World Drug Delivery Summit

Biography

Dr. Mohapatra is a Distinguished Health Professor, Associate Dean at the College of Pharmacy, Vice Chair of Research for Internal Medicine, Director of the Translational Medicine-USF Nanomedicine Research Center at the University of South Florida, and a Research Career Scientist at the James A. Haley VA Hospital in Tampa, Florida. Mohapatra is recognized nationally and internationally for his expertise in the field of nanoscale biomedical diagnostics and therapeutics in cancers, asthma, viral infections, and traumatic brain injury. His inventions led to several customized cell-targeted nanoparticles with diverse drug payloads and a nano-HIV detection kit. Mohapatra cofounded TransGenex Nanobiotech Inc. (TGN), which specializes in manufacturing these nanoscale products. TGN is also commercializing products for 3D cancer cell culture technology and services for anti-cancer drug discovery and personalized cancer treatment (PCTx) and is establishing a Reference Lab for PCTx to provide guidance for personalized therapy. Mohapatra has received more than $20 million in extramural funds including funds from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), DOA, ONR, VA Merit Review Award and Florida Department of Health. He received the Alexander von Humboldt research fellowship (Germany) and Pharmacia Allergy Research Foundation Award (Sweden) and is the recipient of numerous awards in biotechnology, the Sigma XI award, TBTF Technology Leadership Award and Global Corporate Award in Nanotechnology in 2014. He has published more than 160 papers, some in journals such as Nature Medicine, and has 22 U.S. patents, 3 foreign patents, and numerous pending patent applications. He is a Charter Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors. Dr. Mohapatra was inducted to the Florida Inventors’ Hall of Fame in 2014.

Research Interest

Immunology and inflammation in allergic, immunologic and infectious viral diseases and cancers. The current research programs include: molecular biology and genetics of IgE responsiveness, molecular mechanisms of virus infection, development of prophylactic/therapeutic gene transfer, development of genetic antivirals, molecular basis of genetic predisposition to inflammatory diseases and application of nanotechnology to biomedicine.