Ian Meng

Dr. Ian Meng is a Professor of Biomedical Sciences at the University of New England (UNE), where he directs both the Center for Excellence in the Neurosciences (CEN) and the NIH-funded Center for the Study of Pain and Sensory Function. His research focuses on trigeminal sensory processing underlying headache and ocular pain, particularly dry eye and migraine pathophysiology.

• Education: Sc.B. and Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Brown University (1991, 1997)
• Postdoctoral Training: Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco (UCSF)

Dr. Meng’s lab investigates:

• Sensory neurons regulating tearing and ocular pain in dry eye
• Mechanisms of corneal healing via afferent neurons
• Medication overuse headache and chronic migraine transitions

Recent publications highlight work on:

• TRPM8 channels in corneal thermosensation
• Neural circuits in morphine withdrawal analgesia
• μ-opioid receptor-mediated pain modulation

Grants:

• NIH/NINDS (2010-2015): Medication Overuse Headache
• NIH/NEI (2011-2014): Corneal Afferents and Tears
• NIH/NCRR (2012-2017): Interdisciplinary Pain Research

Dr. Meng’s research bridges biomedical science and clinical applications, emphasizing ocular pain, migraine chronification, and neuropharmacology.