Katalin Prokai-Tatrai

Katalin Prokai-Tatrai is a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology & Neuroscience at the University of North Texas Health Science Center (UNTHSC), affiliated with the College of Biomedical and Translational Sciences and the Institute for Healthy Aging. She holds a PhD in Organic Chemistry from the University of Veszprem. Her research focuses on medicinal chemistry-based drug design for the central nervous system (CNS), with an emphasis on neuroprotective agents targeting brain and retinal health. Key projects include estrogen prodrug development for retinal protection and neurodegenerative diseases.

Education:

• BS in Chemical Engineering, University of Veszprem
• MS in Chemistry, University of Veszprem
• PhD in Organic Chemistry, University of Veszprem

Research Interests:

Her lab explores drug delivery mechanisms, pharmacokinetics, and neuroprotective strategies using estrogens and neuropeptides. Current projects address age-related retinal degeneration, glaucoma, and Alzheimer’s disease. Techniques include mass spectrometry-based proteomics and prodrug design for targeted CNS delivery.

Recent Projects:

• Retina-Targeted Estrogen Prodrug (NIH NEI, 2023–2028)
• Neuroprotective Approaches for Glaucoma (NIH NEI, 2016–2021)
• TRH Prodrug Development (UNTHSC Intramural, 2015–2017)

Publications:

Her work spans neuroprotection, estrogen biology, and drug delivery. Notable contributions include DHED prodrug development for retinal therapy and proteomic studies of estrogen-responsive proteins in the brain and retina.

Labs/Teams:

She leads a multidisciplinary team at UNTHSC, collaborating with institutions like Texas Christian University and the University of Massachusetts. Research integrates chemistry, pharmacology, and clinical translation.