Raj Amin

Raj Amin is a Professor at Auburn University's Harrison College of Pharmacy, leading the Department of Drug Discovery and Development. With over two decades of experience, his work bridges computational drug design and experimental validation for metabolic dysfunction-related diseases.

• Education: B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from Wayne State University
• Research Focus: Developing novel therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease, liver disease (NAFLD/NASH), and cardiometabolic disorders through nuclear receptor modulation (PPARs, LXRs).

Key Innovations:

• Computational design of dual PPARδ/γ and LXRβ agonists with reduced side effects
• Patented compounds in phase 2 trials for Alzheimer's
• First to demonstrate TMAO's role in synaptic deficits
• Developing FMO3 inhibitors to target microbiome-brain axis
• Investigating RanBP9 as a therapeutic target for dendritic spine preservation

Technologies & Platforms:

• In silico modeling (Schroedinger/Gastroplus)
• Transgenic animal models (3xTgAD, db/db, 5xFAD)
• Single-cell FRET/confocal imaging
• Metabolomics/lipidomics analysis
• PPAR/LXR ligand binding domain engineering

Funding & Collaborations: NIH grants (R15, R43, R44, R01 applications), AHA support, and Auburn University's Presidential Award for Institutional Research (PAIR).