Mark L. Baccei , PhD

Although infants and children experience considerable pain as the result of injury, disease, surgery or intensive care therapy, pediatric pain remains undertreated and poorly understood. Efforts to design new, evidence-based treatments for chronic pediatric pain have been hampered by a lack of information regarding how neonatal pain circuits in the CNS respond to tissue damage at a cellular and molecular level. My lab is currently characterizing the short- and long-term consequences of tissue injury during early life for the function of developing synaptic networks in the superficial dorsal horn of the spinal cord, which serves as an important relay station in the pain pathway. Experimental approaches include in vitro electrophysiology in the rodent spinal cord, optogenetics, chemogenetics, immunohistochemistry, tract tracing, and behavioral measurements of pain sensitivity.  By identifying age-specific changes in synaptic organization within central pain networks under pathological conditions, this work will yield new insight into the neurobiological basis for pediatric pain, and may also help explain why neonatal tissue damage appears capable of altering nociceptive processing throughout life.

Bachelor's Degree: Duke University 1994 (Psychology)

Master's Degree: Yale University 1997 (Neuroscience)

Doctoral Degree: Yale University 2001 (Neuroscience)

Although infants and children experience considerable pain as the result of injury, disease, surgery or intensive care therapy, pediatric pain remains undertreated and poorly understood. Efforts to design new, evidence-based treatments for chronic pediatric pain have been hampered by a lack of information regarding how neonatal pain circuits in the CNS respond to tissue damage at a cellular and molecular level. My lab is currently characterizing the short- and long-term consequences of tissue injury during early life for the function of developing synaptic networks in the superficial dorsal horn of the spinal cord, which serves as an important relay station in the pain pathway. Experimental approaches include in vitro electrophysiology in the rodent spinal cord, optogenetics, chemogenetics, immunohistochemistry, tract tracing, and behavioral measurements of pain sensitivity.  By identifying age-specific changes in synaptic organization within central pain networks under pathological conditions, this work will yield new insight into the neurobiological basis for pediatric pain, and may also help explain why neonatal tissue damage appears capable of altering nociceptive processing throughout life.  See more at: http://www.research.uc.edu/expertprofile.aspx?epersonID=bacceiml&search=baccei#sthash.xlwnusbY.dpuf

09-01-2018 -To Present Professor of Anesthesiology, University of Cincinnati,

Grant: #R03 NS060858 Investigators:Baccei, Mark 05-01-2009 -04-30-2011 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Modulation of Developing Spinal Nociceptive Circuits by Sensory Input Role:PI $156,131.00 Closed Level:Federal

Grant: #R01 NS072202 Investigators:Baccei, Mark 09-01-2010 -08-31-2015 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Developmental Regulation of Intrinsic Excitability in Spinal Pain Networks Role:PI $1,340,676.00 Active Level:Federal

Grant: #R01NS080889 Investigators:Baccei, Mark; Li, Jie 09-21-2013 -06-30-2018 National Institutes of Health Synaptic function within mature central pain networks after neonatal injury Role:PI $346,719.00 Awarded Level:Federal

Grant: #135801 \ R21HD080910 Investigators:Baccei, Mark 09-10-2015 -08-31-2016 National Institute of Child Health and Human Development The role of Na+, K+ ATPase function in Creatine Transporter Deficiency Role:PI $15,339.00 Active Level:Federal

Grant: #R01NS072202 Investigators:Baccei, Mark; Li, Jie 06-15-2016 -05-31-2021 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Developmental Regulation of Intrinsic Excitability in Spinal Pain Networks Role:PI $345,625.00 Active Level:Federal

Grant: #138566 / 1R01NS100772-01 04-01-2017 -03-31-2018 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke A novel combinatorial approach to restore motor function after spinal cord injury Role:PI $22,776.00 Awarded Level:Federal

Grant: #R01 NS100469 Investigators:Baccei, Mark; Berta, Temugin; Seroogy, Kim 06-01-2017 -05-30-2019 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Identification of novel analgesic targets in ascending spinal projection neurons Role:PI $199,062.00 Awarded Level:Federal

