Praveen Nekkar Rao

Dr. Nekkar Rao specializes in medicinal and bioorganic chemistry; exploring rational drug design aided by molecular modelling techniques and small molecule synthetic organic/medicinal chemistry.

His work includes method development; solid phase peptide synthesis of bioactive peptides / peptidomimics; modern analytical techniques such as nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, mass spectroscopy and high performance liquid chromatography; and development of high-throughput biochemical screening protocols to discover lead candidates.

• Drug Discovery

• Rational Drug Design & Medicinal Chemistry

• Treatment of Neurodegenerative Disorders

• Cancer Therapy

• Antiviral Agents

• Theranostic Materials

• Molecular Therapeutics and Theranostics

• Synthetic Chemistry and Catalysis

• Drug Discovery, Design and Delivery

• Clinical Pharmacology

Drug discovery/rational design

Synthesis and biological evaluation of novel organic molecules and peptides/peptidomimics as therapeutic agents

• 2006-8 Postdoctoral Fellowship, Specialization in Medicinal Chemistry (The Scripps Research Institute)

• 2004-5 Postdoctoral Fellowship, Specialization in Medicinal Chemistry (University of Alberta)

• 2004 PhD Pharmaceutical Science (University of Alberta)

• 1998 MPharm (Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences)

• 1995 BPharm (Manipal College of Pharmaceutical Sciences)

• 2021-22, 2016 Outstanding Faculty Mentor in the Graduate Program

• 2015 Early Researcher Award, Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science, Government of Ontario

• Dr. Nekkar serves as a reviewer to a number of medicinal chemistry journals.

• He collaborates with researchers from the University of Alberta, Florida Atlantic University and Department of Neurology and Center for Clinical Neuroscience, Daping Hospital, China.

• Cross-appointed to the Department of Biology and the Department of Chemistry in the Faculty of Science

• PHARM 141 - Introduction to Medicinal Chemistry, Toxicology and Pharmacology
  • Taught in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025
• PHARM 220 - Integrated Patient Focused Care 1
  • Taught in 2022, 2024
• PHARM 221 - Integrated Patient Focused Care 2
  • Taught in 2022, 2024, 2025
• PHARM 222 - Integrated Patient Focused Care 3
  • Taught in 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025
• PHARM 223 - Integrated Patient Focused Care 4
  • Taught in 2021, 2022, 2024, 2025
• PHARM 320 - Integrated Patient Focused Care 5
  • Taught in 2022, 2023, 2025, 2026
• PHARM 321 - Integrated Patient Focused Care 6
  • Taught in 2023
• PHARM 323 - Integrated Patient Focused Care 7
  • Taught in 2021, 2022, 2024
• PHARM 324 - Integrated Patient Focused Care 8
  • Taught in 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025

* Only courses taught in the past 5 years are displayed.

• Ahmed A. Hefny, Rahul C. Karuturi, Chandra Mouli R. Madhuranthakam, Praveen P. N. Rao, Design, synthesis, and evaluation of novel phenoselenazine derivatives as inhibitors of Aβ42 aggregation. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, 69, 19482-19501, 2026.

• William Le Boeuf, Ahmed A. Hefny, Rahul C. Karuturi, Praveen P. N. Rao, Combination of resveratrol and curcumin with anti-amyloid monoclonal antibodies aducanumab and lecanemab leads to greater inhibition of amyloid-beta aggregation. ACS Chemical Neuroscience, 17, 987-997, 2026.

• Rahul C. Karuturi, Ahmed A. Hefny, Yusheng Zhao, Arash Shakeri, Samala Venkateswarlu, Praveen P. N. Rao. Synthesis and evaluation of symmetric (1,4-diazepane-1,4-diyl)bis(phenylmethanone) derivatives as amyloid-beta aggregation inhibitors. Medicinal Chemistry Research, 35, 215-233, 2026 (featured on the Cover page).

• Ahmed A. Hefny, Kartar Singh, Rahul C. Karuturi, Arash Shakeri, Michael A. Beazely, Praveen P. N. Rao, Novel phenoselenazines as amyloid-β aggregation inhibitors. ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters 16, 567-574, 2025 (featured on the Cover page).

