MEEX Speaker
THAKKER, Dhiren R., PhD
Ferguson Distinguished Professor and Associate Dean, Entrepreneurial Development and Global Engagement (EDGE) UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy Chapel Hill, NC, USA
Biography
Dr. Thakker is the Ferguson Distinguished Professor and Associate Dean for Economic Development and International Partnerships at the UNC Eshelman, School of Pharmacy, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. From 1998 to 2008, he served as the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education. He is a co-founder of Qualyst, a company formed based on the technologies invented at the UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy, UNC-Chapel Hill; in addition, he has also co-founded a drug discovery-development company, Sphaera Pharma. Prior to joining UNC in 1996, Dr. Thakker spent (i) eight years at Glaxo Inc. where he was Director of Drug Metabolism Department, (ii) four years at the Center for Biologics, FDA, and (iii) eight years at the National Institutes of Health. He obtained Batchelor of Pharmacy from Bombay University, India, M.S. in Pharmaceutical Chemistry from Columbia University, New York, and Ph.D. in Biochemistry from the University of Kansas at Lawrence. Dr. Thakker’s current research interests are (i) mechanisms of drug transport across intestine, (ii) novel intestinal absorption mechanism and pharmacology of metformin as antidiabetic and anti-cancer drug, (iii) design of absorption enhancers via epithelial tight junction regulation, and (iv) optimizing pediatric dosing by study of drug metabolism and transport in children and adults. In the past he has worked on methyl transferase enzymology, stereoselectivity of cytochrome P-450 enzymes, chemical carcinogenesis and metabolic activation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. He has published over 160 peer reviewed papers, reviews and book chapters and co-edited two books.
Honors, awards and professional service
- Sato Memorial Award, the Pharmaceutical Society of Japan
- Fellow of the American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists
- Editorial board, J Pharm Sci
- Board of Directors and Scientific Advisory Board, Chesson Labs, Durham, NC
- Chair, Board of Directors, Tergus Pharma, Durham, NC
- Co-founder and Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of Sphaera Pharma, U.S.A./India/Singapore
- Advisory Board, the Office of Technology Development, UNC-Chapel Hill
- International Affairs Advisory Council, UNC Global, UNC-Chapel Hill
- IntraHealth Advisory Council – IntraHealth International
Previously held offices
- Chair, Drug Metabolism Focus Group, AAPS (2010-2012)
- Editorial board of Drug Metabolism and Disposition
- Editorial board of Current Drug Metabolism
- Co-editor, Medicinal Research Reviews
- Special Emphasis Panel of NIGMS for Program Project review
- Drug Development Advisory Board, Scios Inc., a J & J company
- Drug Discovery Interface Task Force, AAPS
- Advisory Board, the Office of Economic and Business Development, UNC Chapel Hill, 2008-2011
- Board of Directors and Scientific Advisory Board, Qualyst Inc., Research Triangle Park, NC
