Karunya Kandimalla, PhD

Professor Kandimalla investigates: i) macromolecular pharmacokinetics as it relates to Alzheimer’s disease and metabolic syndrome; ii) nanotechnology for the diagnosis and treatment of cerebrovascular diseases; iii) dermal, transdermal and transmucosal delivery of drugs; and iv) microbiome in health and disease.

• 2017 Genesis Award, University of Iowa, Iowa City
• 2010 Florida A&M University Emerging Researcher Award
• Graduate Symposium Award in Pharmaceutics, Drug Delivery and Pharmaceutical Technology, AAPS annual meeting 2003, Salt Lake City, UT

Notable awards to Kandimalla Lab members

• Nidhi Sharda. American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS) Graduate Student Research Award in Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, Drug Metabolism and Clinical Pharmacology and Translational Research (2017)
• Vidur Sarma. AAPS Graduate Student Research Award in Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, Drug Metabolism and Clinical Pharmacology and Translational Research (2017)
• Kristen M. Jaruszewski. AAPS Graduate Student Symposium Award in Biotechnology (2013)
• Edward K. Agyare. AAPS Graduate Student Symposium Award in Biotechnology (2010)

1. Elucidate cerebrovascular contributions to Alzheimer’s disease and cerebral amyloid angiopathy.
2. Development of nanotheranostics for the early diagnosis and treatment of cerebral amyloid angiopathy.
3. Investigate the effect of gut microbiome on drug disposition

Contract research

1. Determination of drug permeability across transdermal and transmucosal barriers in vitro as well as in vivo
2. Evaluation of drug delivery to brain via the blood-brain barrier and olfactory pathways
3. Bioequivalence studies in human volunteers

