Dr. Greg Bulaj

Grzegorz (Greg) Bulaj, Ph.D.

Academic Information

Departments College of Pharmacy , Professor - Medicinal Chemistry , Adjunct Assistant Professor - Anesthesiology

Academic Office Information

grzegorz.bulaj@hsc.utah.edu

801-581-7063

Research Interests

  • Integrate digital therapeutics (DTx, mobile medical apps) with pharmaceutical drugs and biologics

RESEARCH INTERESTS

The long-term goal of our research is to integrate digital therapeutics (DTx, mobile medical apps) with pharmaceutical drugs and biologics. Since mobile apps and video games have become the FDA-authorized “software as medical device” products, they can be combined with drug-based therapies by means of adjunct DTx or drug-device combination products. You can learn more about our approach to improve treatments of chronic diseases from our J Clin Med 2024 article, link: https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/13/2/403.

Why digital health technologies? Because:

  1. They can mitigate limitations of pharmaceutical drugs (adverse effects, non-adherence, drug-resistance, affordability, shortages) 
  2. Mobile app-based treatments can improve sustainability of health care by delivering self-management and empowerment, while promoting prevention of chronic conditions.
  3. The health care outcomes in the US are the worst among high-income countries despite the highest health care spending per capita in the world.

Research Subjects and Articles

EPILEPSY

Developing mobile medical app for reduction of epileptic seizures

Article One 
Article Two 
PAIN

Preclinical studies on “active ingredients” in digital therapeutics for pain and epilepsy

Article One 
Article Two 
DEPRESSION

Music streaming as adjunct treatment of affective disorders

Article One 
Article Two 
CANCER

Mobile video game for children with cancer undergoing chemotherapy 

Article 

Our research has also advanced development of neuropeptide-based drug leads for the treatments of epilepsy and pain. This collaborative project with Prof. Steve White and Prof. Cameron Metcalf yielded several galanin-based lead compounds such as NAX 505-5, NAX 409-9 and NAX 810-2 (a candidate for Investigational New Drug (IND) for the treatment of epilepsy). Our galanin-based compounds also exhibit analgesic properties, offering opportunities to develop first-in-class therapies for pain. Below are examples of our neuropeptide-based drug discovery and development efforts (in chronological order):

RELATED LINKS

FAR Webpage

College of Pharmacy

Education History

Doctoral Training University of Wroclaw
 PhD
Graduate Training University of Wroclaw
 MSc, Biochemistry

Selected Publications

Journal Article

  1. Bulaj G, Green BR, Lee HK, Robertson CR, White K, Zhang L, Sochanska M, Flynn SP, Adkins Scholl E, Pruess TH, Smith MD, White HS (2008) Design, Synthesis and Characterization of High-Affinity, Systemically-Active Galanin Analogs with Potent Anticonvulsant Activities, J Med Chem. 51: 8038-47

  2. White HS, Scholl EA, Klein DB, Flynn SP, Pruess TH, Green BG, Zhang L, Bulaj G, (2009) Developing Novel Antiepileptic Drugs: Characterization of NAX 5055, a Systemically-Active Galanin Analog, in Epilepsy Models, NeuroTherapeutics. 6: 372-380

  3. Zhang L, Robertson CR, Green BR, Pruess T, White HS, Bulaj G, (2009) Structural Requirements for a Lipoamino Acid in Modulating the Anticonvulsant Activities of the Systemically-Active Galanin Analogs, J Med Chem, 52, 1310-16

    More Selected Publications