Institute for Translational Neuroscience News and Events

We are happy to announce that the Institute for Translational Neuroscience 4th Annual Research Symposium, (Neuroday) will take place in person on Thursday, Nov. 6, 2025. Our keynote speaker is Christine Wu Nordahl, Ph.D., a professor and neuroscientist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at University of California, Davis MIND Institute. She directs the UC Davis MIND Institute’s Autism Phenome Project, a longitudinal interdisciplinary study aimed at identifying clinically meaningful subtypes of autism. In addition to the keynote address, there will be talks by several prominent St. Louis-based researchers, a poster session and reception. More information and registration to come! 

Saint Louis University celebrated scholars on April 24 at the annual Scholarly Works and Grant Winners reception. The annual ceremony, hosted by the Office of the Vice President for Research, celebrates research excellence and recognizes success in publications and other scholarly outputs, as well as grants and service from SLU faculty and staff. Winners were recognized for their accomplishments from 2024. Below is a group picture of all of the winners. Congrats!

• Faculty Research Award
  • Daniela Salvemini, Ph.D., William Beaumont Professor and Chair, Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Director, Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Christopher Arnatt, Ph.D., associate professor of chemistry and John K. Walker, Ph.D., associate professor, pharmacology and physiology — Development of selective GPR34 antagonists for the treatment of neuropathic pain: National Institutes of Health (NINDS)
• Faculty Innovation Awards- The following were named as Senior Members of the National Academy of Inventors (NAI)
  • Koyal Garg, Ph.D., associate professor of biomedical engineering
  • Silviya Petrova Zustiak, Ph.D., professor of biomedical engineering
• Scholarly Works as Articles
  • Junior faculty award, (Article): Laurence Anne Lemaire, Ph.D., assistant professor of biology — “Neural crest lineage in the protovertebrate model Ciona (Nature)
• Scholarly Works Published as Books
  • Senior faculty award, (Book): Liz Chiarello, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology and anthropology — “Policing Patients: Treatment and Surveillance on the Frontlines of the Opioid Crisis” (Princeton University Press)

We are delighted to extend a warm invitation to you on behalf of Saint Louis University and Washington University School of Medicine to attend the upcoming St. Louis Translational Pain Research Forum (STL-TPRF) on September 26-27, 2025. As leaders in the field of pain research, we believe it is essential to foster collaboration and knowledge-sharing among scientists and researchers. The STL-TPRF aims to do just that by bringing together an outstanding group of investigators working across the pain translational research spectrum. The two-day forum will serve as a platform for exchanging insights, discussing advancements, and exploring novel approaches to tackle the complexities of pain management and treatment. This is a great opportunity to learn more about pain, the challenges surrounding pain research and its treatment and the translational efforts towards identifying new treatments that are on the horizon. Registration rates are very reasonable ($100 for the PIs and $25 for the trainees). Check out our event website for more information! 

Olivia Vanegas, Ph.D., joined Daniela Salvemini’s lab as a postdoctoral fellow in February 2025. She has a diverse research background spanning human health psychology and preclinical rodent models, with a focus on behavioral neuroscience, pharmacology and pain research. She received a bachelor's degree in psychology from the University of Kentucky (2018) and a Ph.D. in behavioral neuroscience from the University of Connecticut (2024). Her dissertation project investigated the analgesic potential of minor phytocannabinoids in mouse models of chronic neuropathic pain and inflammation. Her research interests include in vivo pharmacology, neuroimmune mechanisms of pain, and preclinical pain assessment, with the overarching goal of identifying novel therapeutic targets for chronic pain.

Saint Louis University

Tenure-Track Assistant/Associate Professor
Department of Pharmacology & Physiology

The Saint Louis University Department of Pharmacology & Physiology invites visionary investigators to join our collaborative and dynamic team at the Assistant/Associate Professor level within the tenure track to drive innovation in pain research and pharmacology. This recruitment is part of an ambitious initiative to strengthen and expand pain research at Saint Louis University, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and groundbreaking discoveries. Successful candidates will benefit from generous research startup packages, access to state-of-the-art facilities, and an interdisciplinary network within and beyond Saint Louis University. Successful candidates will additionally benefit from opportunities to join collaborative centers including the Institute for Translational Neuroscience, Institute for Drug and Biotherapeutic Innovation, the Institute of Clinical and Translational Sciences, the Vaccine Center and the Liver Center. Each center and institute provide additional logistic, funding opportunities, material and shared resources to enhance the success of our faculty. Members of our community have access to the nationally acclaimed Cortex Innovation Community, to multiple local startup-supporting institutions and to the fast-growing, cutting-edge medical and biotechnology community which operates actively throughout the St. Louis region.

Qualifications and Responsibilities

Candidates should hold a PhD or MD/PhD degree, a minimum of two years of postdoctoral studies, and a strong publication record. We are particularly interested in researchers working in the areas of: neuroimmunology, lipid metabolism, neural circuits and behavior; molecular and cellular neuroscience; and neurogenetics with a focus on identifying and developing novel therapeutic opportunities for chronic pain. Candidates involved in related disciplines with a focus on pain, such as addiction, drug discovery, structural biology and chemical biology are strongly encouraged to apply. Candidates will be expected to develop an innovative, extramurally funded research program, participate in the educational mission of the Department, and engage in University service.

Saint Louis University School of Medicine is a Catholic Jesuit Institution with a long tradition of excellence in teaching, research and patient care. Established in 1836, the school was the first to award a medical degree west of the Mississippi River. Saint Louis University School of Medicine is a leading center of research in neurodegenerative disorders, pain, cancer, infectious disease, liver disease, aging, and heart/lung disease. The Department of Pharmacology and Physiology maintains a strong record of extramural funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), including a T32 training grant.

Questions related to this position can be sent to Dr. Daniela Salvemini, William Beaumont Professor and Chair and Director, Institute for Translational Neuroscience (daniela.salvemini@health.slu.edu).

Applications must include: 1) a cover letter; 2) a resume/curriculum vitae 3) statement of current research and goals; 4) statement of teaching philosophy and 5) contact details for references from at least 3 colleagues. You can upload these items on the third page "My experience" of the application. The requisition numbers are 07662 and 08592

Do you want to join a committee, contact a member of our committees, or have a question on how to be more involved with all things ITN? Check out our line up below-

• Executive Leadership Team:
  • Daniela Salvemini, Ph.D. (chair)
    • Silviya Zustiak, Ph.D. (associate chair)
    • George Grossberg, M.D.
    • Rick Samson, Ph.D.
    • Tony Buschanan, Ph.D.
    • Jafar Kafaie, M.D., Ph.D.
• Research Committee:
  • Susan Farr, Ph.D. (chair)
    • Aubin Moutal, Ph.D. (co-chair)
    • Philippe Mercier, M.D., Ph.D.
    • John Walker, Ph.D.
    • Yuna Ayala, Ph.D.
• Education and Student-Postdoctoral:
  • Mark Knuepfer, Ph.D. (chair)
    • Tim Doyle, Ph.D.
  • Jenny Brown, MA, Trainees Committee Chair  

The SLU Research Institute has produced a new video promoting ITN. If this one slipped by you, take some time to check it out and share with your friends, colleagues and social networks.

Saint Louis University pain researcher Dr. Daniela Salvemini joins Fox 2 News to discuss “chemo brain.”