Gentle caress, searing burn, jolting shock, shivering goosebumps.
All these are possible with the elemental power of touch. Touch is critical to brain development and cognition. But how does our brain connect with the body's largest sensory organ-skin? That's what Shan Meltzer, assistant professor of pharmacology in the School of Medicine Basic Sciences, has dedicated her life to exploring.
Meltzer believes understanding the basic science of touch and sensation, from the cellular level through the nervous system to the brain, will lead to better ways to treat pain and physical injuries.
She has pioneered a new framework for investigation that is unlike anything currently being done in the developmental neuroscience field.
"My lab is interested in understanding how we develop our sense of touch, pain, temperature and itch, and how it travels through a network of sensory receptors and neural pathways to the brain for feedback," said Meltzer, who is a member of the Vanderbilt Brain Institute and the Center for Computational Systems Biology.
FROM FRUIT FLIES TO HUMANS
Since living organisms often have many similarities, Meltzer began her research with the humble fruit fly. Now that early work is translating to mammals.
"I saw a great opportunity to bring my training in developmental neurobiology into the mammalian somatosensorial field, creating a special niche to research and to study how the circuits develop," she said.
SLOAN FELLOWSHIP AWARD
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation rewarded her research progress with a prestigious 2026 Sloan Research Fellowship. The fellowship recognizes exceptional early-career scientists considered the next generation of leaders in their fields.
"Dr. Meltzer is taking an extremely original approach to investigating the mechanisms of mammalian somatosensation from any other investigators in the developmental neuroscience field," said Ege T. Kavalali, professor and chair of the Department of Pharmacology and William Stokes Chair in Experimental Therapeutics at Vanderbilt. "This innovative research process will not only provide new insights into developmental and sensory neurobiology but also holds immense potential for treating somatosensory dysfunctions in diseases, such as chronic pain and nerve injuries."
PASSION FOR SCIENCE SPARKED BY A FUTURISTIC ROBOT CAT… REALLY
Long before her impressive career, Meltzer joyfully explains that her true love for science sparked as a child while reading the Japanese manga series Doraemon.
"Doraemon is a robot cat with all these fancy science gadgets. I was very fascinated by all of it," she says, laughing.
She also credits her parents for regularly taking her to the National Museum of Natural History near her home in Beijing, China, where she became immersed in learning about evolution, biodiversity, dinosaurs and the universe.
"It seeded my passion for science," she said.
Now she shares her love of science with her young daughter, while they enjoy a newfound hobby of learning K-pop dances.
VALUES IN SCIENCE
Meltzer still embodies that joyful spark of curiosity and she combines it with solid values she has instilled in her Vanderbilt lab.
"I value excellence, integrity and grit," she said. "Doing science is a marathon, not a sprint, so having grit means being able to think and problem solve during difficult times, and being able to trust yourself, trust your community, trust your mentors, and trust the process of research. No one comes into science as a perfect scientist. We're all learning during the process."
