AJ

Dr Abhishek B. Jha, PhD

Also known as: Abhishek

The University of Iowa Department of Internal Medicine, Zydus Research Center, L.J. Institute of Pharmacy, Bhagwan Mahaveer college of Pharmacy, Zydus Biologics

ORCID iD 0000-0001-9229-0612
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About

Dr. Abhishek B. Jha is a pharmacologist with strong expertise in evaluating New Chemical Entities (NCEs), 505(b)(2) applications, New Drug Applications (NDAs), Abbreviated NDAs (ANDAs), and various drug formulations. His work spans both in vivo and in vitro pharmacodynamic profiling across a range of surgical and non-surgical animal models.

He earned his PhD from the Institute of Pharmacy, Nirma University (2014–2019), where his research focused on Alzheimer’s disease. This work laid a solid foundation in neurodegeneration and translational pharmacology. Prior to his doctoral studies, Dr. Jha served as an Assistant Professor of Pharmacology (2013–2014), where he contributed to both teaching and research in the field.

Currently, Dr. Jha is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Iowa (since January 2023), where he is engaged in research on neuroprotection, stroke, and related pathophysiological mechanisms. His work contributes to developing novel therapeutic strategies for complex neurological conditions.

Before moving into academia, Dr. Jha spent three years in industrial research at Zydus Research Centre, Ahmedabad, India. During this time, he worked across therapeutic areas including oncology, inflammation, neurodegeneration, autoimmune diseases, dermatological disorders, and cardiometabolic complications. Notably, he played a key role in the development of ZYIL1 (Usnoflast), a novel oral NLRP3 inflammasome inhibitor. Where he evaluated it for Parkinson’s disease, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and rheumatoid arthritis.

Dr. Jha’s contributions were instrumental in taking ZYIL1 from early discovery to clinical evaluation. The compound has received orphan drug designation from the USFDA for Cryopyrin-Associated Periodic Syndrome (CAPS) and is now being evaluated in Phase II clinical trials for multiple conditions including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and ulcerative colitis. His work on ZYIL1 is a strong example of translational research moving from bench to bedside.

Dr. Jha’s career reflects a consistent focus on advancing therapeutic discovery through a multidisciplinary lens, combining academic rigor with applied industry insight to improve patient outcomes.

Employment

  • The University of Iowa Department of Internal Medicine Postdoc
    2023 - Present
  • Zydus Research Center Research associate
    2020 - 2022
  • Zydus Biologics Senior executive
    2019 - 2020
  • Saraswati Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences Assistant Professor
    2013 - 2014

Education

  • L.J. Institute of Pharmacy M. Pharm
    2011 - 2013
  • Bhagwan Mahaveer college of Pharmacy B. Pharm
    2007 - 2011

Projects & Funding

Projects & funding information is unavailable.

Publications (21)