Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Pankaj B. Desai is currently Professor and Director, Drug Development Graduate Program, College of Pharmacy, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH. His research interests include pre-clinical and clinical studies on drug metabolism, transport and pharmacokinetics. The current focus of his laboratory is on the regulation of drug-metabolizing enzymes and its relevance to clinical pharmacology of anti-cancer and antiretroviral drugs. Dr. Desai directs a vigorous, extramurally-funded research program and has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications. His research has been funded by NIH, Komen Foundation, American Cancer society and various pharmaceutical companies. He has mentored over 20 MS/Ph.D. students and was the principal architect for the novel graduate curriculum in drug development program at UC College of Pharmacy. Dr. Desai is an active member of several organizations including American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists, where he served as the chair of the Drug Metabolism Focus Group of AAPS from 2001-2003. He is currently a member of the Shulman Associates Institutional Review Board and of the Transitional Research and Drug Development (TRADD) Committee and Phase I /Early Clinical Pharmacology sub-committee of the Adults AIDS Clinical Trials Group. He also serves as a member of the Experimental Therapeutics Study Section for Department of Defense Breast Cancer Research Program. Dr. Desai has received numerous teaching and research excellence awards at both University of Louisiana and University of Cincinnati. These include the Researcher of the Year Award at ULM in 1994 and the President’s Excellence Award at UC in 2006.