Jashvant Unadkat
Unadkat, Jashvant D. - Professor
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Jashvant (Jash) Unadkat, Ph.D. is a Professor of Pharmaceutics in the School of Pharmacy at the University of Washington, Seattle. He received his Bachelors degree in Pharmacy (B.Pharm.) from the University of London (1977), his Ph.D. from the University of Manchester (1982; advisor Prof. Malcolm Rowland) and his postdoctoral training at the University of California at San Francisco (1982-85; advisor the late Prof. Lewis B. Sheiner). Dr. Unadkat has published more than 140 peer-reviewed research papers. Dr. Unadkat is a fellow of AAAS, AAPS, JSSX, and the founding member and the past chair (1999-2001) of the focus group of AAPS on Drug Transport and Uptake. Dr. Unadkat has been an Associate Editor for the Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Editor of AAPS Journal., and a member of the NIH Pharmacology study section (2000-3) and is a referee for numerous pharmacological and biological journals and granting agencies. Dr. Unadkat is currently on the editorial board of J. Pharm. Sci and the AAPS Journal. Dr. Unadkat has organized or co-organized numerous national and international conferences on the role of transporters and pregnancy in disposition of drugs.
Research Interests of the Unadkat laboratory:
The Unadkat laboratory is interested in elucidating mechanisms of disposition of drugs used in the treatment of AIDS, AIDS-associated opportunistic infections and cancer. In particular, his laboratory conducts research on transport of drugs across the placenta, intestine, the blood-brain/CSF barrier and into the liver. These studies are focused on mechanisms of transport by two major families of transporters namely the SLC transporters (e.g. nucleoside transporters and OATPs) and the ABC transporters. Dr. Unadkat's laboratory is also involved in determining the mechanisms of metabolism of anti-AIDS drugs, including drug interactions. Translation of research findings from in vitro to in vivo (including to the clinic) is a key element of these research activities. Thus, many of the ongoing studies are conducted in the clinic in healthy volunteers. Dr. Unadkat has published more than 140 research papers. His laboratory has received continuous NIH funding since 1986.
Ongoing Research:
P-gp Activity at the Blood-brain Barrier (BBB)
- Using 11C-verapamil and positron emission tomography (PET), we are imaging P-gp activity at the blood-brain barrier in healthy volunteers and those with neurological diseases (e.g. Alzheimer's).
- Using PET imaging we are also studying the importance of P-gp drug interactions at the human BBB to improve delivery of drugs to the CNS and to predict potential deleterious CNS drug-drug interactions
- We are also developing in vitro and in vivo animal models to predict P-gp drug-drug interactions at the human BBB
Maternal and Fetal Drug Exposure During Pregnancy
- Using transgenic animal models and human hepatocytes we are studying the mechanisms by which CYP3A activity is induced during human pregnancy.
The role of nucleoside transporters in the disposition of Nucleoside Drugs
- Using knock-out animals, transfected cells, and primary human cells, we are studying the role of nucleoside transporters in the efficacy and toxicity of nucleoside drugs such as ribavirin (for hepatitis C) and gemcitabine (for pancreatic cancer).
Mechanisms of Drug-Interactions with HIV drugs
- Through in vivo studies in humans, primary cells (e.g. human hepatocytes), and transfected cells we are developing biological and mathematical models to predict complex drug interactions that involve transporters, and inactivation and induction of CYP enzymes.
University of Washington Research Affiliate Program on Transporters
http://sop.washington.edu/uwrapt
