Hampton University
Faculty & Staff
hampton university school of pharmacy
NEELAM AZAD, Ph.D.

In the News

Neelam Azad, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Email: neelam.azad@hamptonu.edu.
Phone: 757-637-2539

Curriculum Vitae

Dr. Neelam Azad joined the School of Pharmacy at Hampton University in August 2008. As part of her scholarly duties, Dr. Azad coordinates and teaches Physiological Chemistry (PHA 311) and Medicinal Chemistry (PHA 314). Dr. Azad has an interest in several key areas of basic and translational pharmaceutical research, and has published extensively in a number of high-profile scientific journals.

EDUCATION

  • Ph.D. (Pharmaceutical Sciences), West Virginia University, 2007
  • B.S. (Pharmacy), University of Mumbai, 2001

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

  • Assistant Professor, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hampton University, 2008 – present
  • Post Doctoral Fellow, Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, West Virginia University, 2007-2008
  • Graduate Research Assistant, Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, West Virginia University, 2002-2007
  • Teaching Assistant, Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, West Virginia University, 2002-2004

HONORS & AWARDS

  • Conference Award – Towards Personalized Cancer Medicine, The New York Academy of Sciences (2010).
  • Research Award in Biotechnology – American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists  (sponsored by Pfizer Global Biologics) (2006).
  • Sigma Xi Research Award – West Virginia University Chapter (2006).
  • Van Liere Annual Research Award – Health Science Center, West Virginia University (2006).
  • Annual Research Award – Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, West Virginia University (2006).
  • Van Liere Annual Research Award – Health Science Center, West Virginia University (2005).
  • Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award – Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, West Virginia University (2004).

GRANTSMANSHIP

Ongoing Research Support

Impact of Oxidative Stress-Mediated Angiogenesis in Pulmonary Fibrosis
National Institutes of Health/National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NIH/ NHLBI)

  • Role: Principal Investigator
  • Amount: $1.3M
  •  

Anti-Tumorigenic Effects of Novel Digitoxin Analogues
Faculty Development Grant, Hampton University

  • Role: Co-investigator
  • Amount: $5000
  •  

Completed Research Support

Angiogenic and Oxidative Stress Mediators in Pulmonary Fibrosis
Faculty Development Grant, Hampton University

  • Role: Principal investigator
  • Amount: $5000
  •  

Elucidation of Novel Signaling Mechanisms in Carbon Nanotube Carcinogenesis
Faculty Development Grant, Hampton University

  • Role: Co-investigator
  • Amount: $5000
  •  

Role of Akt/PKB in Mediating Carbon Nanotube-Induced Pathogenesis
West Virginia University Research Corporation

  • Role: Co-investigator
  • Amount: $25000
  •  

RESEARCH INTERESTS

  • Apoptosis – Effect of environmental and occupational carcinogens on apoptosis.
  • Cancer – Molecular mechanisms involved in cancer progression and metastasis.
  • Fibrosis – Genetic and molecular networks involved in pulmonary fibrosis.
  • Free Radical Biology – Oxidative and nitrosative stress in cancer and fibrosis.
  • Angiogenesis – Angiogenesis and angiogenic mediators in cancer and fibrosis. 
  • Nanotoxicology – Toxicologic assessment of various nanoparticles.

