Contact Information
Biography
Dr. Das received her undergraduate degree in Chemistry from Indian Institute of Technology (I.I.T.) Kanpur . She received her Ph.D. in Chemistry at Princeton University. She did her postdoctoral research with Prof. Stephen Sligar at Northwestern University Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center.
Since 2012, her laboratory works on cytochrome P450s involved in lipid metabolism and on evaluation of the anti-inflammatory action of the lipid epoxides in neuro-inflammation model and multiple sclerosis. She also works on phytocannabinoid metabolism by cytochrome P450s. Her laboratory has been funded by several grants from American Heart Association (AHA), National Institute of Health, Multiple Sclerosis Society and other private funding.
Research Interests
Discovery of novel endogenous omega-3 endocannabinoid-like molectules with anti-neuroinflammatory and anti-pain properties
Research Description
Research Area 1: Biochemical Mechanism of Epoxygenases
- Mechanism of CYP2J2 epoxygenase enzyme involved in metabolism of omega-3 fatty acids to generate anti-inflammatory cardioprotective lipid metabolites.
- Mechanism of cardiotoxicity of chemotherapeutic drugs that is mediated via interaction with CYP2J2 epoxygenase
Research Area 2: Endocannabinoids & Phytocannabinoids metabolism by P450s
- Endocannabinoid metabolism by CYP epoxygenases to generate novel anti-inflammatory endocannabinoid epoxide derivatives that bind to cannabinoid receptors.
- Phytocannabinoid metabolism by human cytochrome P450s to form oxy-cannabinoids with altered pharmacology
- Role of Anti-inflammatory lipid metabolites in Multiple Sclerosis (collaborator: Andrew Steelman and Rodney Johnson)
- Role of Anti-inflammatory lipid metabolites in bone cancer pain in canine Osteosarcoma (collaborator: Prof. Timothy Fan)
Education
B.Sc. St. Stephen's College, Delhi
M.Sc. Indian Institute of Technology (I.I.T.) Kanpur
Ph.D. Princeton University.
Post-Doc Northwestern University Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center.
Grants
American Heart Association SDG (Role: PI)
National Institute of Health (R01) (Role: PI)
National Institute of Health (R03) (Role: PI)
National Institute of Health (R21) (Role: Co-PI)
Multiple Sclerosis Society (Role: PI)
Manus Biosynthesis. (Role: PI)
Awards and Honors
2019 Mary Swartz Rose Young Investigator Award from American Society for Nutrition (ASN)
2019 Editorial board of Frontiers in Pharmacology
2018. National Multiple Sclerosis Society, High-risk Pilot Award
2018. Gordon Hammes Scholar’s Award (runner up), Invited viewpoint in Biochemistry
2018. Faculty of 1000 recommendation for Doxorubicin Paper in Biochemistry
2018. Member (AdHoc), NIH Study Section, Macromolecular Structure and Function A Study Section
2018. Editorial Board Member, Journal of Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology
2017. Colin Wraight best paper award from the Department of Biochemistry
2016. Editorial Board Member, ChemSelect, ChemPubSoc Europe, Wiley VCH
2015. American Heart Association (AHA), National Scientist Development Grant
2014. NIEHS funded travel award, International Winter Eicosanoid Conference
2013. Moog Lecturer at Hauptmann Woodward Center (Prestigious lecture series)
2013. American Chemical Society (ACS) Travel Award
2013. Pew Scholar’s Award Nominee (One person from the UIUC campus)
2010. ACS Biological Division Travel Award.
2007. Outstanding Researcher Award, NSF-Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center
2005. FMC CORPORATION Graduate Fellowships in Chemistry, Princeton.
Courses Taught
VM 602: Biochemistry
VM 603: GI Physiology
Additional Campus Affiliations
Department of Biochemistry
Department of Bioengineering
Division of Nutritional Sciences
Neuroscience Program
Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology
Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology
Cancer Center at Illinois
External Links
Recent Publications
Watson, J. E., Kim, J. S., & Das, A. (2019). Emerging class of omega-3 fatty acid endocannabinoids & their derivatives. Prostaglandins and Other Lipid Mediators, 143, [106337]. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.prostaglandins.2019.106337
Huff, H. C., Maroutsos, D., & Das, A. (2019). Lipid composition and macromolecular crowding effects on CYP2J2-mediated drug metabolism in nanodiscs. Protein Science, 28(5), 928-940. https://doi.org/10.1002/pro.3603
Nelson, N. G., Law, W. X., Weingarten, M. J., Carnevale, L. N., Das, A., & Liang, N-C. (2019). Combined ∆ 9 -tetrahydrocannabinol and moderate alcohol administration: effects on ingestive behaviors in adolescent male rats. Psychopharmacology, 236(2), 671-684. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-018-5093-3
Caputo, M. P., Radlowski, E. C., Lawson, M. A., Antonson, A. M., Watson, J. E., Matt, S. M., ... Johnson, R. W. (2019). Herring roe oil supplementation alters microglial cell gene expression and reduces peripheral inflammation after immune activation in a neonatal piglet model. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2019.06.046
Maroutsos, D., Huff, H., & Das, A. (2019). Bacterial expression of membrane-associated cytochrome P450s and their activity assay in nanodiscs. In Methods in Molecular Biology (pp. 47-72). (Methods in Molecular Biology; Vol. 1927). Humana Press Inc.. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-9142-6_5
