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Grzegorz (Greg) Bulaj

Associate Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology

Molecular-Behavioral Combination Therapies, Digital Therapeutics, Mobile Medical Apps, Epilepsy, Pain, Depression, Cancer

Greg Bulaj

 

Biological Chemistry Program

Education

M.Sc. University of Wroclaw, Poland

Ph.D. University of Wroclaw, Poland

Links

Faculty Page

PubMed Literature Search

Grzegorz.Bulaj@hsc.utah.edu

 

Research

The FDA's guidelines on "prescription drug use-related software" enable integration of biologics and pharmaceutical drugs with mobile apps and therapeutic video games, as illustrated in our 2024 J Clin Med review article. The long-term goal of our research is to develop drug-device combination therapies which simultaneously target a disease at molecular and behavioral levels. Such molecular-behavioral combination therapies consist of pharmaceutical drugs and digital therapeutics (mobile medical app, software as a medical device). Examples of our research include: (1) creation of a prototype digital therapeutic for the treatment of epilepsy, (2) preclinical studies on how digital therapy "active ingredients" can reduce pain in combination with analgesic drugs, (3) advancing adjunct digital interventions for cancer, and (4) innovating pharmacies by scaling up awareness about digital health technologies.

References

  1. Biskupiak Z, Ha VV, Rohaj A, Bulaj G (2024)Digital Therapeutics for Improving Effectiveness of Pharmaceutical Drugs and Biological Products: Preclinical and Clinical Studies Supporting Development of Drug + Digital Combination Therapies for Chronic Diseases. J Clin Med. 13, 403. https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/13/2/403
  2. Bulaj G, Coleman M, Johansen B, Kraft S, Lam W, Phillips K, Rohaj A (2024) Redesigning Pharmacy to Improve Public Health Outcomes: Expanding Retail Spaces for Digital Therapeutics to Replace Consumer Products that Increase Mortality and Morbidity Risks. Pharmacy. 12, 107.   https://www.mdpi.com/2226-4787/12/4/107
  3. Rohaj A and Bulaj G (2023) Digital Therapeutics (DTx) Expand Multimodal Treatment Options for Chronic Low Back Pain: The Nexus of Precision Medicine, Patient Education, and Public Health. Healthcare. 11, 1469. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare11101469
  4. Giravi HY, Biskupiak Z, Tyler LS, Bulaj G (2022) Adjunct Digital Interventions Improve Opioid-based Pain Management: Impact of Virtual Reality and Mobile Applications on Patient-Centered Pharmacy Care. Front Digital Health 4:884047 https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fdgth.2022.884047/full
  5. Bulaj G, Clark J, Ebrahimi M and Bald E (2021) From Precision Metapharmacology to Patient Empowerment: Delivery of Self-Care Practices for Epilepsy, Pain, Depression and Cancer Using Digital Health Technologies. Front. Pharmacol. 12:612602. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2021.612602/full
  6. Metcalf CS, Huntsman M, Garcia G, Kochanski AK, Chikinda M, Wanatabe E, Underwood T, Vanegas F, Smith MD, HS White, Bulaj G (2019) Music-enhanced Analgesia and Antiseizure Activities in Animal Models of Pain and Epilepsy: Towards Preclinical Studies Supporting Development of Digital Therapeutics and their Combinations with Pharmaceutical Drugs. Front Neurol. 10:277. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2019.00277/full
  7. Afra P, Bruggers CS, Sweney M, Fagatele L, Alavi F, Greenwald M, Huntsman M, Nguyen K, Jones JK, Shantz D and Bulaj G (2018) Mobile Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) for the Treatment of Epilepsy: Development of Digital Therapeutics Comprising Behavioral and Music-Based Interventions for Neurological Disorders. Front. Hum. Neurosci.12:171.www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00171/full 
  8. Bruggers CS, Baranowski S, Besaris M, Leonard R, Long D, Schulte E, Shorter A, Stigner R, Mason CC                                                                       Alisa Bedrov A, Ian Pascual I,Bulaj G (2018) A Prototype Exercise-Empowerment Mobile Video Game for Children with Cancer, and its Usability Assessment: Developing Digital Empowerment Interventions for Pediatric Diseases, Front Pediatrics 6:69. www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fped.2018.00069/full
  9. Schriewer K and Bulaj G(2016) Music Streaming Services as Adjunct Therapies for Depression, Anxiety and Bipolar Symptoms: Convergence of Digital Technologies, Mobile Apps, Emotions, and Global Mental Health.Front Publ Health. 4: 217. www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2016.00217/full 
  10. Bulaj G, Ahern MM, Kuhn A, Judkins ZS, Bowen RC, Chen Y. (2016) Incorporating Natural Products, Pharmaceutical Drugs, Self-care and Digital/Mobile Health Technologies into Molecular-Behavioral Combination Therapies for Chronic Diseases. Curr Clin Pharmacol11: 1-18http://www.eurekaselect.com/142876 
  11. Govender M, Bowen RC, German ML, Bulaj G, Bruggers CS (2015) Clinical and Neurobiological Perspectives of Empowering Pediatric Cancer Patients Using Videogames. Games Health J. 4: 1-13 http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/g4h.2015.0014
  12. Bulaj G (2014) Combining non-pharmacological treatments with pharmacotherapies for neurological disorders: a unique interface of the brain, drug–device, and intellectual property. Front Neurol. 5: 126www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2014.00126/full
  13. Bruggers CS, Altizer RA, Kessler RR, Caldwell CB, Coppersmith K, Warner L, Davies B, Paterson W, Wilcken J, D'Ambrosio TA, German ML,Hanson GR, Gershan LA, Korenberg JR, Bulaj G (2012) Patient-empowerment interactive technologies. Sci Transl Med. 4(152): 152ps16 http://stm.sciencemag.org/content/4/152/152ps16.full
Last Updated: 8/16/24