Dr. Mayur Parmar is an Associate Professor in the Department of Basic Sciences at the Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine. He is deeply passionate about teaching pharmacology and physiology to medical students and also instructs physiology for students enrolled in the Graduate Certificate in Health Professions Preparation program at the Tampa Bay Regional Campus. In addition, he serves as the Assistant Course Director for the Gastrointestinal and Rheumatology System courses.

Beyond teaching, Dr. Parmar is actively engaged in multiple collaborative medical research projects involving medical students. As a faculty advisor for the college’s Research Practicum course, he mentors several student research groups and co-authors publications in the fields of pharmacology and neuroscience.

A neuroscientist by training, Dr. Parmar’s research focuses on elucidating the molecular, genetic, and cellular mechanisms underlying neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, with an emphasis on identifying therapeutic strategies to slow or halt disease progression. His expertise spans multidisciplinary areas within pharmacology, toxicology, and molecular and cellular biology.

Dr. Parmar earned his Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Toxicology, where his doctoral work investigated the modulation of MAPK/ERK signaling pathways in dopaminergic brain regions—including the substantia nigra, striatum, and ventral tegmental area—during normal aging. His research established ERK5 as a key molecule for dopamine neuron survival.

Following his doctoral studies, Dr. Parmar joined the Appel Alzheimer’s Disease Research Institute at Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, where he investigated the role of apolipoprotein E in amyloid and tau pathologies using adeno-associated virus (AAV) gene delivery systems. He also contributed to studies demonstrating that the anti-tau monoclonal antibody PHF1 can reduce tau pathology in transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease.

As a Postdoctoral Associate at the University of Florida, Dr. Parmar advanced his research on the pathological mechanisms underlying Parkinson’s disease and related disorders. Using cellular and preclinical models, he explored how Rab GTPase proteins influence the progression of alpha-synuclein and tau pathologies, particularly in tauopathies such as Alzheimer’s disease, progressive supranuclear palsy, and other atypical parkinsonian syndromes. He has also examined the molecular connections between diabetes and neurodegeneration.

Currently, as a faculty member, Dr. Parmar continues to investigate novel therapeutic compounds aimed at preventing tau and synuclein aggregation in neurodegenerative diseases. He also contributes to the scientific community as a reviewer for the National Science Foundation and several peer-reviewed journals.

ORCID ID

http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4970-9857

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