Stanislava Jergova, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor, Department of Neurological Surgery
1095 NW 14th Terrace
Lois Pope LIFE Center 5-01D
Miami, FL 33136
Stanislava Jergova, Ph.D. is currently a Research Assistant Professor at The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis in the Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Jergova received her Master degree in 2000 at the University of P.J. Safarik in Kosice, Slovakia and her Ph.D. degree in 2004 at the Institute of Neurobiology at Slovak Academy of Sciences and University of P.J. Safarik. At the same year she obtained a Young Scientist Research Fellowship Award by Research and Development Agency, Slovak Republic and continued in her research until 2008, when she joined Dr. Sagen’s lab at the University of Miami as a postdoctoral fellow. She received Craig H. Neilsen Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship Award and gain more experiences in molecular biology, gene engineering and electrophysiological recording to further unravel mechanisms of chronic pain and identify clinically relevant targets and treatment approaches.
Recently she held Department of Defense Discovery Award, with project focused of recombinant GABAergic cells and conopeptides as a novel therapy for chronic pain. Upon her new appointment as Research Assistant Professor, she obtained One-time Funding Opportunity for Junior Faculty Sponsored by the Office of the Vice Provost for Research and Scholarship (OVPRS) to work on optogenetically activated recombinant hiPSC cells and generate data to support extramural grant application.
Research objectives of Dr. Jergova’s lab is to identify underlying mechanisms of chronic pain and to develop safe strategies for long-lasting pain alleviation for patients.
Advancing Chronic Pain Relief: Recombinant Human Cells and Gene Strategies
Our lab’s research is focused on unraveling mechanisms of chronic neuropathic pain induced by spinal cord injuries (SCI) and other injuries of the central nervous system and investigating potential cell and gene therapies for chronic pain. As chronic pain is a multifactorial condition with several pathways involved, simultaneous targeting of different pathways with precise localization is necessary for efficient treatment with minimum side effects. Our focus of interest is dysfunctional inhibitory GABAergic signaling and enhanced signaling via glutamate NMDA receptors as two key events in the development of chronic pain. We previously shown that rat-derived recombinant GABAergic cells are effective in alleviation of chronic pain in animal models.
Cells can also be equipped with genes encoding small analgesic peptides to allow targeting of several pain pathways. To bring this approach closer to the clinical setup, our current research uses recombinant GABAergic human induced pluripotent stem cells derived from skin or blood cells of adult individuals and designed analgesic genes to restore spinal inhibitory balance and to achieve targeted delivery of analgesic agents.
Our new endeavor includes investigation of exosomes as a potential biomarker, treatment agent, and vehicle to deliver recombinant analgesic genes to target host spinal cells for long-term pain alleviation. In our collaborative project we explore regulated release of therapeutic agents from recombinant cells via optogenetic approach. Our goal is to better understand the mechanisms of chronic pain and develop new treatment options that can provide safe and long-lasting relief for patients.
Professional Affiliations / Memberships
Society for Neuroscience
International Association for the Study of Pain
American Society for Gene and Cell Therapy