Rajesh N. Davé
Distinguished Professor
Otto H. York Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering

 

Dr. Davé is the founding Director of the R&D Excellence Center, New Jersey Center for Engineered Particulates, focusing on research and innovations in particle engineering for improved particle properties for applications to pharmaceutical, food, electronics, and energy industries. Under his direction, the center has developed into an important resource for researchers and industry alike in the areas of nanoparticles and nanocomposites. The center is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment for processing and characterizing particles at the nano and submicron levels, and researchers work in partnership with industry to develop tailored particulate materials with unique properties for industry applications. Center research in particle engineering has led to attracting funds from National Science Foundation, National Institute of Health, and other federal agencies as well as industry. These activities have also led to NJIT’s first ever participation in an NSF funded Engineering Research Center on Structured Organic Particulate Systems with a focus on improved materials and manufacturing science for pharmaceutical products. In this NSF-ERC, Prof. Davé is a Site Leader, a Research Thrust Leader and a leader of a particle engineering based technology platform Testbed on drug laden thin films.

 

His NSF-ERC leadership roles have led to significant impact on pharmaceutical industry through aligning high quality research with the NAE and NIH goals that include better medicines, medications the body can absorb and process efficiently, and designing therapies and dosages that are more precise and flexible. These advancements are expected to have a broad societal impact through improved patient care, patient compliance and comfort and reduced manufacturing costs. Ongoing commercialization activities of transformative technologies are expected to make an impact in a long run at a level of over $B per year.

 

His research contributions to date include over 150 journal papers, numerous invited and keynote presentations as well as nine issued and about dozen pending patents. His current research expertise includes engineered particulates with special emphasis on pharmaceuticals products. He has granted 29 PhDs to students at NJIT, six of those students are currently in US academia. He has received numerous awards, most recently, the Board of Overseers Excellence in Research Prize and Medal, NJIT, October 2016 and the Thomas Alva Edison Patent Award Winner, Enabling Technology, November 2016. He has also been engaged in technology development and transfer activities in film coating of very fine particles, bioavailability enhancement, and taste-masking. His work on taste-masking via solventless coating technology has been commercially licensed by a global pharma company.