Maria K. Jantz, PhD

Postdoctoral Associate
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina, United States

Maria Jantz completed her undergraduate degree in Physics at Goshen College in 2015, and subsequently performed research in brain-computer interfaces at Northwestern University. She received her PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh in 2023, where she studied the use of spinal cord stimulation to restore bladder function after spinal cord injury. Now at Duke University in the Grill Lab, Maria investigates high-frequency nerve stimulation as a method to block nerve transmission, a therapy that has potential clinical applications including treatment of chronic pain, spasticity, and many other disorders in which it may be necessary to downregulate neural activity. Using computational models and experiments in rats, she studies kilohertz-frequency stimulation patterns to block fibers in the sciatic nerve. Outside of the lab, she enjoys rock climbing, ceramics, and is involved in outreach activities to improve diversity in STEM fields.

Presentation(s):

• (33) Kilohertz-frequency conduction block in models of unmyelinated nerve fibers

  Thursday, June 12, 2025
  4:30 PM - 5:10 PM ET

• (36) Lateral Spinal Cord Stimulation Parameters to Optimize Selective Recruitment of Sensory Nerve Branches in Cats.

  Friday, June 13, 2025
  4:30 PM - 5:10 PM ET

• (13) Anatomical Organization of Lumbar Dorsal Rootlets and Implications for Sensory Restoration via Spinal Cord Stimulation

  Friday, June 13, 2025
  5:50 PM - 6:30 PM ET

• New Frontiers in SCS: Expanding Therapeutic Applications

  Saturday, June 14, 2025
  10:45 AM - 12:00 PM ET