School of Pharmacy

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Sandro R.P. da Rocha, PhD
Director of Pharmaceutical Engineering
Professor
Department of Pharmaceutics
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  •   Smith Building, Room 450A
  • School of Pharmacy - Dept of Pharmaceutics
    410 N 12th Street
     Box 980533
     Richmond, VA 23298-0533
  •  (804) 828-0985
    (804) 828-8359
  •  srdarocha@vcu.edu

Area of Focus

  • Nanomedicine, Pulmonary Pharmaceutics and Drug Delivery, Pharmaceutical Engineering

Education

  • B.S., Chemical Engineering (Federal University of Santa Maria - Brazil, 1992)
  • M.S., Chemical Engineering (Federal University of Santa Catarina - Brazil, 1995)
  • Ph.D., Chemical Engineering (The University of Texas at Austin, 2000)

Post-Graduate Training

  • Postdoctoral Fellow - Chemistry & Biochemistry (The University of Texas at Austin, 2002)

Professional Experience

  • (2002 - 2008) Assistant Professor, Wayne State University ChE/MSE
  • (2008 - 2015) Associate Professor, Wayne State University ChE/MSE
  • (2015 - 2017) Associate Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University
  • (2016 - Present) Full Member, Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, Virginia Commonwealth University,
  • (2016 - Present) Director Pharmaceutical Engineering , School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University
  • (2017 - Present) Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University

Research Interests

  • Nanomedicine
  • Pharmaceutical Engineering
  • Nonivasive Drug & Gene Delivery
  • Biomaterials
  • Cancer nanotechnology
  • Aerosol formulation

Publications

Recent Publications

  • Zhong, Q. & da Rocha, S.R.P. “Poly(amidoamine) Dendrimer-Doxorubicin Conjugates: In vitro characteristics and Pseudo-Solution Formulation in Pressurized Metered-Dose Inhalers”. Molecular Pharmaceutics, 2016 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.5b00876 (Impact Factor = 4.384)
  • Bielski, E.; Zhong, Q.; Brown, M.; da Rocha, S.R.P. “Effect of the Conjugation Density of Triphenylphosphonium Cation on the Mitochondrial Targeting of Poly(amidoamine) Dendrimers” Molecular Pharmaceutics, 2015, 12(8), 3043-3053 (Impact Factor 4.384)
  • Bharatwaj, B.; Mohammad, A.K.; Dimovski, R.; Cassio, F.L.; Bazito, R.C; Conti, D.S.; Fu, Q.; Reineke, J.; and da Rocha*, S.R.P. “Dendrimer Nanocarriers for Transport Modulation Across the Pulmonary Epithelium” Molecular Pharmaceutics, 2015, 12(3), 826-838. (Impact Factor 4.384)
  • Conti, D.S.; Brewer, D.; Grashik, J.; Avasarala, S.; and da Rocha, S.R.P. “Poly(amidoamine) Dendrimer Nanocarriers and Their Aerosol Formulations for siRNA Delivery to the Lung Epithelium” Molecular Pharmaceutics, 2014, 11(6), 1808-1822. (Impact Factor = 4.384)
  • Zhong, Q.; Bielski, E.R.; Rodrigues, L.S.; Brown, M.R.; Reineke, J.J.; and da Rocha*, S.R.P. “Conjugation of Poly(amidoamine) Dendrimers and Pulmonary Delivery Reduce Cardiac Accumulation and Enhance Antitumor Activity of Doxorubicin in Lung Metastasis” Molecular Pharmaceutics, 2016 – ASAP - DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.6b00126. (Citation=0) (Impact Factor =4.342, 2015).
  • Zhong, Q.; Merkel, O.M.; Reineke, J.J.; and da Rocha*, S.R.P. “Effect of the Route of Administration and PEGylation of Poly(amidoamine) Dendrimers on their Systemic and Lung Cellular Biodistribution” Molecular Pharmaceutics, 2016, 13(6), 1866-1878. (Citation=1) (Impact Factor =4.342, 2015).
  • Zhong, Q. and da Rocha*, S.R.P. “Poly(amidoamine) dendrimer-doxorubicin conjugates: in vitro characteristics and pseudosolution formulation in pressurized metered-dose inhalers” Molecular Pharmaceutics, 2016 13(3), pp. 1058-1072. (Citation=3) (Impact Factor =4.342, 2015).
  • Bielski, E.; Zhong, Q.; Brown, M.; da Rocha, S.R.P. “Effect of the Conjugation Density of Triphenylphosphonium Cation on the Mitochondrial Targeting of Poly(amidoamine) Dendrimers” Molecular Pharmaceutics, 2015, 12 (8), 3043-3053. (Citation=6) (Impact Factor =4.342, 2015).
  • Bharatwaj, B.; Mohammad, A.K.; Dimovski, R.; Cassio, F.L.; Bazito, R.C; Conti, D.S.; Fu, Q.; Reineke, J.; and da Rocha*, S.R.P. "Dendrimer Nanocarriers for Transport Modulation Across the Pulmonary Epithelium" Molecular Pharmaceutics, 2015, 12(3), 826-838. (Citation= 9) (Impact Factor =4.342, 2015).
  • Conti, D.S.; Brewer, D.; Grashik, J.; Avasarala, S. and da Rocha* S.R.P. "Poly(amidoamine) dendrimer nanocarriers and their Aerosol Formulations for siRNA Delivery to the Lung Epithelium" Molecular Pharmaceutics, 2014 11(6), 1808-1882. (Citation=21) (Impact Factor =4.384, 2014).
  • Yang, L. and da Rocha*, S.R.P. “PEGylated, NH2-terminated PAMAM Dendrimers: A Microscopic View from Atomistic Computer Simulations” Molecular Pharmaceutics, 2014, 11(5), 1459-1470. (Citation=12) (Impact Factor =4.384, 2014).
  • Yang, L. and da Rocha*, S.R.P. “Understanding Solvation in the Low Global Warming Hydrofluoroolefin HFO-1234ze Propellant” The Journal of Physical Chemistry, 2014, 118 (36), 10675-10687. (Citation=1) (Impact Factor =4.772, 2014).
  • Bharatwaj, B.; Dimovski, R; Conti, D.S.; da Rocha*, S.R.P. "Polymeric Nanocarriers for Transport Modulation Across the Pulmonary Epithelium: Dendrimers, Polymeric Nanoparticles, and their nanoblends" AAPS Journal, 2014, 16 (3), 522-538. (Citation=5) (Impact Factor =3.799, 2014).