Email: razak@ku.edu
Education:
Current Employment: Quintles, Inc., Kansas City, MO
Area of Study:
The purpose of my research is to develop an in vitro method for the estimation of membrane permeabilities of drug compounds. For this work I use a capillary electrophoresis technique called vesicular electrokinetic chromatography (VEKC) in which vesicles are included into the run buffer. Vesicles have a bilayer composition with an internal cavity and are a basic model for the structure of cell membranes. My research began using vesicles formed from oppositely charged surfactants. Initial studies have shown that the capacity factors (log k') for neutral and charged drugs in VEKC correlate well to the octanol-water partition coefficients (log P). Current studies are focused on using more biologically relevant vesicles. Erythrocyte ghosts and vesicles formed from the plasma membrane of BeWo cells are currently being investigated as potential buffer modifiers. Log k' values calculated in this VEKC system should correlate to membrane permeability.
My interests outside of chemistry include shopping for the perfect pair of shoes, baking, KU Basketball, reading, ballroom dancing, and snow skiing. In addition, (when I have the opportunity) I love to travel. As part of my graduate school experience, I spent six months in Dublin, Ireland working with Dr. Malcolm Smyth at Dublin City University.
