Robert A. Nicholas

Robert A. Nicholas, PhD, is a Professor and Vice Chair for Research and Education in the Department of Pharmacology at the UNC School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His research focuses on two primary areas: mechanisms of chromosomally mediated antibiotic resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae and the regulation of P2Y receptors in platelet biology.

• Antibiotic Resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae
• P2Y Receptor Signaling in Platelet Aggregation

His antibiotic resistance work investigates the structural and genetic basis of ceftriaxone resistance, including mosaic penA gene mutations leading to altered penicillin-binding protein 2 (PBP2), and compensatory mutations that restore bacterial fitness in mouse models of gonococcal infection. For P2Y receptors, he studies ADP-mediated platelet aggregation mechanisms, particularly the dual roles of P2Y₁ and P2Y₁₂ receptors and their desensitization dynamics.

Contact:

• Phone: 919-966-6547
• Email: nicholas@med.unc.edu
• Address: 120 Mason Farm Rd., 4046 Genetic Medicine, CB #7365 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7365