NIH Postdoctoral Fellow in Pharmaceutics and Bioengineering
Pharmaceutics and Bioengineering
University of Utah
1994-1997
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Faculty
Faculty
Emmanuel Oyekanmi Akala, R.Ph., Ph.D.
Professor of Pharmaceutics
Department/Office
- Pharmaceutical Sciences
School/College
- College of Pharmacy
Additional Positions
-
Director, Laboratory for Nanomedicine, Drug Delivery, and Pharmaceutical & Biopharmaceutical Drug Products DesignPharmaceutical Sciences
Biography
Emmanuel O. Akala, R.Ph., Ph.D. is a Professor of Pharmaceutics, Chair of the Howard University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) and Director, of the Laboratory for Nanomedicine, Drug Delivery, and Pharmaceutical & Biopharmaceutical Drug Products Design.
With a diverse academic background, he trained as a pharmacist and immunization pharmacist (licensed in the U.S. and Nigeria) and specializes in conventional and novel drug delivery systems. He earned his B.Pharm. and M.Sc. (Pharmaceutics) from the University of Ife (now Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria) and a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutics from the University of Manchester, England, as a Commonwealth Scholar. He was also a DAAD Fellow in Germany and an NIH Postdoctoral Fellow in the U.S. At Howard University, he has obtained more than ten million dollars in research grants.
Professor Akala has held various academic and research roles in Nigeria, England, Germany, and the U.S. He leads an active research group focused on nanotechnology-based treatments for cancer and HIV/AIDS, integrating quality by design (QbD) and process analytical technology. At Howard University, he has secured over $10 million in research grants, including NIH and international funding.
A holder of three patents, he has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings. He has taught Pharm.D. and Ph.D. courses, mentoring numerous students and postdoctoral fellows, including participants in the Brazil Scientific Mobility Program. His interdisciplinary collaborations extend across the U.S., Germany, the UK, and Denmark.
Professor Akala has received multiple awards, including the 2013 Distinguished Howard University College of Pharmacy Alumni Award, the 2014 AACR Minority-Serving Institution Faculty Scholar Award, and the 2016 Washington DC Pharmacy Association NASPA Excellence in Innovation Award. Since 2013, he has served on the Advisory Group of the U.S. Pharmacopeia's Center for Pharmaceutical Advancement and Training and was appointed to the USP Expert Committee in 2015, contributing to the development of pharmaceutical standards.
Education & Expertise
Education
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Pharmaceutics
University of Manchester, England
1986
DAAD Research Fellow
Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology
Institute of Biopharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Technology, University of Munster, Germany
1983
Master of Science (M.Sc.)
Pharmaceutics
University of Ife (Now Obafemi Awolowo University), Nigeria
1983
Bachelor of Pharmacy (B.Pharm.)
Pharmacy
University of Ife (Now Obafemi Awolowo University), Nigeria
1980
Expertise
Chair, Howard University Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), USP EXPERT COMMITTEE
Academics
Academics
Advances in Drug Delivery Systems - Ph.D.
This course explores the evolution of drug delivery systems, from conventional dosage forms (tablets, injections, creams) to advanced techniques such as gene delivery. Emphasizing the importance of optimizing drug concentration and duration at the site of action, the course covers key developments in pharmaceutical dosage form design, with a focus on the role of polymers in drug delivery. Students will examine synthetic polymers, nanotechnology, and molecular biology in the context of modern drug delivery, and learn how these innovations are transforming drug product design. The course encourages creative thinking about future applications and advancements in the field. Prior knowledge of drug formulation and pharmacokinetics is required.
Drug Stability and Packaging - Ph.D.