Grant: #R15CA224104 Investigators:Baccei, Mark; Shaughnessy, Elizabeth; Waltz, Susan; Weber, Georg; Ying, Jun 09-15-2018 -08-31-2021 National Cancer Institute Metabolic Mechanisms in Cancer Progression Role:Collaborator $479,534.00 Active Level:Federal

Grant: #R01NS080889 Investigators:Baccei, Mark; Davidson, Steve; Li, Jie 04-01-2019 -01-31-2024 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Synaptic Function within Mature Central Pain Networks after Neonatal Injury Role:PI $362,599.00 Awarded Level:Federal

Grant: #2 R01MH049698-21A1 Investigators:Baccei, Mark; Benoit, Stephen; Herman, James 08-15-2014 -06-30-2020 National Institute of Mental Health Functional Anatomy of Limbic-Neuroendocrine Circuits Role:Collaborator $2,287,381.00 Active Level:Federal

Grant: #R21NS120270 Investigators:Baccei, Mark 09-15-2020 -09-14-2022 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Role of Gucy2d in spinal nociceptive processing Role:PI $453,653.00 Awarded Level:Federal

Grant: #T32NS007453 Investigators:Baccei, Mark; Herman, James 07-01-2021 -06-30-2026 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Predoctoral Training Program in the Neurosciences Role:Collaborator 195900.00 Awarded Level:Federal

Grant: #R37NS122141 Investigators:Baccei, Mark; Li, Jie 04-01-2022 -03-31-2026 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Neuromodulatory regulation of synaptic plasticity in spinal nociceptive circuits Role:PI 461894.00 Awarded Level:Federal

Grant: #R01MH127835 Investigators:Baccei, Mark; Herman, James 09-02-2022 -06-30-2027 National Institute of Mental Health Cortical Mechanisms of Traumatic Stress Role:Collaborator 549020.00 Awarded Level:Federal

Grant: #F31NS135754 Investigators:Baccei, Mark 05-01-2024 -04-30-2026 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Astrocytes mediate priming of spinal nociceptive circuits Role:PI 40903.00 Awarded Level:Federal

Grant: #R25GM134976 Investigators:Baccei, Mark; Price, Carolyn; Reyes, Teresa; Weiss, Alison 09-21-2020 -08-31-2025 National Institute of General Medical Sciences Biomedical Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine (PREP@UC) Role:PI 1240687.00 Active Level:Federal

Grant: #R01NS080889-11 Investigators:Baccei, Mark; Kruyer, Anna; Li, Jie -08-31-2029 National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Synaptic Function within Mature Central Pain Networks after Neonatal Injury Role:PI 0.00 Hold Level:Federal

Peer Reviewed Publications

Baccei, Mark L (2014. ) Pacemaker Neurons and the Development of Nociception.The Neuroscientist : a review journal bringing neurobiology, neurology and psychiatry, , More Information

Li, J; Baccei, M L (2014. ) Neonatal tissue injury reduces the intrinsic excitability of adult mouse superficial dorsal horn neurons.Neuroscience, , 256 ,392-402 More Information

Li, Jie; Blankenship, Meredith L; Baccei, Mark L (2013. ) Deficits in glycinergic inhibition within adult spinal nociceptive circuits after neonatal tissue damage.Pain, , 154 (7 ) ,1129-39 More Information

Li, Jie; Blankenship, Meredith L; Baccei, Mark L (2013. ) Inward-rectifying potassium (Kir) channels regulate pacemaker activity in spinal nociceptive circuits during early life.The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, , 33 (8 ) ,3352-62 More Information

Blankenship, M L; Coyle, D E; Baccei, M L (2013. ) Transcriptional expression of voltage-gated Na? and voltage-independent K? channels in the developing rat superficial dorsal horn.Neuroscience, , 231 ,305-14 More Information

