Betsy Schulman, PhD
Associate Research ScientistCards
About
Research
Publications
2025
Nav1.8: Intrinsic limits on the functional effect of abrogation in DRG neurons
Vasylyev D, Zhao P, Schulman B, Waxman S. Nav1.8: Intrinsic limits on the functional effect of abrogation in DRG neurons. Proceedings Of The National Academy Of Sciences Of The United States Of America 2025, 122: e2507342122. PMID: 41004224, PMCID: PMC12501176, DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2507342122.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsDorsal root ganglionDorsal root ganglion neuronsDRG neuronsVoltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.8Wild-type DRG neuronsSmall dorsal root ganglionWeak respondersSodium channel Nav1.8Rat DRG neuronsResting membrane potentialFunctional effectsNeuropathic painPain therapeuticsAP overshootPain disordersSodium currentRepetitive firingRoot ganglionNav1.8Pain reliefDynamic clampResponsive neuronsGain-of-functionPainRheobaseCorrection of sodium channel mutations in sensory neurons reverses aberrant properties
Shim J, Tanaka B, Taub D, Mis M, Schulman B, Snavely A, Cheng Y, Laedermann C, Buttermore E, Ren A, Hermawan C, Dou D, Kawaguchi R, Geschwind D, Dib-Hajj S, Waxman S, Woolf C. Correction of sodium channel mutations in sensory neurons reverses aberrant properties. Brain 2025, awaf155. PMID: 40279376, DOI: 10.1093/brain/awaf155.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchGain-of-function mutationsSensory neuronsElectrophysiological propertiesDisease presentationVoltage gated sodium channel Nav1.7Paroxysmal extreme pain disorderSmall fiber neuropathySodium channel Nav1.7Rodent sensory neuronsPain-related disordersCell linesSodium channel mutationsInherited ErythromelalgiaEffects of gain-of-function mutationsFiber neuropathyPain disordersChannel mutationsControl iPSCsPatient samplesG mutationIPSCsIon channelsNeuronsPersonalized medicineNav1.7
2024
TRPM8 Mutations Associated With Persistent Pain After Surgical Injury of Corneal Trigeminal Axons
Ghovanloo M, Effraim P, Tyagi S, Aldrich A, Cheng X, Yuan J, Schulman B, Jacobs D, Dib-Hajj S, Waxman S. TRPM8 Mutations Associated With Persistent Pain After Surgical Injury of Corneal Trigeminal Axons. Neurology Genetics 2024, 10: e200206. PMID: 39555137, PMCID: PMC11567650, DOI: 10.1212/nxg.0000000000200206.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchLaser-assisted in situ keratomileusisPostoperative ocular painTrigeminal ganglion neuronsOcular painMultielectrode array recordingsPersistent painGanglion neuronsLaser-assisted in situ keratomileusis surgeryAxonal injuryRat trigeminal ganglion neuronsTransient receptor potential cation channelCorneal refractive surgeryMultielectrode arraysAnalysis of patientsPatch-clamp analysisGenomic analysis of patientsWild-typePatch-clamp resultsExposure to mentholRefractive surgeryHyperpolarizing directionNeuronal hyperexcitabilityPain-freeTrigeminal axonsWT channelsInterplay of Nav1.8 and Nav1.7 channels drives neuronal hyperexcitability in neuropathic pain
Vasylyev D, Zhao P, Schulman B, Waxman S. Interplay of Nav1.8 and Nav1.7 channels drives neuronal hyperexcitability in neuropathic pain. Journal Of General Physiology 2024, 156: e202413596. PMID: 39378238, PMCID: PMC11465073, DOI: 10.1085/jgp.202413596.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsDorsal root ganglionGain-of-function Nav1.7 mutationsDorsal root ganglion neuronsSodium channel Nav1.7Inherited ErythromelalgiaNav1.7 mutationsNeuropathic painNeuronal hyperexcitabilityOpen-probabilityVoltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.7Hyperexcitability of DRG neuronsModel of neuropathic painSubthreshold membrane potential oscillationsResting membrane potentialMembrane potential oscillationsReduced firing probabilityIncreased rheobaseNav1.8 channelsDRG neuronsHuman genetic modelsNav1.8Root ganglionNav1.7 channelsNav1.7AP generationTRPM8 mutations associated with persistent ocular pain after refractive surgery: D665N and V915M
