Dr. Kara Marshall, an assistant professor of neuroscience and McNair Scholar at Baylor College of Medicine, has been named a 2024 Rita Allen Foundation Scholar. She is one of seven researchers across the nation selected for their significant research contributions aimed at advancing knowledge on the development, prevention, and treatment of human diseases.
Marshall’s work centers on the molecular mechanisms that mediate and detect mechanical forces within the body, which are crucial for the movement and function of internal organs. These movements are detected by the nervous system, generating essential sensations and physiological responses. For instance, the sensation of a full bladder governs urination. During disease states, these functions can become painful. Marshall’s lab seeks to uncover fundamental mechanisms of internal mechanosensation with the potential to develop new therapies targeting internal pain.
“We are thrilled to have this funding to help launch projects in the lab to understand internal mechanical pain. This will represent a transition in our lab from our efforts to understand foundational mechanisms of internal mechanosensation in healthy organs to understanding how this is altered in disease states,” Marshall said. “During disease or inflammation, normal organ movements often become painful. How mechanical cues are sensed is still relatively underexplored. We hope this can lead us to new avenues of understanding and point to novel pain treatments.”
Marshall is one of two scholars specifically chosen by a review committee from the U.S. Association for the Study of Pain in partnership with the Rita Allen Foundation Scholars Award in Pain. This award supports investigators researching the biology of pain who hold exceptional promise for discovering new pathways to understand and treat pain conditions.
Since 1976, the Rita Allen Foundation has supported over 200 biomedical scientists early in their careers, enabling them to pursue high-risk and promising research.
Other 2024 Rita Allen Foundation Scholars include:
- Daniele Canzio, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco; Milton E. Cassel Scholar
- Alexander Meeske, University of Washington
- Elizabeth Pollina, Washington University in St. Louis
- Erica Pratt, Boston University
- Katelyn Sadler, Center for Advanced Pain Studies, University of Texas at Dallas; Award in Pain
- Longzhi Tan, Stanford University
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