Biography
Avantika Gupta is a PhD student in the Department of Clinical Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh School of Pharmacy. Her research focuses on understanding drug metabolism in the context of xenotransplantation, particularly evaluating metabolic differences between human and genetically modified pig livers. She integrates in vitro experiments and physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) modeling to predict systemic drug exposure and inform optimized dosing strategies for liver transplant patients receiving pig organs. Avantika brings over four years of prior experience in pharmaceutical R&D, specializing in analytical method development and formulation sciences. She has received research funding from the American College of Clinical Pharmacology (ACCP) for her work on model-informed drug dosing in xenotransplantation. Her broader expertise spans pharmacokinetic studies, population PK modeling, bioanalytical assay development using LC-MS, and drug metabolism enzyme characterization. She is actively involved in professional organizations including AAPS, ASCPT, and ACCP, and has held leadership roles within the Pitt graduate student community, including serving as President of the Ankur Indian Graduate Student Association.
Education / Training
- B.Pharm, M.Pharm
Honors / Awards
- 1. Awarded Research Funding by American College of Clinical Pharmacology (ACCP) Grant Program, 2025 2. Best Poster Presenter Award at 15th Annual Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2024
Presentations
- 1. “How well will pig liver clear drugs used in liver transplant patients: Implications in Xenotransplantation” at the 15th Annual Pharmaceutical Sciences Research Symposium (PSRS), 2025
- 2. “How well will pig liver clear drugs used in liver transplant patients: Implications in Xenotransplantation” at Richard H. Johnson Scientific Retreat, Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, 2025
- 3. “Treprostinil Improves the Quality of Rat Liver Grafts obtained from Deceased Donors after Circulatory Death” at Richard H. Johnson Scientific Retreat, Thomas E. Starzl Transplantation Institute, 2024
In the News
PhD students awarded Certification in Clinical and Translational Science
Congratulations to Shambhavi Parab, Avantika Gupta, and Yuqian Zhao for receiving the Certificate in Clinical and Translational Science for Graduate...
Graduate students complete PK/PD modeling workshop
Graduate students Prerna Dodeja, Avantika Gupta, Maddie Kreider, and Tien Van Le completed the Certara University PK/PD Modeling Workshop using...
Featured Publications
Pharmacokinetics and preliminary data on safety of meloxicam subcutaneous extended-release formulation in Sprague-Dawley rats
Front Vet Sci. 2026 Feb 20;13:1686805. DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2026.1686805. PMID: 41800314.
