Medical Research Building, Room 2.143H 
Route: 1069 | Tel: (409) 772-1576 | guji@utmb.edu
PubMed

Education and Training

The focus of my research is on pain mechanisms and neuroplasticity using anatomical, behavioral, pharmacological in vivo and ex vivo electrophysiological techniques and calcium imaging, opto- and chemogenetics, and viral vector approaches in different inflammatory and neuropathic pain models. I have been studying peripheral and central nociceptive processing and behaviors. The amygdala and corticolimbic circuits and their role in descending pain modulation are of particular interest.

Selected Publications:

Robert P. Ganley, Marília Sousa, Guangchen Ji, et al. Descending Inhibitory RVM Neurons Cause Widespread Bilateral Antinociception and Contribute to the Pain-Inhibits-Pain Phenomenon. Nat Commun. 2026 Apr 2; 17(1):4765. PMID: 41927569

Presto, P., Cardenas, J., Kisby B.R., Ji, G., Ponomareva, O., Neugebauer, V., Ponomarev, I. Molecular signatures of maladaptive plasticity in the amygdala in a rat model of chronic neuropathic pain. Cells. 2026 Apr 25;15(9):775. PMID: 42121876. 

Ji, G., Presto, P., Kiritoshi, T., Chen Y., Navratilova, E., Porreca, F., Neugebauer, V. Chemogenetic Manipulation of Amygdala Kappa Opioid Receptor Neurons Modulates Amygdala Neuronal Activity and Neuropathic Pain Behaviors. Cells. 2024, Apr 19;13(8):705. PMID: 3866732013. 

Navratilova E, Qu C, Ji G, Neugebauer V, Guerrero M, Rosen H, Roberts E, Porreca F. Opposing effects on descending control of nociception by mu and kappa opioid receptors in the anterior cingulate cortex. Anesthesiology. 2024 Feb 1;140(2):272-283. PMID: 37725756. 

Hein, M, Ji, G, Tidwell, D, D’Souza, P, Kiritoshi, T, Yakhnitsa, V, Navratilova, E, Porreca, F and Neugebauer,V.  Kappa opioid receptor activation in the amygdala disinhibits CRF neurons to generate pain-like behaviors. Neuropharmacology. 2021 185:108456. PubMed ID # 33444637. 

Ji, G. and Neugebauer, Kappa opioid receptors in the central amygdala modulate spinal nociceptive processing through an action on amygdala CRF neurons. Mol. Brain 2020 13: 128 (10 pp). PubMed ID # 32948219. 

Ji, G., Yakhnitsa, V., Kiritoshi, T., Presto, P., Neugebauer, V. Fear extinction learning ability predicts neuropathic pain behaviors and amygdala activity. Mol. Pain 14:1-13, 2018. PMID: 30209982. 

Ji, G., Zhang, W., Mahimainathan L., Narasimhan M., Kiritoshi T., Fan X., Wang J., Green, T.A., and Neugebauer, V. 5-HT2C receptor knockdown in the amygdala inhibits neuropathic pain related plasticity and behaviors. J. Neurosci. 2017 Feb 8;37(6):1378-1393. PMID: 28011743. 

Ji, G., Li, Z., and Neugebauer, V. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) mediate visceral pain-related amygdala plasticity and behaviors. Pain 2015 156(5):825-36. PMID: 25734993. 

Ji, G., Sun, H., Fu, Y., Li, Z., Pais-Vieira, M., Galhardo, V. and Neugebauer, V. Cognitive impairment in pain through amygdala-driven prefrontal cortical deactivation. J. Neurosci. 30: 5451–5464, 2010. PMID: 20392966. 

Pernía-Andrade, A.J., Kato, A., Witschi, R., Nyilas, R., Katona, I., Freund, T.F., Watanabe, M., Filitz, J., Koppert, W., Schüttler, J., Ji, G., Neugebauer, V., Marsicano, G., Lutz, B., Vanegas, H., Zeilhofer, H.U. Spinal endocannabinoids and CB1 receptors mediate C-fiber-induced heterosynaptic pain plasticity. Science 325:760-764, 2009. PMID: 19661434.