Professor
Mercer University
Dr. D’Souza completed his PhD from the University of Pittsburgh, and is currently a Professor, Director of Graduate Programs. He is also the Endowed Chair of Pharmaceutics, and Co-Director, Center for Drug Delivery, Mercer University, Atlanta, GA. Currently, he has several active NIH funded research grants
Dr. D’Souza’s Nanotechnology laboratory mainly focuses on the design and delivery of both Buccal vaccines using oral dissolving film (ODF) and Transdermal vaccines using microneedles for infectious diseases and cancer. These ODF formulations are much like “Listerine strips” applied to the buccal cavity. The vaccine antigens are encapsulated into nanoparticles which are embedded into the oral dissolving films with the aid of an automated 3D Bioprinting technology. He has several patents issued on this Oral Dissolving Film technology containing nano-vaccines. The oral dissolving film releases the nano-vaccines, which are rapidly taken up by antigen presenting cells, such as dendritic cells, and “M-cell-like” cells present in the buccal cavity and delivered to immune system via draining lymph nodes. A strong “mucosal immune response” is generated rapidly at the site of viral infection at all mucosal sites, including the nasopharyngeal and buccal mucosa, thereby helping to control infection rather quickly.