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Faculty and Staff
Worthen  

David Worthen, Ph.D., J.D.

Assistant Professor
Department of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences
dworthen@ds.uri.edu
     

Research Interests

  

Drawing upon research and management experience with large industry, start-up enterprises, academia, contract research, and government, Dr. Worthen takes an interdisciplinary approach to pharmaceutical education, science and product development.  Dr. Worthen collaborates with colleagues at national and international institutions in a variety of disciplines, including toxicology, analytical chemistry, chemical engineering, and materials science, with a therapeutic emphasis on central nervous system disorders, cancer, infectious disease, inflammation and nutrition.
Current research areas include:

  • formulation and drug delivery
  • rationally-designed and naturally occurring pharmaceuticals and excipients
  • veterinary products
  • nutraceuticals and functional foods
  • particles, materials and supercritical fluids
  • intellectual property and regulatory affairs
  • biocompatible polymers and medical devices
     

Education

  

J.D., College of Law, University of Kentucky

Ph.D., Pharmaceutics and Medicinal Chemistry, University of Kentucky

M.S., Toxicology, University of Kentucky

B.S., Pharmacy, University of Rhode Island
     
Selected Publications  

Jyothi Matharu, Jun Oki, David R. Worthen, Quentin R. Smith, and Peter A. Crooks.  Regiospecific and conformationally restrained analogs of melphalan and dl-2-NAM-7 and their affinities for the large neutral amino acid transporter (system LAT1) of the blood-brain barrier.  Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters 20:3688-3691, 2010.


Peter A. Crooks, Aimee K. Bence and David R. Worthen.  Agmatine and agmatine analogs in the treatment of epilepsy, seizure and electroconvulsive disorders. US Patent 7,816,407, 2010.

David R. Worthen, Aimee K. Bence, James P. Stables and Peter A. Crooks.  “In vivo evaluation of diaminodiphenyls: anticonvulsant agents with minimal acute neurotoxicity.”  Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters 19:5012-5015, 2009.

David R. Worthen, Simon Bristow and Philip Cocks.  “Process of making  aripiprazole particles.” US Patent 7,507,823, 2009.

Russell J. Mumper, Michael A. Bell, David R. Worthen, Richard A. Cone, Gareth R. Lewis,  Jeremy R. A. Paull, Thomas R. Moench.  Formulating a sulfonated antimicrobial dendrimer in a vaginal microbicidal gel having dual mechanisms of action.  Drug Development and Industrial Pharmacy 35:515-24, 2009.

Peter A. Crooks, David R. Worthen, William S. Caldwell, Gary D. Byrd and J. Donald deBezithy.  "Modern instrumental methods for studying mechanisms of toxicology."  In: Principles and Methods of Toxicology, Fifth Edition, ed. A. Wallace Hayes, Taylor and Francis, 2008, pp. 2041-2112.

David R. Worthen and Peter A. Crooks. "The radiosensitizing effects of L-canavanine." In: Herbal Radiomodulators: Applications in Medicine Homeland Defense and Space, ed. Rajesh Arora, CABI Publishing, UK, 2008, pp. 255-270.

Jabar A. Faraj, Rosella Dorati, Aurelie Schoubben, David Worthen, Francesca Selmin, Yilmaz Capan, Kai Leung and Patrick P. DeLuca.  "The development of a peptide-containing chewing gum as a sustained release antiplaque antimicrobial delivery system."  AAPS PharmSciTech 8(1) Article 26, 2007.

Peter A. Crooks, Aimee K. Bence and David R. Worthen.  “Compounds of use in the treatment of epilepsy, seizure, and electroconvulsive disorders.” US Patent 7,226,949, 2007.