• Differential Effects of Alzheimer's Disease A?40 and 42 on Endocytosis and Intraneuronal Trafficking. Omtri RS, Thompson KJ, Tang X, Gali CC, Panzenboeck U, Davidson MW, Kalari KR, Kandimalla KK. Neuroscience. 2018 Mar 1;373:159-168. PMID: 29337241
• Insulin differentially affects the distribution kinetics of amyloid beta 40 and 42 in plasma and brain. Swaminathan SK, Ahlschwede KM, Sarma V, Curran GL, Omtri RS, Decklever T, Lowe VJ, Poduslo JF, Kandimalla KK. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2017 [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 28569090
• BBBomics-Human Blood Brain Barrier Transcriptomics Hub. Kalari KR, Thompson KJ, Nair AA, Tang X, Bockol MA, Jhawar N, Swaminathan SK, Lowe VJ, Kandimalla KK. Front Neurosci. 2016 Mar 1;10:71. PMID: 26973449.
• Agyare EK, Jaruszewski KM, Curran GL, Rosenberg JT, Grant SC, Lowe VJ, Ramakrishnan S, Paravastu AK, Poduslo JF, Kandimalla KK. Engineering theranostic nanovehicles capable of targeting cerebrovascular amyloid deposits. J Control Release. 2014 Jul 10;185:121-9. PubMed PMID: 24735640.
• Traffic jam at the blood-brain barrier promotes greater accumulation of Alzheimer's disease amyloid-? proteins in the cerebral vasculature. Agyare EK, Leonard SR, Curran GL, Yu CC, Lowe VJ, Paravastu AK, Poduslo JF, Kandimalla KK. Mol Pharm. 2013 May 6;10(5):1557-65. PMID: 23249146
• Chitosan enhances the cellular uptake of poly lactic-co-glycolic acid nanoparticles and serves as a cryoprotectant. K.M. Jaruszewski, S. Ramakrishnan, J.F. Poduslo and K.K. Kandimalla (submitted).
• Pharmacokinetics of novel MRI contrast agent in the brain of Alzheimer's disease transgenic mice. K.K. Kandimalla, T.M. Wengenack, G.L. Curran, C.R. Jack, M. Garwood and J.F. Poduslo (submitted).
• Differences in the transport and accumulation of native and Dutch variant human amyloid-beta 40 at the blood-brain barrier: insights into physiological processes that promote cerebral amyloid angiopathy. E.K. Agyare, S. Fulzele, C.C. Yu, G.L. Curran, J.F. Poduslo and K K. Kandimalla (in review).
• Role of nanotechnology in the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. R.S. Omtri, K M. Jaruszewski and K.K. Kandimalla. Nanotechnology in Medicine (Mark Slevin, Editor) (2010).
• HH domain of Alzheimer's disease Abeta provides structural basis for neuronal binding in PC12 and mouse cortical/ hippocampal neurons. J.F. Poduslo, E.J. Gilles, M. Ramakrishnan, K.G. Howell, T.M. Wengenack, G.L. Curran and K.K. Kandimalla. PLoS One 5: e8813 (2010).
• Surface plasmon resonance binding kinetics of Alzheimer's disease amyloid beta peptide-capturing and plaquebinding monoclonal antibodies. M. Ramakrishnan, K.K. Kandimalla, T.M. Wengenack, K.G. Howell and J.F. Poduslo. Biochemistry 48: 10405-10415 (2009).
• Mechanism of neuronal versus endothelial cell uptake of Alzheimer's disease amyloid beta protein. K.K. Kandimalla, O.G. Scott, S. Fulzele, M.W. Davidson and J.F. Poduslo. PLoS One 4: e4627 (2009).
• Biphasic flux profiles of melatonin: The Yin-Yang of transdermal permeation enhancement mediated by fatty alcohol enhancers. K.K. Kandimalla, R.J. Babu and M. Singh. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 99: 209-218 (2010).
• Development of a smart nano-vehicle to target cerebrovascular amyloid deposits observed in Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia. E.K. Agyare, C.C. Yu, G L. Curran, J.F. Poduslo and K.K. Kandimalla. Pharmaceutical Research 25: 2674-2684 (2008).
• Selective T1-weighted enhancement of individual Alzheimer’s disease amyloid plaques using an antibody fragment against Abeta as a magnetic resonance molecular imaging contrast agent. M. Ramakrishnan, T.M. Wengenack, G.L. Curran, E.J. Gilles, M. Ramirez-Alvarado, K.K. Kandimalla, M. Garwood, C.J. Jack and J.F. Poduslo. Pharmaceutical Research 25: 1861-1872 (2008).
• In vivo targeting of a novel peptide based magnetic resonance contrast agent to image individual amyloid plaques in Alzheimer’s disease transgenic mice. K.K. Kandimalla, T.M. Wengenack, G.L. Curran, E.J. Gilles and J.F. Poduslo. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 322: 541-549 (2007).
• In vivo targeting of antibody fragments to the nervous system for Alzheimer’s disease immunotherapy and molecular imaging of amyloid plaques. J.F. Poduslo, S.S. Holasek, M. Ramakrishnan, M. Ramirez-Alvarado, K.K. Kandimalla, E.J. Gilles, G.L. Curran and T.M. Wengenack. Journal of Neurochemistry 102: 420-433 (2007).
• Physiological and biophysical factors that influence Alzheimer's disease amyloid plaque targeting of native and putrescine modified human amyloid ?40. K.K. Kandimalla, G.L. Currun, S.S. Holasek, E.J. Gilles, T.M. Wengenack, M. Ramirez-Alvarado and J.F. Poduslo. Journal of Pharmacology Experimental Therapeutics 318: 17-25 (2006).
• Transport of hydroxyzine and triprolidine across bovine olfactory mucosa: role of passive diffusion in the direct noseto-brain uptake of small molecules. K.K. Kandimalla and M.D. Donovan. International Journal of Pharmaceutics 302: 133-144 (2005).
• Localization and differential activity of P-glycoprotein in bovine olfactory and respiratory mucosae. K.K. Kandimalla and M.D. Donovan. Pharmaceutical Research 22: 1121-1128 (2005).
• Activation of stress-activated MAP kinase, p38, but not JNK in cortical motor neurons during early presymptomatic stages of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in transgenic mice. S.S. Holasek, T.M. Wengenack, K.K. Kandimalla, C. Montano, D.M. Gregor, G.L. Curran and J.F. Poduslo. Brain Research 1045: 185-198 (2005).
• Pharmacokinetic analysis of the blood-brain barrier transport of 125I-A 40 in wild type and Alzheimer’s disease transgenic mice (APP,PS1) and its implications for amyloid plaque formation. K.K. Kandimalla, G.L. Curran, S.S. Holasek, E.J. Gilles, T.M. Wengenack and J.F. Poduslo. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics 313: 1370-1378 (2005).
• Carrier mediated transport of chlorpheniramine and chlorcyclizine across bovine nasal mucosa: Implications on noseto-brain transport. K.K. Kandimalla and M.D. Donovan. Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences 94: 613-624 (2005).
• Structure-activity relationship of chemical penetration enhancers in transdermal drug delivery. N. Kanikkannan, K.K. Kandimalla, S.S. Lamba and M. Singh. Current Medicinal Chemistry 7: 593-608 (2000).
• Effect of fatty acids on the permeation of melatonin across rat and pig skins in-vitro and on the transepidermal water loss in rats in-vivo. K.K. Kandimalla, N. Kanikkannan, S. Andega and M. Singh. Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmacology 51: 783-790 (1999).
• Optimization of a vehicle mixture for the transdermal delivery of melatonin using artificial neural networks and response surface method. K.K. Kandimalla, N. Kanikkannan and M. Singh. Journal of Controlled Release 61: 71-82 (1999).