• Yusheng Zhao, Praveen P. N. Rao, Small molecules N-phenylbenzofuran-2-carboxamide and N-phenylbenzo[b]thiophene-2-carboxamide promote beta-amyloid (Aβ42) aggregation and mitigate neurotoxicity. ACS Chemical Neuroscience 14, 4185-4198, 2023.

• Praveen P. N. Rao, Arash Shakeri, Yusheng Zhao, Frederic Calon, Strategies in the design and development of (TAR) DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) binding ligands. Eur J Med Chem 225, 113753, 2021.

• Praveen P. N. Rao, Amy Trinh Pham, Arash Shakeri, Amna El Shatshat, Yusheng Zhao, Rahul C. Karuturi, Ahmed A. Hefny, Drug repurposing: Dipeptidyl peptidase IV (DPP4) inhibitors as potential agents to treat SARS-CoV-2 (2019-nCoV) infection. Pharmaceuticals 14, 44, 2021.

• Gary Tin, Tarek Mohamed, Arash Shakeri, Amy Trinh Pham, Praveen P. N. Rao, Interactions of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors with β-amyloid. ACS Chemical Neuroscience 9, 226-234, 2019.

• Tarek Mohamed, Sarbjeet Singh Gujral, Praveen P. N. Rao, Tau derived hexapeptide AcPHF6 promotes beta-amyloid (Aβ) fibrillogenesis. ACS Chemical Neuroscience 9, 773-782, 2018.

• Tarek Mohamed, Praveen P. N. Rao, 2,4-Disubstituted quinazolines as amyloid-beta aggregation inhibitors with dual cholinesterase inhibition and antioxidant properties: Development and structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 126, 823-843, 2017.

• Tarek Mohamed, Arash Shakeri, Praveen P. N. Rao, Structure-activity relationship studies of isomeric 2,4-diaminoquinazolines on β-amyloid aggregation kinetics. ACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters 7, 502-507, 2016, (featured on the Cover page).

• Tarek Mohamed, Arash Shakeri, Praveen P. N. Rao, Amyloid cascade in Alzheimer's disease: recent advances in Medicinal Chemistry. European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 113, 258-272, 2016.

• Tiago Silva, Tarek Mohamed, Arash Shakeri, Praveen P. N. Rao, Loreto Martinez-Gonzalez, Daniel I. Perez, Ana Martinez, Maria Joao Valente, Jorge Garrido, Eugenico Uriarte, Paula Serrao, Patricia Soares da Silva, Fernando Remiao, Fernanda Borges. Development of blood-brain barrier permeable nitrocatechol-based catechol-O-methyltransferase inhibitors with reduced potential for hepatotoxicity Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 59, 7584-7597, 2016.

• Tin G, Mohamed T, Gondora N, Beazely M. A. Praveen P N Rao Tricyclic phenothiazine and phenoselenazine derivatives as potential multi-targeting agents to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Medicinal Chemistry Communication 6, 1930-1941, 2015, (featured on the Cover page and hot article for the year).

• Xian-Le Bu, Praveen P N Rao, Yan-Jiang Wang. Anti-amyloid aggregation activity of natural compounds: Implications for Alzheimer's drug discovery. Molecular Neurobiology 53, 3565-3575 2015.

• Tarek Mohamed, Tuan Hoang, Masoud Jelokhani-Niaraki, Praveen P N Rao. Tau-derived-hexapeptide 306VQIVYK311 aggregation inhibitors: Nitrocatechol moiety as a pharmacophore in drug design. ACS Chemical Neuroscience 4: 1559-1570, 2013.

• Indolizine derivatives, WO2013116948, 2013

• New drug combination doubles down on Alzheimer's treatments
• Breaking down roadblocks to help patients suffering from complex brain disorders
• Global Impact 2018-2019: New discovery could slow Alzheimer’s in its tracks
• Oct 23, 2018: This common medication can help overcome dementia
• April 6, 2018: Small molecule drug discovery: from countertop to over-the-counter