Milan Prajapati, PhD

Milan Prajapati, PhD

Assistant Professor (Pharmacology)
Pharmaceutical Science
Email: [email protected]

Education

• PhD, St. John's University, Pharmaceutical Sciences (Pharmacology), Pharmacology
• MS, Long Island University, Pharmacology and Toxicology
• BPharm, Rajiv Gandhi University of Health and Sciences, Pharmacy

Graduate/Post-Graduate Training

• Fellowship, Postdoctoral Research Associate, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States

Biography

The overarching theme of my research has been the identification and characterization of the molecular mechanisms underlying the biological effects of metals, with a strong emphasis on advancing human health. As a graduate student, I focused on the toxicological impact of metal particles, particularly those relevant to environmental and occupational exposures. During my postdoctoral training with Dr. Tom Bartnikas at Brown
University, I expanded this work into the field of metal homeostasis.

Alongside my research, I have maintained a strong and consistent commitment to education. As a graduate student, I independently taught courses in human anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, toxicology, and toxicogenomics. At Brown University, I further refined my pedagogical skills by completing the Sheridan Teaching Certificate program and by designing and leading a summer course titled Applied Research Strategies in Pharmacology and Toxicology. Teaching is not only a passion of mine but a critical avenue through which I aim to cultivate intellectual curiosity, critical thinking, and scientific rigor in the next generation of scientists.

More about Metal Biology: My research investigates how essential trace metals regulate cellular and physiological functions, and how their imbalance contributes to toxicity and disease. Because these metals must be maintained within a narrow optimal range, both deficiency and overload can disrupt critical biological pathways, often as a result of genetic mutations or environmental influences. Using in-vivo and in-vitro models, my work examines the molecular mechanisms that control metal transport and homeostasis, with the goal of identifying pharmacological targets and elucidating how metal dysregulation impacts human health and disease pathology.

Publications and Intellectual Contributions

• Journal Article
  Gokhale, A., Mendez-Vazquez, H., Sampson, M. M., Rivera Moctezuma, F. G., Harbuzariu, A., Sing, A., Zlatic, S. A., Roberts, A. M., Prajapati, M., Roberts, B. R., Bartnikas, T. B., Wood, L. B., Sloan, S. A., Faundez, V., Werner, E. (2025). "Mitochondrially Transcribed dsRNA Mediates Manganese-induced Neuroinflammation." bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology.
• Journal Article
  Prajapati, M., Zhang, J. Z., Chong, G. S., Chiu, L., Mercadante, C. J., Kowalski, H. L., Antipova, O., Lai, B., Ralle, M., Jackson, B. P., Punshon, T., Guo, S., Aghajan, M., Bartnikas, T. B. (2025). "Studies of Slc30a10 Deficiency in Mice Reveal That Intestinal Iron Transporters Dmt1 and Ferroportin Transport Manganese." Cellular and molecular gastroenterology and hepatology. 19 (7). p. 101489.
• Journal Article
  Prajapati, M., Chiu, L., Zhang, J. Z., Chong, G. S., DaSilva, N. A., Bartnikas, T. B. (2024). "Bile from the hemojuvelin-deficient mouse model of iron excess is enriched in iron and ferritin." Metallomics : integrated biometal science. 16 (10).
• Journal Article
  Prajapati, M., Zhang, J. Z., Chong, G. S., Chiu, L., Mercadante, C. J., Kowalski, H. L., Antipova, O., Lai, B., Ralle, M., Jackson, B. P., Punshon, T., Guo, S., Aghajan, M., Bartnikas, T. B. (2024). "Manganese transporter SLC30A10 and iron transporters SLC40A1 and SLC11A2 impact dietary manganese absorption." bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology.
• Journal Article
  Mao, G., Douglas, D., Prajapati, M., Janardhanam Raghavendra Rao, T., Zheng, H., Zhao, C., Billack, B. (2024). "Investigation of inflammatory mechanisms induced by croton oil in mouse ear." Current research in toxicology. 7 p. 100184.
• Journal Article
  Prajapati, M., Zhang, J. Z., Chiu, L., Chong, G. S., Mercadante, C. J., Kowalski, H. L., Delaney, B., Anderson, J. A., Guo, S., Aghajan, M., Bartnikas, T. B. (2024). "Hepatic HIF2 is a key determinant of manganese excess and polycythemia in SLC30A10 deficiency." JCI insight. 9 (10).
• Journal Article
  Liang, X., Pacuła-Miszewska, A. J., Vartak, R., Prajapati, M., Zheng, H., Zhao, C., Mao, G., Patel, K., Fedosova, N. U., Ścianowski, J., Billack, B. (2024). "N-3-Methylbutyl-benzisoselenazol-3(2H)-one Exerts Antifungal Activity In Vitro and in a Mouse Model of Vulvovaginal Candidiasis." Current issues in molecular biology. 46 (3). pp. 2480-2496.
• Journal Article
  Prajapati, M., Quenneville, C. B., Zhang, J. Z., Chong, G. S., Chiu, L., Ma, B., Ward, L. D., Tu, H. C., Bartnikas, T. B. (2024). "AAV-mediated hepatic expression of SLC30A10 and the Thr95Ile variant attenuates manganese excess and other phenotypes in Slc30a10-deficient mice." The Journal of biological chemistry. 300 (3). p. 105732.
• Journal Article
  Prajapati, M., Zhang, J. Z., Mercadante, C. J., Kowalski, H. L., Delaney, B., Anderson, J. A., Guo, S., Aghajan, M., Bartnikas, T. B. (2023). "Hypoxia-inducible factor 2 is a key determinant of manganese excess and polycythemia in SLC30A10 deficiency." bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology.
• Journal Article
  De, A., Chen, W., Li, H., Wright, J. R., Lamendella, R., Lukin, D. J., Szymczak, W. A., Sun, K., Kelly, L., Ghosh, S., Kearns, D. B., He, Z., Jobin, C., Luo, X., Byju, A., Chatterjee, S., San Yeoh, B., Vijay-Kumar, M., Tang, J. X., Prajapati, M., Bartnikas, T. B., Mani, S. (2021). "Bacterial Swarmers Enriched During Intestinal Stress Ameliorate Damage." Gastroenterology. 161 (1). pp. 211-224.

Presentations

• Oral Presentation
  Prajapati, M. (Author & Presenter), Research and Practice Roundtables, "The Role of SLC30A10 in Manganese (Mn) Homeostasis​," Ferris State University, Big Rapids, (September 14, 2025).
• Oral Presentation
  Prajapati, M., Gordon Research Conference - Cell Biology of Metals, "Intestinal SLC30A10 Suppresses Manganese Absorption in Hereditary Hemochromatosis," GRC, Portland, Maine, US, (August 4, 2025).