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Prakash Nagarkatti

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Prakash Nagarkatti is a scientist and an academic and university administrator who served as the Vice President for Research at the University of South Carolina (USC) from 2011 to 2021. He serves as Senior Research Advisor to the President at USC and Carolina Distinguished Professor. His expertise is in the fields of immunology and toxicology, in which he has made numerous groundbreaking discoveries. Nagarkatti is well known for his research on cannabinoids[1] and their effect on cancer and immune cells. In addition, he has made seminal discoveries on how environmental and nutritional factors alter immune functions by regulating epigenetic pathways and microbiome. His contributions to science have been recognized through numerous awards, including the Vos Lifetime Career Achievement Award (1996) and the Distinguished Toxicology Scholar Award from the Society of Toxicology (SOT) (2022)[2].  Nagarkatti was elected as a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors (2018)[3], a Fellow of the Academy of Toxicological Sciences (2017), and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2012).

Nagarkatti has played an active role in societal challenges as a scientist. He is actively involved in communicating science to the public through his writings in The Conversation, which has been published by numerous media outlets, including Yahoo News, PBS News Hour, and Scientific American[4], to name a few. He has also been interviewed at several regional and national radio and TV stations and by several newspapers and online websites. Some examples include The State, KYFF TV, WLTX TV, ABC Columbia, Forbes, Science Daily, PBS News Hour, New Scientist[5], BBC News, and the like[6][7]. He also served on the COVID-19 vaccine panel for USA Today [8]. Nagarkatti is a strong proponent of geographic equality in federal research funding and has played a vital role in enhancing NSF EPSCoR [9] and NIH IDeA programs[10]. Through his service on a congressionally mandated advisory group to NSF and as Chair of EPSCoR/IDeA Foundation[11], he successfully advocated for Congress to reduce geographic diversity in federal research funding.

Education 

Nagarkatti received his Ph.D. in Pathology from Jiwaji University [12] while pursuing research as a Senior Scientist at the Defense Research Development Establishment, Gwalior, India. He came to McMaster University to pursue his post-doctoral studies under the mentorship of Dr. David Clark in 1981 [13]. He then moved to the United States to pursue a second post-doctoral fellowship with Dr. Alan Kaplan, at the University of Kentucky.  Nagarkatti received his B.S. degree in Botany and M.S. degree in Medical Microbiology from Karnatak University, Dharwad, India .  

Career

Nagarkatti started his independent academic career as a tenure-track Assistant Professor at Virginia Tech, a land-grant university, teaching immunology and environmental science courses to undergraduate and graduate students. His research was funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)[14], National Science Foundation (NSF), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), along with other agencies. His academic contributions led to his quick rise through the ranks and gradually transitioning into administrative responsibilities.   He actively collaborated with a team of 13 Virginia Tech researchers from various colleges and units, including agriculture and applied economics, biological systems engineering, biology, fisheries and wildlife sciences, geology, business, and the Virginia Water Resources Research Center to study how urban development along the upper Roanoke River was impacting the environment. NSF and the EPA have both funded this multidisciplinary research.

Nagarkatti has provided extensive service regionally and nationally.  He has served as a member of numerous NIH Study Sections and Chaired several such NIH review panels.  He has served as a consultant to Federal Agencies such as FDA and was responsible for preparing a white paper on topics such as Vasculitis.  He has served as a Member of the Scientific Advisory Panel for the Federal Environmental Pesticide Control Act (EPA).  In 2022, Nagarkatti NSF selected him to serve on a National Committee called “Envisioning the Future of NSF”[15], a subcommittee of the congressionally mandated Committee on Equal Opportunities in Science and Engineering. At the Society of Toxicology, he helped establish the Special Interest Groups and construct the bylaws for the American Scientists of Indian Origin (ASIO). In 2021, he was elected to serve as the Chair of the SOT Endowment Board.  He has also established an Endowment Fund called “Mitzi and Prakash Nagarkatti Research Excellence in Immunotoxicology Award” [16] to assist graduate students or postdoctoral scholars in attending the SOT Annual Meeting and presenting their research.  

Selected Bibliography

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36712935/ 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin induces multigenerational alterations in the expression of microRNA in the thymus through epigenetic modifications.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31941837/ Indole-3-carbinol prevents colitis and associated microbial dysbiosis in an IL-22-dependent manner.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31492743/ AhR Activation Leads to Massive Mobilization of Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells with Immunosuppressive Activity through Regulation of CXCR2 and MicroRNA miR-150-5p and miR-543-3p That Target Anti-Inflammatory Genes.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12091357/ Targeting CB2 cannabinoid receptors as a novel therapy to treat malignant lymphoblastic disease.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1881921/ T-cell-receptor-independent activation of cytolytic activity of cytotoxic T lymphocytes mediated through CD44 and gp90MEL-14.

References

  1. ^ "Research leads to potential treatment for rare disease". University of South Carolina. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  2. ^ "Prakash Nagarkatti Receives 2022 SOT Distinguished Toxicology Scholar Award Lecture". toxchange.toxicology.org. 2022-02-24. Retrieved 2023-09-28.
  3. ^ "Prakash Nagarkatti Elected to the National Academy of Inventors - Office of the Vice President for Research | University of South Carolina". sc.edu. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  4. ^ "Stories by Prakash Nagarkatti". Scientific American. Retrieved 2023-09-28.
  5. ^ "How cannabis dampens the immune system". New Scientist. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  6. ^ "Nagarkatti named Academy of Toxicological Sciences fellow". columbiabusinessreport.com. 2018-11-15. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  7. ^ "People produce endocannabinoids – similar to compounds found in marijuana – that are critical to many bodily functions". Yahoo Life. 2023-02-22. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  8. ^ "COVID-19 vaccine rollout hasn't worked, but change is coming, vaccine panel predicts". www.usatoday.com. 2021-01-18. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  9. ^ "Prakash Nagarkatti, Ph.D." EPSCoR/IDeA Foundation. 2021-07-07. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  10. ^ "Prakash Nagarkatti, Ph.D." EPSCoR/IDeA Foundation. 2021-07-07. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  11. ^ "EIF Governance". EPSCoR/IDeA Foundation. 2015-12-05. Retrieved 2023-09-28.
  12. ^ "Prakash Nagarkatti | Hilaris SRL". www.hilarispublisher.com. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
  13. ^ "walsh medical media | journals | open access journals". www.walshmedicalmedia.com. 2019-11-25. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
  14. ^ "RePORT ⟩ RePORTER". reporter.nih.gov. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
  15. ^ "Future of NSF EPSCoR - Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) | NSF - National Science Foundation". new.nsf.gov. Retrieved 2023-09-22.
  16. ^ Toxicology, Society of. "SOT Endowment Fund—Individual Funds and Contributors". Society of Toxicology (SOT). Retrieved 2023-05-23.
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