PUBLICATIONS

Scientific Papers

  • Neelam Azad, Iyer A.K.V., Vallyathan V., Wang L., Castranova V., Rojanasakul Y. Role of Oxidative/Nitrosative Stress-Mediated Bcl-2 Regulation in Apoptosis and Malignant Transformation. Annals of The New York Academy of Sciences (2010), 1203, 1-6.
  • Neelam Azad, Iyer A.K.V., Wang L., Lu Y., Medan D., Castranova V., Rojanasakul Y. Nitric Oxide-Mediated Bcl-2 Stabilization Potentiates Malignant Transformation of Human Lung Epithelial Cells. American Journal of Respiratory Cellular and Molecular Biology (2010), 42 (5), 578-585.
  • Neelam Azad, Lu Y., Wang L., Iyer A.K.V., Castranova V., Jiang B.H., Rojanasakul Y. Phosphatidylinositol-3-Kinase/Akt Regulates Bleomycin-Induced Fibroblast Proliferation and Collagen Production. American Journal of Respiratory Cellular and Molecular Biology (2010), 42 (4), 432-441.
  • Neelam Azad, Iyer A.K.V., Manosroi A., Wang L., Rojanasakul Y. Superoxide-Mediated Proteasomal Degradation of Bcl-2 Determines Cell Susceptibility to Cr(VI)-Induced Apoptosis. Carcinogenesis (2008), 29(8), 1538-1545.
  • Neelam Azad, Vallyathan V., Wang L., Tantishaiyakul V., Stehlik C., Leonard S.S., Rojanasakul Y. S-nitrosylation of Bcl-2 inhibits its ubiquitin-proteasomal degradation: A novel anti-apoptotic mechanism that suppresses apoptosis. The Journal of Biological Chemistry (2006), 281(45), 34124-34134.
  • Iyer A.K.V., Neelam Azad, Talbot S., Stehlik C., Lu B., Wang L., Rojanasakul Y. Antioxidant c-FLIP Inhibits Fas Ligand-Induced NF-kB Activation in a Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase/Akt-Dependent Manner. Journal of Immunology (2011), 187(6), 3256-3266.
  • Wang L., Neelam Azad, Kongkaneramit L., Chen F., Lu Y., Jiang B.H., Rojanasakul Y.  The Fas Death Signaling Pathway Connecting Reactive Oxygen Species Generation and FLICE Inhibitory Protein Downregulation. Journal of Immunology (2008), 180(5), 3072-3080.
  • Iyer, A.K.V, Neelam Azad, Rojanasakul, Y. Role of S-nitrosylation in Apoptosis Resistance and Malignant Transformation. Nitric Oxide Biology and Chemistry (2008), 19(2), 146-151.
  • Iyer A.K.V., Zhou M., Neelam Azad, Elbaz, H., Wang H., Rogalsky D., Rojanasakul Y., O’Doherty G. and Langenhan J. A Direct Comparison of the Anticancer Activities of Digitoxin MeON-Neoglycosides and O-Glycosides: Oligosaccharide Chain Length Dependant Induction of Caspase-9-Mediated Apoptosis. American Chemical Society Medicinal Chemistry Letters (2010), 1(7), 300-369.
  • Kongkaneramit L., Sarisuta N., Neelam Azad, Lu Y., Iyer A.K.V., Wang L., Rojanasakul Y. Dependence of Reactive Oxygen Species and FLIP on Lipofectamine-Induced Apoptosis in Human Lung Epithelial Cells. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (2008) 325(3), 969-977.
  • Moungjaroen J., Nimmannit U., Callery P.S., Wang L., Neelam Azad, Lipipun V., Chanvorachote P., Rojanasakul Y. Reactive Oxygen Species Mediate Caspase Activation and Apoptosis Induced by Lipoic Acid in Human Lung Epithelial Cancer Cells through Bcl-2 Downregulation. Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (2006), 319(3), 1062-1069.
  • Chanvorachote P., Nimmannit U., Wang L., Stehlik C., Lu B., Neelam Azad, Rojanasakul Y. Nitric Oxide Negatively Regulates Fas CD95-induced Apoptosis through Inhibition of Ubiquitin-Proteasome mediated Degradation of FLICE Inhibitory Protein. The Journal of Biological Chemistry (2005), 280(51), 42044–42050.

Scientific Reviews

  • Neelam Azad,Rojanasakul, Y. and Vallyathan, V. Inflammation and Lung Cancer: Roles of Reactive Oxygen/Nitrogen Species. Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health, Part B (2008), 11(1), 1-15.
  • Neelam Azad, Rojanasakul Y. Nanobiotechnology in Drug Delivery. American Journal of Drug Delivery (2006), 4(2), 79-88.
  • Neelam Azad, Rojanasakul Y. Vaccine Delivery - Current Trends and Future. Current Drug Delivery (2006), 3(2), 137-146.

Book Chapters

  • Neelam Azad, Iyer A. K. V., Rojanasakul Y. Methods to Analyze S-nitrosylation of Proteins Involved in Apoptosis. Methods in Molecular Biology (2009), 559, 117-130.
  • Neelam Azad, Iyer A. K. V., Rojanasakul Y. DNA Microarrays in Drug Discovery and Development. Biopharmaceutical Drug Design and Development (2007), 2, 47-66.
  • Neelam Azad, Rojanasakul Y. Macromolecular Drug Delivery. Biopharmaceutical Drug Design and Development (2007), 2, 293-324.
  • Iyer, A.K.V, Neelam Azad, Rojanasakul, Y. S-nitrosylation – How Cancer Cells Say NO to Cell Death. Nitric Oxide Biology and Chemistry, Prognosis, Prevention and   Therapy (2010), Part 3, 85-102.

SELECTED PRESENTATIONS

  • Neelam Azad. Molecular Mechanisms in Hexavalent Chromium-Induced Lung Pathogenesis. 6th Conference on Molecular Mechanisms of Metal Toxicity and Carcinogenesis. Sponsored by the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences and Health and the University of Kentucky, 2010. (Podium)
  • Neelam Azad, Iyer A.K.V., Rojanasakul Y. Malignant Transformation of Human Lung Epithelial Cells – Interplay Between Nitric Oxide, Bcl-2 And VEGF. Towards Personalized Cancer Medicine, NYAS, 2010. (Poster)
  • Neelam Azad. Reactive Oxidative/Nitrosative Species in Lung Cancer and Fibrosis. 4th International Conference on Oxidative/Nitrosative Stress and Disease. The New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS), 2009. (Podium)
  • Neelam Azad, Iyer A.K.V., Lu Y., Wang L., Rojanasakul Y. Angiogenic Mediators Regulate Single-Walled Carbon Nanotube-Induced Fibrogenesis in Human Lung Fibroblasts. AAPS, 2008. (Poster)
  • Neelam Azad, Wang L., Rojanasakul Y. Reactive Oxygen Species Mediate Apoptosis in Human Lung Epithelial Cancer Cells through Ubiquitin-Mediated Bcl-2 Downregulation. AAPS, 2007. (Poster)
  • Neelam Azad. S-Nitrosylation of Bcl-2 - A Novel Anti-Apoptotic Mechanism. American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists (AAPS), 2006. (Podium)

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

  • The Rho Chi Society
  • Sigma Xi Research Society
  • The New York Academy of Sciences (NYAS)
  • American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
  • American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP)