I was fortunate to be named Gila, which means ‘joy’ in Hebrew, and is highly similar to the word Glia, unarguably one of the most important cells in the nervous system. Indeed, many neuroscientists mistakenly call me Glia.

Since the beginning of my research career, I have been interested in autoimmune diseases of the nervous system and in chronic neuropathic pain, a debilitating condition caused by a lesion or disease of the somatosensory nervous system. Although such pain is a frequent disorder that dramatically reduces the quality of life of MS patients, until recently, it has been understudied in MS research. My preclinical research program on pain in MS started around ten years ago, inspired by my interest in both MS and neuropathic pain and the fact that pain is a common and difficult-to-treat problem in MS patients.

Over the years, there have been remarkable advancements in understanding the underlying biology of MS and the development of effective disease-modifying therapies to slow disease progression. To me, one of the most exciting developments is the increasing recognition of MS-related pain as a distinct and important problem and the growing understanding of the role that neuroinflammation plays in MS-associated neuropathic pain. In the past, MS pain was often underdiagnosed and undertreated, but now there is an increasing awareness of the need to address this problem and develop new and more effective pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches.

This research project, a collaboration with Prof Mao (Chemical engineering), Prof Carrive (Neuroanatomy), and other UNSW members (Housley, Potas, Krishnan), focuses on developing nanoconjugates for treating neuropathic pain in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, a model of MS. Trigeminal neuralgia, or facial pain, is an extremely disabling neuropathic pain condition experienced by MS patients and can be particularly challenging to treat. Most current medications for neuropathic pain are delivered systemically, are only partially effective, and are associated with frequent severe adverse effects. In this project, we will conduct a preclinical investigation of a novel approach for analgesic drug delivery to reduce facial pain symptoms. This will be done using selective targeting of trigeminal sensory neurons related to the face with gold nanoparticles coupled to a neuronal tracer and an approved analgesic drug for pain modulation to achieve a specific and controlled delivery of the nanomaterial to the brain, consequently suppressing facial pain.

Research into pain management has been recognized as a priority for Australians living with MS. This project will investigate novel neuronal-targeted nanomedicine in a model of MS, which enables bypassing the blood-brain barrier with targeted delivery of an analgesic drug to the intended site of action in the brain (e.g. the trigeminal pathway). Thus, this research can significantly improve drug targetability and bioavailability with minimal side effects and will underpin future studies investigating novel therapeutic approaches for managing neuropathic pain symptoms, such as trigeminal neuralgia, in MS.

Leading a team of staff and students working in the lab is exciting and rewarding. I am driven by curiosity and find it very satisfying to discover new knowledge and contribute to the research fields of neuroimmunology and pain. I especially enjoy working with students on planning experiments, discussing data, interpreting results, and writing manuscripts. I find it intellectually stimulating to integrate knowledge, critically analyse the strengths and limitations of experiments, and think outside the box. However, there are many challenges, including dealing with failed experiments, slow progress as experiments can take a long time to complete, keeping up with the ever-growing technological advancements and developments in scientific research and staying up to date with the literature, as well as obtaining funding and managing limited resources. Despite these challenges, watching the successes of staff and students in the team making new discoveries, publishing, and progressing in their own scientific careers make it all worth it.