Vellareddy Anantharam, PhD

email: vellareddy.anantharam@uga.edu

phone: 706-542-2381

Title(s)

Chief Scientific Officer, PK Biosciences Corp.

Chief Scientific Officer, Probiome Therapeutics Inc

Part-Time Professor, Dept. of Physiology and Pharmacology, Center for Neurological Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, Univ. of Georgia, Athens

PK Biosciences Corp.

Office

Center for Molecular Medicine University of Georgia 325 Riverbend Road, Room 1234 Athens, GA 30602-1516

Information

Education
1987-90: Postdoctoral training in Cell & Membrane Biology, 1987-90, Department of
Physiology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.
1987 Ph.D. Molecular Biophysics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.
1982 M.S. Biochemistry, Bangalore University, Bangalore, India.
1980: B.S. Chemistry, Botany and Zoology, 1980, Bangalore University, India.

Research interest: His research focuses on focuses on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration and their application to the development of novel strategies for treating Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases. He has successfully developed and tested novel neuroprotective and anti-neuroinflammatory agents for preclinical efficacy, preclinical toxicology, pharmacokinetic profile and ADME in animal models of PD.  To date, he has published more than 175 research papers. He has received the Iowa Technological Commercialization Fellowship Award, multiple NIH SBIR P1 awards, Grow Iowa Value Fund (GIVF), Institute for Physical Research and Technology (IPRT) and IDED for the drug development efforts. He was also awarded by the Iowa Department of Economic Development Board (IDED) under the Information Technology Joint Venture Program jointly with BodyViz to develop 4D Virtual Dissection Software for preclinical assessment. He has multiple patents and was successful in obtaining three NIH SBIR P1 grants to develop mitochondria-targeted metformin in Fall 2018, novel Fyn kinase inhibitors in spring 2019.  He was also awarded two Regent’s Innovation Phase 1 grants with ISU to develop therapeutics through to the drug development plan.    PKBio is a joint owner of one issued patent and one provisional patent. In addition, PKBio and Probiome have been actively seeking assistance and supported by several of the Iowa State University Centers, Economic Development Industry Relations office, Start-up factory, CyStarters, Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship, ISU research Park.  PK Bio also uses the services of several state agencies (Iowa Innovation Corporation, Iowa Biotech Association and Iowa Small Business Development Center. In Sept 2021, Probiome Therapeutics was awarded a SBIR P1 grant to test the Efficacy of a Novel Microbial Therapy to Treat Cognitive Deficits in Alzheimer’s disease and is currently housed in UGA incubator.