Li, Jie; Baccei, Mark L (2012. ) Developmental regulation of membrane excitability in rat spinal lamina I projection neurons.Journal of neurophysiology, , 107 (10 ) ,2604-14 More Information

Li, Jie; Baccei, Mark L (2011. ) Neonatal tissue damage facilitates nociceptive synaptic input to the developing superficial dorsal horn via NGF-dependent mechanisms.Pain, , 152 (8 ) ,1846-55 More Information

Li, Jie; Baccei, Mark L (2011. ) Pacemaker neurons within newborn spinal pain circuits.The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, , 31 (24 ) ,9010-22 More Information

Baccei, Mark L (2010. ) Modulation of developing dorsal horn synapses by tissue injury.Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, , 1198 ,159-67 More Information

Li, Jie; Walker, Suellen M; Fitzgerald, Maria; Baccei, Mark L (2009. ) Activity-dependent modulation of glutamatergic signaling in the developing rat dorsal horn by early tissue injury.Journal of neurophysiology, , 102 (4 ) ,2208-19 More Information

Li, Jie; Baccei, Mark L (2009. ) Excitatory synapses in the rat superficial dorsal horn are strengthened following peripheral inflammation during early postnatal development.Pain, , 143 (1-2 ) ,56-64 More Information

Li, Jie; Xie, Wenrui; Zhang, Jun-Ming; Baccei, Mark L (2009. ) Peripheral nerve injury sensitizes neonatal dorsal horn neurons to tumor necrosis factor-alpha.Molecular pain, , 5 ,10 More Information

Ingram, Rachel A; Fitzgerald, Maria; Baccei, Mark L (2008. ) Developmental changes in the fidelity and short-term plasticity of GABAergic synapses in the neonatal rat dorsal horn.Journal of neurophysiology, , 99 (6 ) ,3144-50 More Information

Baccei, Mark L (2007. ) Development of pain: maturation of spinal inhibitory networks.International anesthesiology clinics, , 45 (2 ) ,1-11 More Information

Baccei, Mark L; Fitzgerald, Maria (2005. ) Intrinsic firing properties of developing rat superficial dorsal horn neurons. Neuroreport, , 16 (12 ) ,1325-8

Baccei, Mark L; Fitzgerald, Maria (2004. ) Development of GABAergic and glycinergic transmission in the neonatal rat dorsal horn.The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, , 24 (20 ) ,4749-57 More Information

Baccei, Mark L; Bardoni, Rita; Fitzgerald, Maria (2003. ) Development of nociceptive synaptic inputs to the neonatal rat dorsal horn: glutamate release by capsaicin and menthol.The Journal of physiology, , 549 (Pt 1 ) ,231-42 More Information

Baccei, M L; Kocsis, J D (2000. ) Voltage-gated calcium currents in axotomized adult rat cutaneous afferent neurons. Journal of neurophysiology, , 83 (4 ) ,2227-38

Li, Jie; Baccei, Mark L (2016. ) Neonatal Tissue Damage Promotes Spike Timing-Dependent Synaptic Long-Term Potentiation in Adult Spinal Projection Neurons.The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, , 36 (19 ) ,5405-16 More Information

McKlveen, Jessica M; Morano, Rachel L; Fitzgerald, Maureen; Zoubovsky, Sandra; Cassella, Sarah N; Scheimann, Jessie R; Ghosal, Sriparna; Mahbod, Parinaz; Packard, Benjamin A; Myers, Brent; Baccei, Mark L; Herman, James P (2016. ) Chronic Stress Increases Prefrontal Inhibition: A Mechanism for Stress-Induced Prefrontal Dysfunction.Biological psychiatry, , More Information

Vollmer, Lauren L; Schmeltzer, Sarah; Schurdak, Jennifer; Ahlbrand, Rebecca; Rush, Jennifer; Dolgas, Charles M; Baccei, Mark L; Sah, Renu (2016. ) Neuropeptide Y Impairs Retrieval of Extinguished Fear and Modulates Excitability of Neurons in the Infralimbic Prefrontal Cortex.The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, , 36 (4 ) ,1306-15 More Information

