Brooklynn Merrill

Education

  • University of New England, 2024, BS in Neuroscience

Interests

  • Reproductive biology
  • reproductive disorders
  • sex differences
  • endocrinology
  • stress response
  • affective behavior
  • pharmacology
  • neuroscience
  • neurobiology
  • translational research
  • science communication and outreach

Biography

Brooklynn grew up in central Maine before relocating to southern Maine to attend the University of New England (UNE) in 2021. During her time at UNE, Brooklynn co-founded UNE Women in STEM to cultivate an empowering environment for women pursuing careers in STEM disciplines. Brooklynn was also an active member of the Burman Laboratory, where she mentored fellow undergraduate students and led a research project that determined that early life pain alters cellular phenotypes of the developing amygdala and hypothalamus in a sex-dependent manner. She graduated magna cum laude in 2024 with a BS in Neuroscience. Following graduation, Brooklynn continued working in the Burman Lab and began working in the Meng Lab in a full-time, dual appointment position. In the Meng Lab, she imaged and analyzed many corneas and led a project that studied the role of parabrachial nucleus neurons in pain behaviors within a dry eye disease model.

Now in her second year as a student in the Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering (GSBSE), Brooklynn is a member of the Mountain Lab at MaineHealth Institute for Research (MHIR). The Mountain Lab studies the effects of social isolation on skeletal health. Their previous work has identified that short- and long-term social isolation results in significant bone loss in male but not female mice. Brooklynn’s thesis project takes the resilience perspective: what are the molecular mechanisms protecting females from social isolation-induced bone loss? She is excited to connect her interests in sex differences, endocrinology, and stress with bone biology.

Outside of the lab, Brooklynn enjoys cooking, reading, spending time with her cat, learning how to play guitar, and staying active with local sports leagues.

Publications

  • Merrill BM and Burman M. Early life pain alters cellular phenotypes of the developing amygdala and hypothalamus in a sex-dependent manner. [In prep].
  • Sullivan C, Lee S, Reynolds S, Merrill B, Niyonkuru K, Dinsdale S, Lei L, Meng ID. Delayed healing and NAV1.8 nerve regeneration following corneal abrasion injury in absence of SOX11. [In prep].
  • Eugley S, DiPalazzo J, Miller PE, Merrill BM, Buchanan E, Svahn K, Lary CW, Mountain RV. Social isolation as a sex-specific risk factor for skeletal health in a prospective cohort of older adults from the Framingham Heart Study. [In prep].
  • Martel WA, King SB, Buchanan E, Merrill BM, Stohn JP, Brooks DJ, Barlow D, Motyl KJ, Mountain RV. Short- and long-term effects of social isolation on adult murine bone are sex dependent. [Under review].
  • Matynia A, Reynolds SS, Rasheed MZ, Niyonkuru K, Parikh S, Whyland K, Merrill B, Perez W, Mitra S, Zal T, Yun H, Davis B, St. Leger AJ, Meng ID. Adeno-associated virus gene delivery targeting corneal-projecting trigeminal ganglion neurons. [Accepted].