Nirma University Archives

Dr. Rajkumar Sevak is an accomplished academic and clinical researcher with expertise in psychiatric pharmacotherapy and pharmacy education. He is currently serving as an associate professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice at the University of the Pacific’s Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy. Dr. Sevak has built a career integrating rigorous research with hands-on clinical and teaching practice. His educational background includes a PhD in pharmacology from the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, followed by PGY1 residency from Auburn University, and postdoctoral fellowship training from East Tennessee State University. He is a licensed pharmacist in four U.S. states and holds specialized certifications in psychiatric pharmacy, informatics, and biostatistics.

Dr. Sevak’s research portfolio reflects a sustained focus on neuropsychiatric therapeutics and students’ mental health. He has served as principal or coinvestigator on several funded grants, including projects supported by the National Institutes of Health, examining pharmacotherapies for substance-use disorders and intervening to improve mental health outcomes. His scholarly output shows over 30 peer-reviewed journal articles and 70 national conference presentations. He is also an active peer reviewer for leading journals and grant agencies, and has received multiple awards, including the CPNP Foundation Strategic Goals Award and the Sudhir Gupta Young Scientist Award.

As an educator, Dr. Sevak coordinates and teaches core courses in neuropsychiatric therapeutics, biostatistics, and research design at the University of the Pacific. He guides pharmacy students, residents, and fellows in research projects, presentations, and professional development. Outside of academics, he has provided clinical services in outpatient and inpatient psychiatric pharmacy, ambulatory care, and community pharmacy settings. His professional service also extends to committee roles within his institution and professional organizations such as the American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists and the College on Problems of Drug Dependence. Through his interdisciplinary work in research, teaching, and practice, Dr. Sevak continues to contribute significantly to the fields of psychiatric pharmacy and pharmacotherapy education.

Dr. Sevak’s Fulbright-Nehru project is working on establishing a Indo-US collaborative system to enhance neuropsychiatric pharmacy education. Toward this, he is delivering a core therapeutics course and codeveloping culturally relevant patient cases with Indian faculty colleagues for a case-based course. The project is also fostering cross-cultural pedagogical exchange and improving mental healthcare by training pharmacy students to provide evidence-based care. Expected outcomes include a sustainable case library, strengthened institutional ties, and a model for global pharmacy education.

Dr. Neelima Chauhan obtained her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in life sciences with physiology and biochemistry majors, and a bachelor’s degree in education and psychology from Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, India. After migrating to the U.S., she received her postdoctoral training in neurotoxicology at Oregon Health Science University and in molecular neurobiology and neurodegeneration at Loyola University Chicago.

After successful completion of postdoctoral trainings, she obtained an independent joint position as assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and as research biologist with Veterans Affairs (VA). She then became an associate professor in the Department of Pediatrics at UIC where she also served as a faculty for the graduate program in neuroscience. Besides, she worked as the neuroscience program director at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center.

Dr. Chauhan has directed research projects funded by VA and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in translational neuroscience, with a major focus on Alzheimer’s disease and traumatic brain injury. She has presented over 100 abstracts and published over 50 peer-reviewed articles, over six reviews, and more than five book chapters. She has also served on the editorial boards of many neuro-biomedical Journals.

Besides, Dr. Chauhan has served on various institutional administrative committees including the Institutional Biosafety Committee and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. She has also served as a reviewer on RRD6 VA MERIT REVIEW Study Section and on NIH Grant Study Sections. She is a member of many professional societies such as the Society for Neuroscience, the American Society for Neurochemistry, and the International Society for Alzheimer’s & Dementia.

Dr. Chauhan’s Fulbright-Nehru project is evaluating the therapeutic potential of Indian classical music – by virtue of its unique melodic/rhythmic structure – in treating age-associated neuropsychiatric disorders.