Ghovanloo M, Effraim P, Tyagi S, Cheng X, Yuan J, Schulman B, Jacobs D, Dib-Hajj S, Waxman S. TRPM8 mutations associated with persistent ocular pain after refractive surgery: D665N and V915M. Biophysical Journal 2024, 123: 391a. DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2023.11.2376.Peer-Reviewed Original Research
2023
Nav1.7 P610T mutation in two siblings with persistent ocular pain after corneal axon transection: impaired slow inactivation and hyperexcitable trigeminal neurons
Ghovanloo M, Effraim P, Yuan J, Schulman B, Jacobs D, Dib-Hajj S, Waxman S. Nav1.7 P610T mutation in two siblings with persistent ocular pain after corneal axon transection: impaired slow inactivation and hyperexcitable trigeminal neurons. Journal Of Neurophysiology 2023, 129: 609-618. PMID: 36722722, PMCID: PMC9988530, DOI: 10.1152/jn.00457.2022.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchConceptsPersistent ocular painTrigeminal ganglion neuronsOcular painCorneal refractive surgeryGanglion neuronsRefractive surgeryAxonal injurySlow inactivationHuman pain modelTrigeminal afferent nervesTrigeminal ganglion axonsSmall subgroupPain-related disordersEffects of injurySodium channel Nav1.7Channel slow inactivationEye painPostoperative painMost patientsPain modelAfferent nervesPersistent painTrigeminal neuronsNav1.7 mutationAxon transectionNav1.7-P610T mutation in 2 siblings with persistent ocular pain after corneal axon transection: impaired slow-inactivation and hyperexcitable trigeminal neurons
J Neurophysiol. 2023 Feb 1. doi: 10.1152/jn.00457.2022. Online ahead of print.Peer-Reviewed Original Research In Press
2021
KCNQ variants and pain modulation: a missense variant in Kv7.3 contributes to pain resilience
Yuan JH, Estacion M, Mis MA, Tanaka BS, Schulman BR, Chen L, Liu S, Dib-Hajj FB, Dib-Hajj SD, Waxman SG. KCNQ variants and pain modulation: a missense variant in Kv7.3 contributes to pain resilience. Brain Communications 2021, 3: fcab212-. PMID: 34557669, PMCID: PMC8454204, DOI: 10.1093/braincomms/fcab212.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchPluripotent stem cell-derived sensory neuronsNav1.7 mutationSensory neuronsPain ProfilePain phenotypesPain resilienceDorsal root ganglion neuronsDaily pain diaryPeripheral sensory neuronsMissense variantsVoltage-clamp recordingsSodium channel Nav1.7Different pain experiencesPotential genetic factorsWhole-exome sequencingLarger M-currentsErythromelalgia patientsNeuropathic painPain episodesModerate painPain diaryPain modulationSevere painInter-individual variabilityGanglion neurons
2020
Genomic analysis of 21 patients with corneal neuralgia after refractive surgery
Yuan JH, Schulman BR, Effraim PR, Sulayman DH, Jacobs DS, Waxman SG. Genomic analysis of 21 patients with corneal neuralgia after refractive surgery. PAIN Reports 2020, 5: e826. PMID: 32766464, PMCID: PMC7390595, DOI: 10.1097/pr9.0000000000000826.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchCorneal neuralgiaRefractive surgeryWhole-exome sequencingSmall fiber neuropathySmall patient cohortSubgroup of casesIntractable painPersistent painPatient cohortPhotorefractive keratectomyObscure etiologySitu keratomileusisSurgeryNeuralgiaGenetic factorsMissense variantsExome databasesPainFurther studiesUnrelated familiesPatientsPathogenesisGene-based association testsIon channelsGenes/variants
2019
A Novel Gain-of-Function Nav1.9 Mutation in a Child With Episodic Pain
Huang J, Estacion M, Zhao P, Dib-Hajj FB, Schulman B, Abicht A, Kurth I, Brockmann K, Waxman SG, Dib-Hajj SD. A Novel Gain-of-Function Nav1.9 Mutation in a Child With Episodic Pain. Frontiers In Neuroscience 2019, 13: 918. PMID: 31551682, PMCID: PMC6733892, DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2019.00918.Peer-Reviewed Original ResearchDorsal root gangliaDRG neuronsEpisodic painVoltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.9Episodic abdominal painLarger window currentSmall DRG neuronsTrigeminal ganglion neuronsCurrent-clamp recordingsAction potential firingHuman pain disordersVoltage-clamp recordingsChronic constipationAbdominal painMyenteric neuronsPain disordersGanglion neuronsPain phenotypesRoot gangliaCommon painNav1.9PainAction potentialsWindow currentPhenotypic spectrum
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