This course examines the critical role of stability and packaging in the development of pharmaceutical dosage forms. It emphasizes the importance of ensuring the chemical and physical stability of active ingredients and excipients to prevent issues like potency loss, toxic product formation, and bioavailability reduction. Students will explore the evolving definition of pharmaceutical packaging, focusing on its role in containing, preserving, protecting, and delivering drug products effectively to the patient. The course encourages students to stay ahead of emerging developments in the field, think creatively about future innovations, and engage with original research and review articles. A strong emphasis is placed on understanding the connection between packaging systems and drug delivery. Prior reading and independent study beyond the course material are encouraged for full mastery.
Nanotherapeutics - Ph.D.
This course explores the diverse field of nanotechnologies, focusing on their applications in drug delivery, disease diagnosis, and treatment. Students will study the design, production, and application of nanostructures, devices, and systems at the nanometer scale, with an emphasis on biomedical uses. Topics include the evolution of nanoparticles from the first generation (liver targeting) to the fourth generation (theranostics), which combine drug delivery, molecular targeting, and diagnostic capabilities. Students will gain an understanding of nanoparticles made from materials such as polymers, gold, and quantum dots, and their potential in areas like cancer and HIV/AIDS treatment. The course encourages creative thinking about future innovations in pharmaceutical nanoscience, with reference to original research and review articles. Prior independent study beyond course materials is recommended for mastery.
Pharmaceutics 1 & 2- Ph.D.
The design of this course is based on the integration of the study of physicochemical principles of pharmacy with the study of formulation and preparation of pharmaceutical dosage forms. The integration is done within each main class of pharmaceutical dosage forms. The study of the physicochemical principles of pharmacy serves as a prelude to the materials on dosage form design covered in each section. Thus the applications of the knowledge of the physicochemical principles of pharmacy to the rational formulation, preparation/compounding, quality control, stability, packaging and storage of pharmaceutical dosage forms follow directly after the study of the physicochemical principles for each module (i.e. each major class of dosage forms).
Principles of Drug Formulation - Ph.D.
The design of this course is based on the integration of the study of physicochemical principles of pharmacy with the study of formulation and preparation of pharmaceutical dosage forms. The integration is done within each main class of pharmaceutical dosage forms. The study of the physicochemical principles of pharmacy serves as a prelude to the materials on dosage form design covered in each section. Thus the applications of the knowledge of the physicochemical principles of pharmacy to the rational formulation, preparation/compounding, quality control, stability, packaging and storage of pharmaceutical dosage forms follow directly after the study of the physicochemical principles for each module (i.e. each major class of dosage forms).
Biopharmaceutics - Pharm.D.
Grant Proposal Writing - Ph.D.
Pharmaceutical Calculations 1 & 2 - Pharm.D.
Research for Ph.D. and Pharm.D.
Research
Research
Specialty
Nanomedicine, Drug Delivery, and Pharmaceutical & Biopharmaceutical Drug Products Design , Quality by design (QbD), Statistical Experimental Design, Computer Optimization. Sterile Dosage Forms, Tabletting, CapsuleFunding
NIH/NCI
NIH/NIAID
Accomplishments
Accomplishments
1983-1986 Commonwealth Scholar, University of Manchester, England
1994-1996 NIH (Fogarty International Center) Post Doctoral Fellow, University of Utah
2003-Present: NIH, NSF and DoD and other Agencies Grant Review Consultancy
2013 – Present Appointed Member of USP Center for Pharmaceutical Advancement and Training Advisory Group
2013 Howard University School of Pharmacy Alumni Distinguished Faculty Award.
2013 Top Reviewer in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences.
2013 Top Reviewer in the Journal of Nanomedicine
2014 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Minority-Serving Institution Faculty Scholar in Cancer Research Award
2015-Present Appointed Chair of IACUC at Howard University
2015-Present Appointed a Member of United States Pharmacopeia (USP) General Chapters Dosage Forms Expert Committee (USP Expert Committees are responsible for developing and revising USP standards that comprise its compendia: the USP and the NF, USP Compou
2016 Washington DC Pharmacy Association NASPA Excellence in Innovation Award
Publications and Presentations
Publications and Presentations
pH-Sensitive Polymeric Nanoparticles
Development of pH-responsive nanoparticles capable of rapid degradation in the acidic environments in the endosomes and lysosomes of tumor tissues but relatively more stable in the physiological pH (pH 7.4) is desirable.
