Jelena M. Janjic

Jelena M. Janjic is a tenured Associate Professor of Pharmaceutics at Duquesne University's School of Pharmacy and Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences. She holds a PhD in Medicinal Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh (2005) and a Diplomirani Farmaceut from Belgrade University (1998). Since 2009, she has directed the Nanomedicine Manufacturing Laboratory, focusing on theranostic platforms for inflammatory diseases.

Her research integrates nanotechnology, molecular imaging, and drug delivery to address chronic pain, inflammation, and transplant medicine. Key innovations include macrophage-targeted nanoemulsions for neuropathic pain, perfluorocarbon-based oxygen carriers for regenerative medicine, and quality-by-design manufacturing of nanotherapeutics. She founded the Chronic Pain Research Consortium, securing over $6M in external funding from DoD/CDMRP, NIH, and USAF for interdisciplinary pain research.

Publications emphasize sex differences in pain response, macrophage biology in neuropathy, and translational nanomedicine for combat casualty care. Recent work explores diabetic neuropathy mechanisms, ferroptosis inhibition, and non-invasive graft monitoring using multimodal imaging.

Awards & Recognition:

• Dean’s Award (2023)
• President’s Award of Excellence (2020)
• Carnegie Science Award (2020)
• Defense Tech Connect Innovator (2019)
• Pittsburgh Business Times Innovator (2018)
• Research Hall of Fame Inductee (2018)

Research Leadership: She directs multiple DoD contracts including neuroimmune-modulating analgesics for diabetic neuropathy ($4.2M) and oxygen-carrying nanoemulsions for trauma resuscitation. Mentors PhD/MS/PharmD students in nanomedicine formulation, in vivo evaluation, and manufacturing scale-up.

Laboratory: The Nanomedicine Manufacturing Laboratory (2,094 sq ft) specializes in GMP-like production of theranostic agents, featuring microfluidizers, analytical HPLC, and preclinical imaging capabilities. Current projects include combat casualty care solutions for the US Air Force.