Dr. Evelin Krajnc is The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Highlighted Trainee Author for the November 2020 issue. She was a pre-doctoral trainee at the Institute of Pharmaceutical Science, ETH Zurich, Switzerland at the time of manuscript preparation. She has recently successfully defended her doctoral dissertation and completed her doctoral program. Her mentor was Dr. Gerd A. Kullak-Ublick, Full Professor of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland. The Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics article that earned her selection as a Highlighted Trainee Author is titled “Untargeted Metabolomics Reveals Anaerobic Glycolysis as a Novel Target of the Hepatotoxic Antidepressant Nefazodone” and is available at https://doi.org/10.1124/jpet.120.000120.
Dr. Krajnc’s area of research is the pathomechanism of drug-induced liver injury. Her research involves tracking the molecular changes of liver injury both in vitro and in vivo. More specifically, she is focusing on the mechanisms of drug-induced acute liver failure and its dependence on energy production at the cellular level. She is also studying drug-induced fatty liver disease. The methods used include “omics” such as metabolomics (LC-MS) and genomics (RNA-sequencing).
The anticipated impact of Dr. Krajnc’s research is the unravelling of the changes during drug-induced fatty liver disease, which may serve as potential therapeutic targets for future drug development or drug repurposing. The novel compound that activates the farnesoid X receptor studied by Dr. Krajnc’s group is promising for the treatment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Furthermore, she is studying the mechanisms of drug-induced acute liver failure, which may serve as a key factor in determining the outcome. Her results suggest that additional preclinical tests may help to prevent acute liver failure caused by drugs coming onto the market in the future.
When not in the lab, Dr. Krajnc enjoys running, playing beach volleyball, skiing, reading books, playing the piano, cooking healthy food, and sleeping. She also enjoys being with family and friends.