Walker, Suellen M; Beggs, Simon; Baccei, Mark L (2016. ) Persistent changes in peripheral and spinal nociceptive processing after early tissue injury.Experimental neurology, , 275 Pt 2 ,253-60 More Information

Li, Jie; Kritzer, Elizabeth; Ford, Neil C; Arbabi, Shahriar; Baccei, Mark L (2015. ) Connectivity of pacemaker neurons in the neonatal rat superficial dorsal horn.The Journal of comparative neurology, , 523 (7 ) ,1038-53 More Information

Li, Jie; Kritzer, Elizabeth; Craig, Paige E; Baccei, Mark L (2015. ) Aberrant synaptic integration in adult lamina I projection neurons following neonatal tissue damage.The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, , 35 (6 ) ,2438-51 More Information

Li, Jie; Baccei, Mark L (2017. ) Functional Organization of Cutaneous and Muscle Afferent Synapses onto Immature Spinal Lamina I Projection Neurons.The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, , 37 (6 ) ,1505-1517 More Information

Romer, Shannon H; Seedle, Kari; Turner, Sarah M; Li, Jie; Baccei, Mark L; Crone, Steven A (2017. ) Accessory respiratory muscles enhance ventilation in ALS model mice and are activated by excitatory V2a neurons.Experimental neurology, , 287 (Pt 2 ) ,192-204 More Information

Ford, Neil C; Baccei, Mark L (2016. ) Inward-rectifying K(+) (Kir2) leak conductance dampens the excitability of lamina I projection neurons in the neonatal rat.Neuroscience, , 339 ,502-510 More Information

Baccei, Mark L (2016. ) Rewiring of Developing Spinal Nociceptive Circuits by Neonatal Injury and Its Implications for Pediatric Chronic Pain.Children (Basel, Switzerland), , 3 (3 ) , More Information

Schappacher, Katie A; Styczynski, Lauren; Baccei, Mark L (2017. ) Early life vincristine exposure evokes mechanical pain hypersensitivity in the developing rat.Pain, , 158 (9 ) ,1647-1655 More Information

Gu, Zirong; Serradj, Najet; Ueno, Masaki; Liang, Mishi; Li, Jie; Baccei, Mark L; Martin, John H; Yoshida, Yutaka (2017. ) Skilled Movements Require Non-apoptotic Bax/Bak Pathway-Mediated Corticospinal Circuit Reorganization.Neuron, , 94 (3 ) ,626-641.e4 More Information

Ford, Neil C; Ren, Dejian; Baccei, Mark L (2018. ) NALCN channels enhance the intrinsic excitability of spinal projection neurons.Pain, , 159 (9 ) ,1719-1730 More Information

Brewer, Chelsie L; Baccei, Mark L (2018. ) Enhanced Postsynaptic GABAB Receptor Signaling in Adult Spinal Projection Neurons after Neonatal Injury.Neuroscience, , 384 ,329-339 More Information

Li, Jie; Serafin, Elizabeth; Baccei, Mark L (2018. ) Prostaglandin Signaling Governs Spike Timing-Dependent Plasticity at Sensory Synapses onto Mouse Spinal Projection Neurons.The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience, , 38 (30 ) ,6628-6639 More Information

Ueno, Masaki; Nakamura, Yuka; Li, Jie; Gu, Zirong; Niehaus, Jesse; Maezawa, Mari; Crone, Steven A; Goulding, Martyn; Baccei, Mark L; Yoshida, Yutaka (2018. ) Corticospinal Circuits from the Sensory and Motor Cortices Differentially Regulate Skilled Movements through Distinct Spinal Interneurons.Cell reports, , 23 (5 ) ,1286-1300.e7 More Information

Academic - Medical Sciences Building
Room 3412
Cincinnati  Ohio, 45267
Phone: 513-558-5037
Fax: 513-558-0995
mark.baccei@uc.edu