Research at the John R. Graham Headache Center. He earned his M.D. and Ph.D. at the UT Southwestern Medical Center and completed his neurology training at UT Southwestern and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He trained with Dr. Eric Nestler (doctoral) and Dr. Michael Greenberg (postdoctoral).

SHAMSUDDIN BHUIYAN, Ph.D.
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW
Dr. Bhuiyan uses computational approaches and mathematical models to understand gene expression changes after peripheral nerve injury. Prior to joining the Renthal lab, Shams completed his PhD in Bioinformatics at the University of British Columbia with Dr. Paul Pavlidis.

JIa LI, Ph.D.
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW
Dr. Li is a postdoctoral research fellow at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. She focuses on epigenetic mechanisms after axonal injury. She received her Ph.D. at Peking University with Dr. Qin Shen.

HYO JEONG YONG M.S., PH.D.
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW
Dr. Yong is a postdoctoral fellow in the lab and studies the function of nociceptor-specific gene expression. She received her M.S. from Macquarie University and her Ph.D. from Korea University with Dr. Jae Young Seong

EVANGELIA SEMIZOGLOU, Ph.D.
POSTDOCTORAL FELLOW
Dr. Semizoglou is a postdoctoral fellow and is studying the trigeminal system. She received her Ph.D. degree at Kings College London with Drs. David Andersson and Stuart Bevan.

JIAXIANG WANG, M.S.
RESEARCH SCIENTIST
Jiaxiang received his bachelors degree in Neurobiology at UC Davis and his master’s degree in Biotechnology at Brandeis University.

Parth Bhatia, M.S.
RESEARCH SCIENTIST
Parth received his bachelors degree at Jamie Hamdard University in New Delhi and his masters degree in human genetics and genomic medicine at the University of Maryland.

KATERINA PANTALEO
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
Katerina is an undergraduate student at Emmanuel College where she is majoring in neuroscience. She is working on mechanisms of nociceptor-specific gene expression.

JAY LUO
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
Jay is an undergraduate student at Johns Hopkins University where he is majoring in neuroscience. He is working on mechanisms of nociceptor-specific gene expression.

Suzanne SZAK
PROJECT MANAGER

AARON BROWN
ADMINISTRATION

ALLISON MELLO
FINANCE
ALUMNI
Name – position – years in lab – current position
Angeliki Vgontzas, M.D. – Research fellow – 2018 – 2020 – Assistant Professor of Neurology, Brigham And Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School
Lite Yang, B.S. – Research Assistant – 2018 – 2021 – Graduate student, Washington University St. Louis
Matas Vitkauskas – Summer student – 2021 – Undergraduate student, YaleNUS College
Mengyi Xu, B.S. – Research Assistant – 2020 – 2022 – Graduate student, McGill University
NEWS AND PHOTOS




















CONTACT

We are recruiting graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and research assistants!
To apply, please email wrenthal@bwh.harvard.edu:
Your CV and the names of three references
@willrenthal
© 2022 Renthal Lab