Craviso Lab

Mission

To develop novel approaches for remote, targeted electrical stimulation of nerves, tissues and organs in clinical practice to eliminate the need for electrodes.

Key areas of focus

  • Developing new medical technologies in collaboration with faculty in the College of Engineering and the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine (UNR Med).
  • Using ground-breaking technologies to elucidate mechanisms of cell stimulation by short duration electric pulses.
  • Current focus on nanosecond electric pulses which have the potential to target specific in vivo sites non-invasively via antennas or surface electrodes.

Lab team

Gale Louise Craviso, Ph.D., is a professor in the department of Pharmacology at UNR Med and a member of the Society for Neuroscience, the Bioelectromagnetics Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The Craviso Lab explores the potential for nanosecond electric pulses as a new, bioelectric approach for stimulating neural cells. The goal of this research is to develop an electrostimulation approach that is less invasive than current surgical practices, resulting in new strategies for modulating the activity of other types of excitable cells.

  • Gale Louise Craviso, Ph.D.: Principal Investigator
  • Lisha Yang, Ph.D.: Research Assistant Professor
  • Dea Lika: Laboratory Aide

Notable research findings

  • Determined that pulses in the low nanosecond regime are an effective and safe modality for stimulating the calcium-dependent, exocytotic release of catecholamines.
  • Uncovered novel effects of these pulses on membrane ion channels.
  • Discovered the efficacy of 30 nanoseconds (ns) pulses to repeatedly elicit rapid and robust calcium transients in chromaffin cells in situ in acute adrenal slices without causing harmful effects in the cells or other excitable elements in the tissue.

Equipment, technology and techniques

  • 2 custom-designed nanosecond pulse generators
  • 3 custom-designed nanosecond pulse generators

Active grants and research projects

  1. Nanoelectropulse-induced changes in cell excitability: a new approach for neuromodulation.
    • Award: FA9550-20-1-0061
    • Funding organization: Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR)
  2. Nanoelectropulse-induced electromechanical signaling and control of biological systems.
    • Award: FA9550-15-1-0517
    • Funding organization: Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) Mechanisms of nanoelectropulse-neurosecretion coupling, Task 6 awarded under the Department of Defense (DoD)
  3. Laser confocal scanning microscope to enhance studies investigating the effects of nanosecond-duration electric pulses on excitable cells.
    • Award: FA9550-20-1-0128
    • Funding organization: Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP)