Joseph Nicolazzo

Personal profile

Biography

Position

Senior Lecturer
Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Drug Delivery, Disposition and Dynamics
Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Joseph Nicolazzo graduated with a PhD in 2004 from Monash University (Australia) focusing on buccal mucosal drug delivery. He joined the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Monash University, as a Lecturer (2007), where he is now a Senior Lecturer (2013). While he has some continuing interest in buccal mucosal drug delivery, his main research focus is on central nervous system (CNS) drug delivery, the role of drug transporters at the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in facilitating and limiting drug access into the CNS and how transport across the BBB alters in various disease states, including Alzheimer’s disease. He received the Faculty of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences 2009 Young Investigator Award in 2009 and Early Career Research Award in 2013. Joseph is Treasurer of the Australasian Pharmaceutical Science Association, an Editorial Board Member of Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Editor (Reviews and Theme Issues) of Pharmaceutical Research.

Research interests

My laboratory focusses on the role of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) in governing CNS entry of endogenous and exogenous molecules, the impact of disease state on BBB transport phenomena and the involvement of the BBB in the development of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer's disease. Using a suite of in vitro, in situ and in vivo models, my research is broadly classified into:

Understanding the factors affecting BBB transport of drugs and endogenous molecules
The involvement of intracellular trafficking proteins in facilitating molecular transport across the BBB
The impact of Alzheimer's disease on BBB transport of drugs and endogenous molecules
Utilising novel approaches to enhance the BBB efflux of amyloid for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease

Monash teaching commitment

Stream leader of Drug Delivery, Bachelor of Pharmacy (Hons)

Unit coordinator, PAC2232 (Drug Delivery and Disposition)

Keywords

Alzheimer's Disease
Blood-Brain Barrier
CNS Drug Delivery
Drug Transport

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Projects 2007 2020

4 Active
18 Finished

Targeting iron at the blood-brain barrier: a novel approach to drain the brain of β-amyloid

Nicolazzo, J.

28/02/18 → 31/01/19

Project: Research

Blood-brain barrier penetrating antisense therapy for spinal muscular atrophy

Shabanpoor, F., Turner, B. J. & Nicolazzo, J.

National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC)

1/01/18 → 31/12/20

Project: Research

Altered drug disposition in Alzheimer’s disease: impact on medicine safety

Nicolazzo, J. & Brouwer, K.

1/01/18 → 31/12/18

Project: Research

Delta-containing GABAA receptors as targets for neuroprotection

Nicolazzo, J.

National Health & Medical Research Council (NHMRC)

1/01/15 → 31/12/18

Project: Research

The role of tau proteins in impairing the blood-brain barrier clearance of beta-amyloid

Nicolazzo, J.

ANZ Trustees

31/03/15 → 31/03/16

Project: Research