Dr. Shashidharamurthy's initial interest in teaching started during his training towards obtaining a PhD degree. Upon entering the PhD program, the most influential of his mentors were those who successfully achieved a career by combining teaching with research. As a graduate student, Dr. Shashidharamurthy learned to appreciate the aspects of teaching and research that an academic career could provide. In addition to teaching, he has also been involved in mentoring and supervising many work-study students, research assistants and postdoctoral fellows.
One of the major focuses of Dr. Taval’s research is to delineate the molecular mechanisms of lipocalin-2 (Lcn2) in various autoimmune and inflammatory disorders, such as arthritis and lupus. This research aims to develop novel therapeutic approaches. Preliminary data suggest that Lcn2 knockout mice are defective in producing anti-inflammatory cytokines and T regulatory cell expansion during arthritis, indicating that Lcn2 is a host-protective factor against systemic autoimmune disease.
In addition to this project, our laboratory is focused on drug discovery and development for various infectious diseases, including SARS-CoV-2. We have developed new drugs to treat COVID-19, with pre-clinical studies planned for newly developed small molecular-weight molecules. Furthermore, our lab is developing an inhaled formulation to deliver drugs directly to the airways, where most respiratory viruses colonize. Studies are also being conducted to identify plant-derived natural products that have the potential to reduce the infectivity and spread of the COVID-19 virus by targeting the replicative enzymes required for the propagation of SARS-CoV-2.
Inventors: Shashidharamurthy Taval, Vicky Mody, Srujana Rayalam
Title: Composition and methods for inhibiting severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus-2
(SARS-COV-2). International Patent Application No. PCT/US2023/011690
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: PCOM
Title: Identification and Development of small molecular weight molecules to target
SARS-CoV-2 proteases.
Goal: The goal of this project is to identify the FDA approved drugs and to develop
the novel molecules to target SARS-CoV-2 proteases. Duration: 04/01/2020-07/31/2024
Role: Co-Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: Aurinia, Pharmaceuticals Inc
Goal: Comparing the Effects of Voclosporin, Cyclosporin A and Tacrolimus on
Calcineurin Isoform Activity and Mediators of Fibrosis in Kidney Cells In Vitro and
In Vivo.
Duration: 09/01/2021-08/31/2023
Role: Consultant
Funding Agency: NIAID, NIH (SBIR)
Title: Developing informatics tools to make immunology research data Findable, Accessible,
Interoperable and Reusable
Goal: The goal of this project is to develop natural language processing and ontology
based methods and tools to extract and normalize the metadata of immunology datasets
in order to improve their discoverability by general and specific search engines.
Duration: 08/01/2018-07/31/2021
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: PCOM
Title: Role of lipocalin2 (Lcn2) during the inflammatory condition.
Goal: The goal of this project is to investigate role of Lcn2 during the progression
of chronic inflammatory conditions such as arthritis and obesity.
Duration: 08/01/2020-07/31/2021
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: NIAID, NIH (RO3)
Title: Anti-osteogenic functions of lipocalin2 during autoinflammatory arthritis
Goal: The goal of this project is to investigate the molecular mechanism of Lcn2 mediated
anti-inflammatory and osteoclastoenic functions using genetically manipulated Lcn2
knockout (Lcn2KO) and their wild type (WT) during autoinflammatory arthritis.
Duration: 07/10/2017-07/09/2020 with no-cost extension
Role: Principal Investigator
Award type: Scientist Development Grant Program
Funding source: American Heart Association
Title: Blocking of immune-complex mediated vasculitis using recombinant Fc receptors.
Duration: 1/1/2011-12/31/2015
Role: Principal Investigator
Award type: Internal funding
Funding Agency: (Chief Scientific officer) CSO-funding
Title: Synergistic effect of immune-complex and TLR ligand during immune-complex mediated
disorders.
Duration: 12/1/2012-12/31/2013
Role: Principal Investigator
Award type: Internal funding
Funding Agency: CSO-funding for MS-Thesis
Title: Attenuation of antibody- mediated inflammation by prostaglandin E2 receptor
antagonists during autoimmune arthritis.
Duration: 08/1/2012-08/31/2014
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: PCOM
Title: Role of lipocalin2 (Lcn2) during the progression of obesity.
Goal: The goal of this project is to investigate whether recombinant Lcn2 upregulates
the beigeing and thermogenic markers in mouse adipocyte cell line (3T2L1).
Duration: 08/1/2017 - 08/31/2018
Role: Principal Investigator
Funding Agency: PCOM
Title: Role of Myo/Nog cells during autoimmune arthritis condition
Goal: The goal of this project is to investigate the pro- or anti-inflammatory effect
of Myo/Nog cells during autoimmune arthritis condition using in vitro cell culture
and in vivo mouse model
Duration: 08/1/2017 - 08/31/2018
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