Brooklynn Merrill

Education

  • University of New England, 2024, Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience

Interests

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

Biography

I am a budding biomedical scientist with a passion for reproductive biology and background in behavioral neuroscience. I have three years of research experience at the University of New England, working on various projects in the realm of pain and negative affect. During my time as an undergraduate under the mentorship of Michael Burman, Ph.D., I used a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)-like rodent model to better understand how early life pain impacts neurodevelopment. I conducted multiplex RNAscope to elucidate changes in developmental trajectory of three biomarkers (corticotropin-releasing hormone, prodynorphin, and somatostatin) in four subregions of the amygdala and hypothalamus. I have presented different phases of this work eleven times, at local and international conferences. Now, as a laboratory technician in the Burman Collaborative, I am writing up our findings for publication!
In addition to working in the Burman Collaborative, I also work in the Meng Lab under the mentorship of Ian Meng, Ph.D. Since joining the Meng Lab in January 2025, I have contributed to several projects aimed at understanding ocular pain and corneal healing in normal and pathological conditions like dry eye disease. Currently, I lead a project that uses a DREADD approach to elucidate the role of parabrachial neurons in pain behaviors.
I am pursuing my Ph.D. at the University of Maine to deepen my understanding of stress, endocrinology, reproductive biology, and neuroscience. After my Ph.D., I plan to establish my own lab at a leading academic institution, where I can mentor future scientists and generate new knowledge that could help create better treatments for neuroendocrine conditions.
Outside the lab, I love to cook creative recipes, soak up the sun, and unwind with some crochet.

Publications

  • Sullivan, C., Lee, S., Reynolds, S., Merrill, B., Niyonkuru, K., Dinsdale, S., Lei, L., Meng, I.D. (2025). Delayed Healing and NAV1.8 Nerve Regeneration Following Corneal Abrasion Injury in Absence of SOX11. [In progress]
  • Merrill, B., Tomasch, M., Burman, M. (2025). Early Life Pain Alters Cellular Phenotypes of the Developing Amygdala and Hypothalamus. [In progress]