Venkata K. Yellepeddi, PhD, RPh, DABCP

Kash Yellepeddi, PhD, RPh, DABCP, is an Associate Professor in the Division of Clinical Pharmacology, Department of Pediatrics, at the University of Utah School of Medicine. A board-certified clinical pharmacologist and registered pharmacist, he leads and contributes to model-informed, collaborative research programs that integrate pharmacokinetics, pharmacometrics, and drug delivery to improve therapies for children and other vulnerable patients.

Dr. Yellepeddi’s research portfolio is highly collaborative and funding-intensive, spanning multi-investigator NIH, foundation, and industry-supported studies. He serves as Co-Investigator on several active federal grants, including projects targeting PD-1–positive cells in autoimmune diseases, optimizing neuroprotective strategies for hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy in low- and middle-resource settings, developing albumin-amended antibody–drug conjugates and binding-induced enzyme activation platforms, and advancing novel therapies for Sjögren’s disease with specialized pro-resolving mediators. These projects pair his expertise in PBPK/population PK modeling and formulation science with teams in neonatology, cardiology, immunology, dentistry, bioengineering, and translational neuroscience.

As Principal Investigator, he has led federally funded and industry-sponsored studies in physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling of silica nanoparticles, optimized dosing on extracorporeal life support, and first-in-human pharmacokinetic studies of hemp extracts, essential oils, intranasal amiloride, and mucoadhesive atropine gel. His work in these areas exemplifies a bench-to-bedside approach—using mechanistic models and early-phase clinical studies to generate data that directly inform dosing strategies and future clinical development.

Dr. Yellepeddi has authored 60+ peer-reviewed publications, reviews, and book chapters across pharmacokinetics, pediatric drug development, nanomedicine, and advanced formulations. His collaborative scholarship includes contributions to the pharmacology of ECMO, pediatric vancomycin and sotalol dosing, cannabinoid and THC exposure modeling, and the pharmacokinetics of nanotechnology-based therapies in children.

He is also an inventor on U.S. patents for a mucoadhesive atropine formulation for the treatment of sialorrhea and a preservative-free prochlorperazine nasal spray for migraine therapy. These patents highlight his role not only as a clinical and translational researcher but also as an innovator committed to technology transfer, designing drug delivery technologies that can be de-risked, licensed, and advanced toward clinical use in partnership with industry and clinical collaborators.

Teaching and mentoring are central to his academic mission. Dr. Yellepeddi has coordinated core PharmD courses in pharmaceutics and pharmacokinetics, teaches graduate-level courses and modules in nanomedicine and clinical pharmacology, and provides ongoing lectures in regulatory affairs and translational pharmacology. He supervises PhD candidates, fellows, pharmacy and medical students, and serves on multiple graduate committees across Pharmaceutics, Bioengineering, and Pediatrics. His trainees have presented and published work in PBPK modeling, nanoparticle pharmacokinetics, and mucoadhesive formulations, reflecting a strong culture of collaborative, research-based mentoring.

He also contributes extensively to the broader academic and scientific community through NIH study sections, specialty review panels, and service on institutional committees such as the Huntsman Cancer Institute Data Safety and Monitoring Committee and the University of Utah School of Medicine Admissions Committee.