Avik Roy

Avik Roy, PhD, is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He holds affiliations with the Milwaukee Institute for Drug Discovery (MIDD) and serves as Chief Scientific Officer at Simmaron Research Inc. Dr. Roy’s research focuses on neurodegenerative and neuroinflammatory diseases, particularly the molecular mechanisms underlying Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS).

Educated in Neuroscience, he pioneered studies on the role of BPOZ2 gene dysfunction in Parkinson’s and discovered ATG13’s role in ME/CFS. His work led to the development of KeptideTM, an intranasal antiviral, and patents for memory-enhancing drugs. He has secured NIH R21 grants and awards including the Michael J Fox Foundation’s Rapid Response Innovation Award.

Research interests include metabolic impairments in neurons and glial cells, autophagy dysfunction, and PPARα signaling. His lab explores therapies targeting α-synuclein aggregation, autophagy regulators, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Over 65 peer-reviewed publications and 4000+ citations reflect his impactful contributions to neuropharmacology and drug discovery.

Key achievements:

• Rapid Response Innovation Award (2014)
• Ramsay Award (2022)
• NIH R21 Grant (2023)
• Patents for KeptideTM (2021) and memory drugs (2020)

Grant leadership includes roles as PI on MJFF-funded BPOZ-2 research (2014–2015) and Solve ME Initiative’s ME/CFS grant (2023–2024).