Ann Gregus
- Ph.D. in Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
970 Washington Street SW
Life Sciences 1, Room 143
- PhD in Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
Dr. Gregus has over 20 years of experience in academics and the pharmaceutical industry leading and/or supporting cross-functional projects evaluating novel targets for the treatment of chronic pain and other diseases.
Her specific expertise includes pharmacology, neuroscience, biochemistry and drug tolerance in the study of chronic pain in males and females using a variety of behavioral, biochemical and molecular approaches. Her laboratory operates jointly with the Buczynski research group on early-stage drug discovery in pain and addiction.
Education
- BS, Biology, Villanova University (1998)
- PhD, Pharmacology, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (2008)
Experience
- Research Associate, Roche Diagnostics, Branchburg, NJ (1998-1999)
- Postdoctoral Associate, University of California, San Diego (2008-2013)
- Scientist, Lpath, Inc., San Diego, CA (2013-2016)
- Professional Scientific Collaborator, The Scripps Research Institute (2015-present)
- Research Scientist, Virginia Tech (2016-2020)
- Assistant Professor, Virginia Tech (2020- )
Chronic pain affects 30-40% of Americans, most of whom report that their pain is inadequately managed by current treatments. While opioids are effective for moderate to severe pain, they carry risks of addiction.
Thus, our goal is to elucidate novel molecular mechanisms driving the transition from acute to chronic pain and to translate druggable targets into potential nonopioid therapeutics. In partnership with the Buczynski laboratory (https://www.buczynski-lab.com/home), we utilize a multi-omic approach including advanced mass spectrometry techniques, cell-based assays, and behavioral pharmacology to support early-stage drug discovery.
Prospective students interested in training opportunities should contact Dr. Gregus by email.
Postdocs: Researchers interested in a postdoctoral position should include a cover letter summarizing your prior research experience and research interests, a CV or resume, and contact information for at least three academic references.
Graduate Students: Prospective graduate students should reach out to one of the following departments about application requirements and deadlines: School of Neuroscience MCB program, Department of Biological Sciences or Fralin Biomedical Research Institute TBMH program. Current graduate students can contact Dr. Gregus by email to set up a lab rotation.
Undergraduate Students: Prospective undergraduate students should include name, year, type of preferred position (credit, paid summer research, unpaid summer research), length of intended commitment (one semester, one year, two years, etc.), a statement of interest, and an unofficial transcript or resume.
Selected publications:
- Gregus AM, Buczynski MW. Druggable Targets in Endocannabinoid Signaling. (2020) AEMB.
- Gregus AM*, Buczynski MW, Dumlao DS, Norris PC, Rai G, Simeonov A, Maloney DJ, Jadhav A, Xu Q, Wei SC, Fitzsimmons BL, Dennis EA, Yaksh TL*. Inhibition of spinal 15-LOX-1 attenuates TLR4-dependent, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug-unresponsive hyperalgesia in male rats. (2018) Pain.
- Gregus AM, Dumlao DS, Wei SC, Norris PC, Catella LC, Meyerstein FL, Buczynski MW, Steinauer JJ, Fitzsimmons BL, Yaksh TL, Dennis EA. Systematic analysis of rat 12/15-lipoxygenase enzymes reveals critical role for spinal eLOX3 hepoxilin synthase activity in inflammatory hyperalgesia. (2013) FASEB J.
- Gregus AM, Doolen S, Dumlao DS, Buczynski MW, Takasusuki T, Fitzsimmons BL, Hua XY, Taylor BK, Dennis EA, Yaksh TL. Spinal 12-lipoxygenase-derived Hepoxilin A3 contributes to inflammatory hyperalgesia via activation of TRPV1 and TRPA1 receptors. (2012) PNAS.
*corresponding author
For a full list of Dr. Gregus's publications, please visit Pubmed
- NEUR 4044 Pain and the Opioid Crisis
- NEUR 4984 Neuropharmacology