Antiretroviral Drugs-Loaded Nanoparticles
Highly active antiretroviral (ARV) therapy (HAART) for chronic suppression of HIV replication has revolutionized the treatment of HIV/AIDS. HAART is no panacea; treatments must be maintained for life. Although great progress has been made in ARV therapy, HIV continues to replicate in anatomical and intracellular sites where ARV drugs have restricted access.
Computer Optimization of Biodegradable Nanoparticles
Computer Optimization of Biodegradable Nanoparticles Fabricated by Dispersion Polymerization
This article focuses on the fabrication of biodegradable nanoparticles by dispersion polymerization. Aided by a statistical software, d-optimal mixture design was used to vary the components (crosslinker, initiator, stabilizer, and macromonomers) to obtain twenty nanoparticle formulations (PLLA-based nanoparticles) and thirty formulations (poly-ɛ-caprolactone-based nanoparticles). Scheffe polynomial models were generated to predict particle size (nm), zeta potential, and yield (%) as functions of the composition of the formulations.
The effect of formulation variables on drug loading
Here, we report the development of a nanoparticle platform with potential for targeting the niche of Mycobacteria tuberculosis and achieve high drug concentrations at the biophase.
Nanotechnology Approaches for the Delivery of Exogenous siRNA for HIV Therapy
Nanotechnology Approaches for the Delivery of Exogenous siRNA for HIV Therapy
RNA interference (RNAi) is triggered by oligonucleotides that are about 21-23 nucleotides long and are capable of inducing the destruction of complementary mRNA. The RNAi technique has been successfully utilized to target HIV replication; however, the main limitation to the successful utilization of this technique in vivo is the inability of naked siRNA to cross the cell membrane by diffusion due to its strong anionic charge and large molecular weight. This review describes current nonviral nanotechnological approaches to deliver anti-HIV siRNAs for the treatment of HIV infection.
D-Optimal mixture experimental design
We report here our efforts on the development of stealth biodegradable crosslinked poly-ε-caprolactone nanoparticles by free radical dispersion polymerization suitable for the delivery of bioactive agents.
Activation of HIV-1
We packaged SMAPP1 in polymeric polyethylene glycol polymethyl methacrylate nanoparticles and analyzed its release and the effect on HIV-1 transcription in a cell culture. SMAPP1 was efficiently packaged in the nanoparticles and released during a 120-hr period. Treatment of the HIV-1-infected cells with the SMAPP1-loaded nanoparticles induced HIV-1 transcription. Thus, nanoparticles loaded with HIV-1-targeting compounds might be useful for future anti-HIV-1 therapeutics.
Effect of Packaging on Stability of Drugs and Drug Products
Book Chapter 7.3 in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Handbook: Regulations and Stability (2008); Edited by Shayne Cox Gad.
Oral Controlled Release Solid Dosage Forms
Book Chapter in Theory and Practice of Contemporary Pharmaceutics (2005); Edited by Tapash K. Gosh and Bhaskara R Jasti
Biodegradable Stealth Polymeric Particles Fabricated Using the Macromonomer Approach by Free Radical Dispersion Polymerization
Patent:(1). E. Akala, S. Adesina, United States Patent Number US9675556B2; Publication Date: 2017
Stealth Polymeric Particles for Delivery of Bioactive and Diagnostic Agents
Patent: E. Akala, A. Okunola, United States Patent Number US9358211B2; Publication Date: 2016
pH-Sensitive Hydrogels with Adjustable Swelling Kinetics for Colon-Specific Delivery of Peptides and Proteins
Patent: Jindrich Kopecek, Pavla Kopeckova, Emmanuel O. Akala, Ping-Yang Yeh, and Karel Ulbrich (Inventors); Patent Number: WO9801421; Publication Date: 1998
