Siva Rama Raju Kanumuri

Siva Rama Raju Kanumuri is an Assistant Scientist in the Department of Pharmaceutics at the University of Florida, Gainesville, affiliated with the CTSI-Translational Drug Development Core. He holds a Ph.D. from CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute and completed postdoctoral training at the University of Cincinnati (2017-2019) and University of Florida (2019-2022). His research focuses on pharmacokinetics, drug metabolism, and ADMET studies for small molecules and natural products, with emphasis on optimizing drug development through metabolic stability, transport, and permeability analysis.

Education: Ph.D. (2016) from CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute/Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research; M.S. (2011) in Pharmaceutics from NIPER Raebareli; B.Pharm. (2008) from Andhra University. He also completed a PG Diploma in Patent Law (2014-2015) from NALSAR University of Law.

Research interests include bioanalysis, drug metabolism, PK-PD modeling, and clinical pharmacokinetics. His work spans preclinical to clinical studies, with a focus on natural products like kratom, kava, and cannabinoids. Key methodologies include UPLC-MS/MS, pharmacokinetic modeling, and in vitro/in vivo toxicity assessments.

Publications highlight studies on kratom alkaloids (e.g., mitragynine, 7-hydroxymitragynine), cannabidiol interactions, and drug metabolism pathways. Recent work examines kratom’s effects on human behavior and driving, alongside mechanistic studies on α9 nicotinic receptors and CaV2.2 channel blockers.

• Major Awards: ISSX Travel Award (2015), CSIR Senior Research Fellowship (2013-2016), Dr. P.D. Sethi Award (2012).

His lab contributes to translational research, bridging preclinical drug development and clinical applications. Ongoing projects explore kratom’s pharmacology, drug-drug interactions, and regulatory-compliant analytical methods for cannabis and industrial hemp.