Nicole Mercer Lindsay

Nicole Mercer Lindsay, Ph.D., received her B.A. in Biological Sciences from Cornell University before pursuing her Ph.D. in Neurobiology at the University of California, San Diego under the mentorship of David Kleinfeld. For her doctoral research, Dr. Mercer Lindsay applied advanced circuit mapping and optogenetic techniques to investigate how motor cortex neurons coordinate complex orofacial and limb movements. She discovered distinct, parallel descending pathways from the motor cortex to specific brainstem premotor nuclei that orchestrate coordinated motor actions, providing novel insight into the functional organization of motor control circuits (Mercer Lindsay et al., Neuron 2019).

Following her Ph.D., Dr. Mercer Lindsay completed postdoctoral training in Neuroscience at Stanford University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. There, she was part of a team that developed a miniaturized transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) device to study how motor cortex neuromodulation produces long-lasting pain relief in preclinical models. Using this device, Dr. Mercer Lindsay uncovered an innovative mechanism whereby motor cortex stimulation induces enduring changes in pain circuits through endogenous opioid signaling in the descending pain control pathways. She also led a research team that mapped the architecture of opioid receptor distribution across the brainstem, providing critical insights into the widespread opioidergic modulation of sensory, motor, and respiratory circuits (Hug*, Mercer Lindsay*, et al. BioRxiv 2022). Together, these works offer exciting new directions for durable, non-addictive analgesia and next-generation neuromodulatory therapies.

Dr. Mercer Lindsay integrates innovative behavioral analyses, including DeepLabCut tracking and high-density Neuropixels electrophysiology, to elucidate neural circuit responses to pain and neuromodulation. She collaborates across engineering and clinical fields to translate mechanistic discoveries into therapeutic strategies. Her research achievements have been recognized by several awards, including the NIDCR K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award, an F32 fellowship, and selection as a 2023 Rising Star in Engineering in Health by Cornell University, Johns Hopkins University, and Columbia University.

Dr. Mercer Lindsay joined the faculty at Burke Neurological Institute and Weill Cornell Medicine in 2025, where she directs the Laboratory for Systems Neuroscience of Pain. Her current research focuses on uncovering the circuit and molecular mechanisms underlying therapeutics that produce long-lasting pain relief. She aims to improve noninvasive neuromodulatory treatments and clarify the complex interplay between motor circuits and endogenous opioids in both health and disease.