El Dr. Pablo R. Brumovsky He is an Independent Researcher at CONICET.
He is Deputy Director of the Board of Directors of the IIMT, Director of the Doctoral Program of the FCB, Academic Secretary of the FCB, and advisory member of the Academic Development Department of the Academic Center for Health (CAS) of the Universidad Austral.
He is also Director of the Special Interest Group on Pain of the Argentine Association for the Study of Pain and co-Director of the ad hoc Translational Research in Pain group of the CONICET Translational Research Network in Health.
After studying Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Buenos Aires, he completed a PhD in Biomedical Sciences at the Faculty of Biomedical Sciences of the Universidad Austral in Buenos Aires, and a second PhD in Medicine from the Department of Neuroscience at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. He then completed postdoctoral studies in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pennsylvania, USA.
Since 2010, he has directed the Laboratory of Mechanisms and Therapeutic Innovation in Pain at the IIMT.
Our laboratory focuses on the study of chronic pain of somatic or visceral origin. In this area, we are interested in contributing to the understanding of the mechanisms that perpetuate pain, and thus identifying therapeutic targets that can be explored for the design of new pain medications. This objective is critical for us, since chronic pain remains an unresolved problem, frequently mistreated, and with a serious impact on patients, their families, and society as a whole.
We used different models of chronic pain in rodents, including peripheral nerve injuries, inflammatory tissue infiltration, and induction of inflammatory processes. In these prepared animals, we evaluated pain behavior, looking for signs of allodynia (pain induced by innocuous stimuli) and hyperalgesia (exaggerated pain in response to noxious stimuli).
From a mechanistic point of view, we are interested in addressing different aspects of the neurobiology of primary afferent neurons and the spinal cord, as well as immune, mesenchymal and glial cells, in order to shed some light on the neuroimmune “conversation” existing between parts, with impact on the generation and maintenance of pain.
We employ a variety of laboratory techniques, including immunohistochemistry, Western blot, ELISA, protein microarrays, qRT-PCR, RNAseq, flow cytometry, cell culture, migration assays, and pharmacology, among others. More recently, we have initiated an ambitious, collaborative project based on the use of spatial transcriptomics and bioinformatics. Finally, we are deeply interested in the translational impact of our research, which is why we incorporate the use of human cells and tissues into our assays, seek strategies to patent new molecules for chronic pain, and are embarking on the design of human clinical trials.
Our laboratory maintains collaborations with national institutions such as the Institute of Biological Chemistry and Physical Chemistry, the Institute of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, and the Institute of Pharmacological Research of CONICET/UBA, and international institutions such as the University of Santiago de Chile, Wake Forest University in the United States, the University of Clermont Ferrand in France, the University of Tartu in Estonia and the Karolinska Institute.
Finally, we are also interested in understanding the humanistic implications of pain, which is why our group maintains an active dialogue with the School of Philosophy of the Universidad Austral.
Dr. Pablo R. Brumovsky Head of Laboratory pbrumovs@austral.edu.ar
Carly J. McCarthy PhD in Physiology (University College of London) and researcher millwall98@hotmail.com
Bernardo Miguel Physician, doctoral fellow bmiguel@mail.austral.edu.ar
Sandra Sbrascini Physician at Austral University Hospital and Doctoral Fellow sbrascini@gmail.com
Valentino DesantoLaboratory Intern (UADE)
PAST MEMBERS:
Mailín Casadei Doctoral Fellow maicasadei@hotmail.com
Julia Rubione Doctor of Medicine (UBA) and post-doctoral fellow juli.rubione@gmail.com
Candelaria Leiguarda Doctoral Fellow, PhD Universidad Austral Thesis Title: «Immunomodulatory effects and therapeutic potential of IMT504 in rats with persistent inflammatory pain – Cellular, behavioral and pharmacological analysis in rodents»; defense year 2021 (Outstanding). candelarialeiguarda@gmail.com
Dr. María Eugenia CounselorClinical Physician and Intern (FCB Austral) mconseje@cas.austral.edu.ar
Dr. María Eugenia Tomasella Bachelor's Thesis, 2012 (Outstanding) eugeniatomasella@gmail.com
Mariana Malet Doctoral Fellow, PhD Universidad Austral Thesis title: “Chronic Pain and Sensory Neurons – Neurochemical, behavioral and therapeutic analysis in rodents”; defense year 2016 (Outstanding). mariana_malet@hotmail.com
