news | Elizabeth A. Ronan, PhD

Mar 10, 2026	Publication — Rodents love to gnaw… which can be cute or annoying (e.g., when they decided to destroy my car wiring). But our new collaborative study published in Neuron uncovers why. Led by Dr. Xinyu Su and Bo Duan Lab, we discovered that incisor tactile input is relayed by a sensorimotor-motivational circuit to drive gnawing. Congratulations to all the authors! Featured in UMich News and Science.
Mar 01, 2026	Publication — Our protocol for precise activation of intradental neurons in mice via single-molar electrical stimulation is now published in STAR Protocols! We developed a precision electrical stimulation method to overcome the technical barriers to targeting sensory innervation within the mineralized tooth, providing a robust tool for studying tooth sensation and pain using model organisms.

Mar 10, 2026

Publication — Rodents love to gnaw… which can be cute or annoying (e.g., when they decided to destroy my car wiring). But our new collaborative study published in Neuron uncovers why. Led by Dr. Xinyu Su and Bo Duan Lab, we discovered that incisor tactile input is relayed by a sensorimotor-motivational circuit to drive gnawing. Congratulations to all the authors! Featured in UMich News and Science.

Mar 01, 2026

Publication — Our protocol for precise activation of intradental neurons in mice via single-molar electrical stimulation is now published in STAR Protocols! We developed a precision electrical stimulation method to overcome the technical barriers to targeting sensory innervation within the mineralized tooth, providing a robust tool for studying tooth sensation and pain using model organisms.