Erica is a sixth-year PhD candidate in the Genetics and Molecular Biology program here at UNC, where she investigates epigenetic mechanisms underlying chronic pain after traumatic stress. In our lab, her work focuses on how DNA methylation in stress-regulatory and axon-guidance genes contributes to pain development, and she is deeply committed to using translational epigenetics to advance chronic pain science and improve patient outcomes. She was awarded an “Innovators of Tomorrow Award for Pain Science” recognizing the significance of her work in advancing the understanding and treatment of pain and was selected to give a short talk at the 3rd Annual Duke Maixner Pain Research Symposium.
