SOMANATH SHENOY, Ph.D., FAHA

Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy, Augusta
Kenneth L. Waters Pharmacy Professor
Assistant Department Head for Research and Graduate Education
Graduate Coordinator

Curriculum Vitae

Clinical and Administrative Pharmacy, Augusta

Education

B.S. , Mahatma Gandhi University 1994

M.S. , Annamalai University 1996

Ph.D. , NDRI, Indian Council of Agricultural Research 2000

Postdoctoral Fellow, Biological Sciences, Kent State University 2002-2003

Postdoctoral Fellow, Molecular Cardiology, Cleveland Clinic 2003-2007

Areas of Expertise

Research Areas: Molecular mechanisms regulating vascular permeability, angiogenesis, integrin activation, extracellular matrix remodeling and tumor growth

Opportunities for Collaboration: Assistance with statistical analysis for protocol approvals, research data analysis, and grant applications

Honors, Awards, and Achievements

2005: Innovator Award (Cleveland Clinic): Novel approach to control vascular maturation

2005: Irvine H. Page Award, Cleveland Clinic

2006-07: Junior Investigator Awards of Research Excellence by the Cleveland Clinic

2007: New Investigator Travel Award American Heart Association (BCVS Council)

2008: Young Investigator Award, 12th Biennial Midwest Platelet Conference, Lexington, KY

2012: Outstanding Achievements in Research Award at the 15th International Symposium on Molecular Medicine, Crete, Greece

2013-14: Summer Research Awards for the productive College Faculty, UGA OVPR

2014-19: American Legion Research Awards

2009-23: Wilson Pharmacy/Dean’s Endowment Intramural Awards for 14consecutive years

2021: European Union patent (EP 3 416 623 B1) “IPA‐3‐Loaded liposomes and methods of use thereof”-Granted

2022-23: U.S. PATENT (63/304,058) “Pharmaceutical Compositions and Methods of Administration” (Provisional) – submitted on January, 2022 and full application submitted on January, 27 2023 (Pending).

2022: U.S. PATENT (16/077,980) Application No. 62/295,331 filed on 2/15/2016. US Utility Patent Number 11,517,539, titled “IPA-3-LOADED LIPOSOMES AND METHODS OF USE THEREOF” issued on 12/06/2022. Inventors: Somanath Rammohan Shenoy, Brian S. Cummings, and Wided Najahi-Missaoui. Assigned to University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc.

2023: UGA Student Career Success Influencer Award 2022 – UGA Career Center for greatly contributing to the career development of UGA graduates.

2023: Teacher of the Year Award (Graduate/Undergraduate), UGA College of Pharmacy.

Affiliations
Research Interests

Our long-term goal is to enable the development of new and innovative therapeutics for angiogenesis and fibrosis dependent clinical conditions as well as for cancers of the prostate, bladder and colon. Our efforts are to better understand the molecular mechanisms regulating vascular permeability, angiogenesis, integrin activation, extracellular matrix remodeling and tumor growth. Primary focus of our research is on Protein kinase B (Akt), a serine-threonine kinase, and its signaling partners on mediating these processes.

* Molecular mechanisms regulating angiogenesis and endothelial-barrier function

* Mechanisms leading to myofibroblast formation and pulmonary fibrosis

* Characterization of molecular signaling pathway regulating prostate and bladder cancer progression and tumor angiogenesis

* Identifying the molecular markers for the staging of prostate, bladder and colorectal

