Skip to main content

College of Pharmacy

College of Pharmacy

Faculty Profile

Joydip DasJoydip Das

Professor of Medicinal Chemistry
Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Office: 
University of Houston College of Pharmacy
Health 2, Room 7035
4349 Martin Luther King Boulevard
Houston, TX 77204-5037

Contact: jdas@uh.edu - 713-743-1708 - Fax: 713-743-1884

Research:

  • Identifying molecular targets of ethanol at the presynaptic zone
  • Structure/function studies of C1 domain-containing proteins
  • Molecular dynamics simulation studies of peripheral and membrane proteins
  • Ph.D. in Bio-organic Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, India
  • Postdoctoral: Medical University of South Carolina, Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Massachusetts General Hospital

Google Scholar Profile
  • Das J, You Y, Mathukumalli K, Ann J, Lee J, Marquez VE. Activation of Munc13-1 by Diacylglycerol (DAG)-Lactones. Biochemistry. 2023 Aug 31. doi: 10.1021/acs.biochem.3c00375. Online ahead of print. PMID: 37651159
  • You Y, Mathukumalli K, Das J. Comparison of the ligand binding site of C1 domains: a molecular dynamics simulation study of the C1 domain-phorbol 13-acetate-membrane system. J Biomol Struct Dyn. 2023 Jan 5:1-14. doi: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2163699. Online ahead of print. PMID: 36602779
  • Ghosh A, Muthuraju S, Badal S, Wooden J, Leasure JL, Roman G, Das J. Differential Expression of Presynaptic Munc13-1 and Munc13-2 in Mouse Hippocampus Following Ethanol Drinking. Neuroscience. 2022 Apr 1;487:166-183. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2022.02.008. Epub 2022 Feb 12. PMID: 35167938
  • You Y, Das J. Molecular dynamics simulation studies on binding of activator and inhibitor to Munc13-1 C1 in the presence of membrane. J Biomol Struct Dyn. 2022;40(24):14160-14175. doi: 10.1080/07391102.2021.2001375. Epub 2021 Nov 15. PMID: 34779746
  • Khan TK, You Y, Nelson TJ, Kundu S, Pramanik SK, Das J. Modulation of proteasome activity by curcumin and didemethylcurcumin. J Biomol Struct Dyn. 2022 Nov;40(18):8332-8339. doi: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1911853. Epub 2021 Apr 20. PMID: 33876718
  • Y. You Y, S. Katti, B. Yu, T.I. Igumenova, J. Das. Probing the Diacylglycerol Binding Site of Presynaptic Munc13-1, Biochemistry, 60:1286-1298 (2021).
  • J. Das. Repurposing of drugs-the ketamine story, J. Med. Chem. 2020, 63, 13514-13525
  • Y. You and J. Das. Effect of Ethanol on Munc13-1 C1 in Membrane: A Molecular Dynamics Simulation Study, Alcohol Clin Exp Res, 2020, 44, 1344-1355.
  • F. Blanco, A. Czikora, N. Kedei, Y. You, G. Mitchell, S. Pany, A. Ghosh, P. Blumberg, Das J. Munc13 Is a Molecular Target of Bryostatin 1, Biochemistry, 58, 3016-3030 (2019).
  • J. Das, N. Kedei, J. Kelsey, Y. You, S. Pany, G.A. Mitchell, N.E. Lewin and P.M. Blumberg. Critical role of Trp-588 of presynaptic Munc13-1 for ligand binding and membrane translocation, Biochemistry. 57, 732-741, 2018
  • S. Pany, Y. You and J. Das. Curcumin inhibits PKC alpha activity by binding to its C1 domain, Biochemistry, 55, 6327-6336 (2016).
  • G.M. Rahman, S. Shanker, N.E. Lewin, B. V.V. Prasad, P.M. Blumberg and J. Das. Identification of the Activator Binding Residues in the Second Cysteine-Rich Regulatory Domain of Protein Kinase C Theta (PKCθ), Biochem. J. 451, 33-44 (2013).
  • S. Shanmugasundararaj*, J. Das*, W.S. Sandberg, X. Zhou, D. Wang, R.O. Messing, K.S. Bruzik, T. Stehle and K.W. Miller. Structural and functional characterization of an anesthetic binding site in the second cysteine rich domain of protein kinase C delta, Biophys. J., 103, 2331-2338 (2012).
  • J. Das, S. Pany and A. Majhi. Chemical modifications of resveratrol for improved protein kinase C alpha activity, Bioorg. Med. Chem. 19, 5321-5333 (2011)
  • J. Das, S. Pany, G.M. Rahman and S.J. Slater. PKC epsilon has an alcohol binding site in its second cysteine rich regulatory domain, Biochem. J., 421, 405-413 (2009).

Awards & Honors

  • Award for Excellence in Teaching, College of Pharmacy, University of Houston 2012
  • Award for Excellence in Research, College of Pharmacy, University of Houston 2011
  • The Houston Business Journal published, "Briefs: Drug to treat alcoholism is goal of UH research," Oct 04, 2010
  • National Public Radio (Houston) aired the research, "UH Chemist Tracking Alcohol Molecules through the Brain" on September 29, 2010

Editorial Appointments

  • Ad hoc reviewer, NIH study section Neurotoxicology and Alcohol (NAL), 2017
  • Ad hoc reviewer, NIH study section ZAA1JJ (08), 2016
  • Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Addiction and Dependence
  • Editorial board member, International Journal of Biomedical Research and Analysis
  • Editorial board member, Medicinal Chemistry
  • Editorial board member, Journal of Pharmaceutical Technology and Drug Research