Pharmaceutical Sciences

Saurabh Agarwal, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, has received an Oliver Wells Hero Award from the St. Baldrick’s Foundation for outstanding contributions to pediatric cancer research. This award, worth $110,000, enables him to continue his research funded by a St. Baldrick’s Foundation Scholar Career Development Award (worth $200,000 for the period 07/01/2017–08/30/2020) to develop novel epigenetic therapies for high-risk neuroblastomas.

He served as an invited guest speaker for raising public awareness for pediatric cancer research at the St. Baldrick’s Foundation head-shaving fundraising event on May 20, 2020. This online event raised $80,000. He is an author on one peer-reviewed publication and has made 16 scientific presentations at online international symposia.

Blase C. Billack, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, has received $123,000 for year two of his National Institutes of Health/National Institute of General Medical Sciences SCORE grant 1SC2GM136612-01 for his project, “Dermal-Epidermal Junction Disruptors: Mechanistic Insights.”

Dr. Billack has one peer-reviewed publication, and was invited to be a Visiting Scholar at the University of Turin in Italy for May and June 2020. While travel was prevented due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Billack created a four seminar international Webex series with the University of Turin on May 18, 21, 25, and 28, 2020. The great advantage to this series was that it provided for extensive participation by the students and faculty of both the University of Turin and St. John’s University.

Xingguo Cheng, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, has received a $400,000, external, privately funded research grant, “Repurposing investigation of FDA-approved psychoactive drugs,” for two years, built upon his work with the same title which was funded $50,000 from 9/1/2018 to 8/31/2020. He awaits a response on his $300,000 application to the National Institutes of Health’s Research Enhancement Award Program. Dr. Cheng has one peer-reviewed publication.

Vivek Gupta, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, received $36,000 from Radius Health, Inc. for the project, “Development of a Comprehensive UPLC Analytical Method for Abaloparatide and its Degradation Products.” He also received $5,517 from PulmoSIM Therapeutics for the project, “Immunofluorescence and Microscopic Evaluation of PT001 Tissue Samples.” This complements his previous funding of $45,400 from ProdigY Biotech Inc. (10/01/19–09/30/20) for the project, “Oral Formulations for Targeted Delivery of IgY to Treat Various Gastrointestinal Disorders.”

This was in addition to his ongoing funding of $300,000 from the National Institutes of Health 1R15HL138606-01A1 (09/01/2018–08/31/2021) for his project, “Targeting of Apoptotic and Autophagy Pathways for Treatment of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (PAH).” Dr. Gupta coauthored 18 peer-reviewed publications and two book chapters.

Lin L. Mantell, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, received $66,000 from Chimerix for Phase 1 (05/20–6/22), with total funding of $350,000, to evaluate dstat in the treatment of acute lung injury and pulmonary infections. Dr. Mantell coauthored eight peer-reviewed publications.

Aaron Muth, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, received $164,000 for year one of his National Institutes of Health SCORE-2 Award (which will total $492,000 over three years), for his project, “Developing Chemical Probes to Decipher Gankyrin Biology.” Dr. Muth coauthered six peer-reviewed publications.

Ketankumar D. Patel, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, received $164,000 for year two of his National Institutes of Health SCORE-2 Award for $328,000 for the period 05/01/19–04/30/21 for his project, “Oral nanoformulation for the treatment of BRAF inhibitor resistant melanoma.” Dr. Patel coauthored 17 peer-reviewed publications and gave four invited presentations.

Sandra E. Reznik, M.D., Ph.D., Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, received $22,300 from Vifor Pharma for her ongoing work, “OM-85 for the Reversal of High Fat Diet Induced Gut Dysbiosis,” and $15,000 from the Nassau Health Care Corporation for her project, “Novel Approaches to Trauma-Induced Pro-inflammatory Responses.” Dr. Reznik coauthored three peer-reviewed articles.

Tanaji T. Talele, Ph.D., Professor, Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, received $123,000 for year two of his National Institutes of Health SCORE-3 Award (which will total $492,000 for the period 07/01/19–06/30/23) for his project, “Development of PARP-Isoform Selective Inhibitory Chemical Probes.” He also received $129,000 from his grant through the University of California San Francisco for his project, “Development of dual HDAC/PARP inhibitors,” (which will total $300,000 for the period 06/01/19–2/28/22). Dr. Talele coauthored three peer-reviewed articles.