Selected Publications

See Dr. Shenoy’s Full Bibliography

  1. Shan S, Liu F, Ford E, Caldwell RB, Narayanan SP, Somanath PR. Triciribine Attenuates Pathological Neovascularization and Vascular Permeability in a Mouse Model of Proliferative Retinopathy, PHARMACOTHER. 2023; 162: 114714.
  2. Adil MS, Parvathagiri V, Verma A, Liu F, Rudraraju M, Narayanan SP, Somanath PR. Claudin-17 Deficiency in Mice Results in Kidney Injury Due to Electrolyte Imbalance and Oxidative Stress. CELLS. 2022; 11(11):1782.
  3. Artham S, Verma A, Alwhaibi A, Adil MS, Manicassamy S, Munn DH, Somanath PR. Delayed Akt suppression in the lipopolysaccharide-induced experimental lung injury promotes resolution that is associated with enhanced effector regulatory T-cells. AM J PHYSIOL LUNG CELL PHYSIOL. 2020 Apr 1;318(4):L750-L761.
  4. Sabbineni H, Verma A, Artham S, Anderson D, Amaka A, Liu FL, Narayanan SP, Somanath PR. Pharmacological inhibition of β-catenin prevents EndMT in vitro and vascular remodeling in vivo resulting from endothelial Akt1 suppression. BIOCHEM 2019 June; 164: 202-215.
  5. Artham S, Gao F, Verma A, Alwhaibi A, Sabbineni H, Hafez S, Ergul A, Somanath PR. Endothelial stromelysin1 regulation by the forkhead box-O transcription factors is crucial in the exudative phase of acute lung injury. PHARMACOL RES. 2019 Mar; 141: 249-263.
  6. Gao, F., Alwhaibi, A., Artham S, Verma A, Somanath PR. 2018. Endothelial Akt1 loss promotes prostate cancer metastasis through β-catenin. J CANCER. 2018 May;118(11):1464-1475.
  7. Gao, F., Alwhaibi, A., Sabbineni, H., Verma, A., Eldhahshan, W. and Somanath PR. (2017). Suppression of the Akt1-βcatenin pathway in advanced prostate cancer promotes TGFβ1-mediated EMT and metastasis. CANCER LETTERS. 402: 177-189.
  8. Gao F, Artham S, Sabbineni H, Al-Azayzih A, Peng XD, Hay N, Adams RH, Byzova TV and Somanath P.R. 2016, Endothelial-specific Akt1 loss blunts Angiopoietin-1 and VEGF-induced endothelial barrier protection through tight-junction turnover. CELL MOL LIFE SCI. Oct;73(20):3917-33.
  9. Al-Azayzih A, Missaoui WN, Cummings BS and Somanath P.R. 2016, Liposomal delivery of the PAK-1 inhibitor IPA-3 limits prostate tumor growth in vivo. NANOMEDICINE. 12: 1231-1239.
  10. Abdalla M, Sabbineni H, Prakash R, Ergul A, Fagan SC, Somanath PR. The Akt inhibitor triciribine ameliorates chronic hypoxia-induced vascular pruning and TGFβ-induced pulmonary fibrosis. BR J PHARMACOL. 2015 Aug; 172(16):4173-88.
  11. Al-Azayzih A, Gao F, Somanath PR. P21 activated kinase-1 mediates transforming growth factor β1-induced prostate cancer cell epithelial to mesenchymal transition. BIOCHIM BIOPHYS ACTA, (MOL CELL RES.). 2015 May; 1853(5):1229-39.
  12. Abdalla M, Goc A, Segar L, Somanath PR, 2013. Akt1 Mediates α-Smooth Muscle Actin Expression and Myofibroblast Differentiation via Myocardin and Serum Response Factor, J BIOL. CHEM. 288 (46), 33483-33493.
  13. Goc A, Liu, J, Byzova, T.V., Somanath, P.R. 2012. Akt1 mediates prostate cancer cell microinvasion and chemotaxis to metastatic stimuli via integrin β3 affinity modulation, J. CANCER. 107(4):713-23.
  14. Somanath, P.R., Vijai, J., Byzova, T.V., Kandel, E.S. The role of PAK-1 in activation of MAP kinase cascade and oncogenic transformation by Akt. ONCOGENE, 28: 2365-2369.
  15. Somanath, P.R & Chen, J.  (Co-first authors), Chen, WS, Hay, N, Byzova, T.V. 2005. Akt1 regulates pathological angiogenesis, vascular maturation, and permeability in vivo. NATURE MEDICINE Nov.11 (11): 1188-1196.
Professional Appointments
  • Research Associate, Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology, 2000-2001
  • Lecturer/Instructor, Kurukshetra University, 2001-2002
  • Research Associate, Molecular Cardiology, Cleveland Clinic, 2007-2008
  • Project Scientist, Molecular Cardiology, Cleveland Clinic, 2008-2009
  • Assistant Professor, University of Georgia College of Pharmacy, 2009-2013
  • Fellow of the American Heart Association, 2013-Current
  • Associate Professor with Tenure, University of Georgia College of Pharmacy, 2013-Current
  • Research Biochemist, Charlie Norwood VA Medical Center, Augusta, GA 2009-Current
  • Adjunct Faculty, Cancer Center, Augusta University, Augusta, GA 2011-Current
  • Editor, Vascular Biology Center Publication Alert, NAVBO 2016-Current
Grant Support

National Institutes of Health

Department of Defence/CDMRP

American Heart Association

American Legion

Georgia Clinical and Translational Science Alliance

Georgia Research Alliance

UGA Pharmacy Research Foundation

Media

2013: UGA is working on a new prostate cancer drug: Atlanta Business Chronicle

2013: UGA Today, UGA Columns and Technology

2014: Athens Banner-Herald

2015: UGA Today and UGA Research

2015: UGA Today: For access, click here UGA Research

2015: Potential treatment for fatal lung diseases: MedLinx, Science Daily, Lung Disease News, NewsMax, and Global News Connect.

2015: NeTargeting Akt for fibrosis Altmetric Data

2016: Nanotechnology drug inhibiting prostate cancer Altmetric Data

2019: New drug targets for deadly lung disease – UGA Today, Technology and Drug Discovery

2020: Focus on Faculty – UGA Today

2022: Keeping Cancer in Place: Overcoming metastasis Nature, November 2022 Issue.

2023: Drs. Shenoy, Narayanan Identify Potential ‘Goldilocks’ Treatment for Retinal Disorders


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