Vice Dean of Research and Innovation
Sandhya Kortagere, PhD
Drexel University College of Medicine
Biography
Dr. Sandhya Kortagere is a Tenured Professor and Vice Dean of Research and Innovation at Drexel University College of Medicine. A molecular and neuropharmacologist, her research integrates computational drug design, medicinal chemistry, pharmacology, and preclinical animal models to develop novel therapeutics for neurological disorders.
She led the development of SK609, a first-in-class therapeutic candidate for Parkinson's disease, and co-founded PolyCore Therapeutics to advance this discovery through IND-enabling studies. Her research program is continuously supported by NIH and foundations. She has authored more than 85 peer-reviewed publications and 14 patent applications. She is a fellow of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia and has received numerous awards including the 2026 American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics Scientific Achievement Award in Drug Discovery and Development.
Session
Thu · 9:45 AM
Bridging the Translational Gap: Optimizing Preclinical Models for Neurological Drug Development
This presentation examines the translational validity of preclinical models in neurological drug development, using Parkinson's disease as a framework. It demonstrates the utility of toxin-based models for designing D3 receptor biased agonists to treat motor and cognitive impairment in Parkinson's disease. The talk also highlights that including human-relevant models such as mixed pathologies and biomarker-informed studies can bridge the translational gap for developing disease-modifying therapies.