Nikhil Sharma, PhD

Nikhil Sharma, PhD

Research Interest

Synapses and Circuits
Cellular, Molecular and Developmental Neuroscience
Cell Specification and Differentiation

Research Summary

The laboratory focuses on using bioinformatic, optical, and molecular genetic methods to study the mechanisms leading to peripheral neuron cell type diversity. We have a particular interest in populations of peripheral neurons that detect distinct noxious stimuli. The primary efforts of the lab are to (1) understand the signaling pathways that allow for peripheral neuron populations to encode or react to noxious stimuli and (2) mechanistically understand how these populations can lead to or are altered by pathological pain states. We hope to take lessons learned to inspire the identification of new molecular targets for generating novel pharmacological therapeutics for pain-related pathologies.

1. Deppmann CD*, Mihalas S*, Sharma N*, Lonze BE, Niebur E, Ginty DD. 2008. A Model for Neuronal Competition During Development. Science. Vol. 320:369-373. *These authors contributed equally. 

2. Sharma N*, Deppmann CD*, Harrington A*, Hilliare C, Chen Z-Y, Lee F, Ginty DD. 2010. Long Distance Control of Synapse Assembly by Target-derived NGF. Neuron. Vol. 67:422-434. *These authors contributed equally. 

3. Bloodgood BL*, Sharma N*, Browne HA, Trepman AZ, Greenberg ME. 2013. Regulation of domain-specific inhibition by the activity-dependent transcription factor NPAS4. Nature. Vol. 503:121-125. *These authors contributed equally. 

4. Sharma N*, Pollina EA*, Nagy MA*, Yap E-L, DiBiase FA, Hu L, Harmin DA, Greenberg ME. 2019. Arnt2 tunes activity-dependent gene expression through NCoR2-mediated repression and Npas4-mediated activation. Neuron. Vol. 102:390-406. *These authors contributed equally. 

5. Sharma N, Flaherty K, Lezgiyeva K, Wagner DE, Klein AM, Ginty DD. 2020. The emergence of transcriptional identity in somatosensory neurons. Nature. Vol. 577:392-398. 

 

  • Genetics 
  • Genomics 
  • Mathematical modeling