Neural Plasticity Related to Pain (http://sites.usd.edu/brian-burrell/) Nociception (the perception of pain) is a critical function of the nervous system that protects us from additional injury or death. My lab is interested in the cellular mechanisms of how nociception is modulated focusing on a class of lipid neurotransmitters referred to as endocannabinoids. Specifically, we are examining how endocannabinoids can have both anti-nociceptive and pro-nociceptive effects. Our research suggests that these transmitters differentially modulated nociceptive and non-nociceptive synapses, depressing nociceptive synapses (an anti-nociceptive effect) and potentiating non-nociceptive synapses (a potentially pro-nociceptive effect).

I am a trained facilitator of the "Entering Mentor" curriculum developed by CIMER (https://cimerproject.org/) and have three years of delivering these 10 week train-the-trainer workshops to faculty, staff and graduate students in a variety of disciplines.

Supported by an NIMGS T32 grant (B. Burrell, PI). The USD-GRISE program supports graduate students within the Division of Basic Biomedical Sciences at USD. Its goals are to (1) increase the diversity of students receiving biomedical graduate education and (2) to enhance the professional development of all biomedical graduate students so that they can be prepared for a variety of careers in the public and private sector.

Supported by an NSF Research Traineeship grant (B.Burrelll, PI). The USD-N3 offers a graduate research training experience that prepares students for diverse career paths in STEM professions that includes the opportunities to take courses in non-STEM discipline e.g. in business, law, education, and communications (https://www.usd.edu/usdn3).

Supported by a grant from NIDA (B. Burrell, PI). SPURA offers a multi-disciplinary summer research program that gives USD undergraduate students the opportunity to conduct mentored, hypothesis-driven research in fields related to substance use and abuse and mental health issues. The program is geared toward first-generation college students from rural backgrounds, but all students are encouraged to apply. The program incorporates a wide range of experimental methods with human or animal subjects, including cognitive, behavioral, systems, bioinformatics, neuropharmacological, electrophysiological and molecular approaches.https://www.usd.edu/cbbre/spura

The CBBRe seeks to provide outstanding training of research students and fellows, feeding the pipeline of creative independent scientists in the fields of neuroscience and behavioral science within the northern plain states and nationally. The core members of the center are recognized in their field and are actively involved in research, the education of students, and in service to the neuroscience community.

Supported by a grant from the HHMI-Inclusive Excellence Program (B. Burrell, PI). This is a five-year, $1 million grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute to bring more diverse people into the study of science. USD’s Inclusive Science Initiative is aimed at recruiting more minority and underrepresented groups to major in science fields. The program will identify the unique challenges these students face when pursuing a science degree and will seek to adapt instruction to better meet their needs.https://www.usd.edu/inclusive%20science