Assistant Professor

Graduate Training: Florida A&M University
Fellowship: University of Arizona

Department of Basic Pharmaceutical Sciences
West Virginia University School of Pharmacy
One Medical Center Drive
P.O. Box 9530 Health Sciences Center
Morgantown, WV 26506
t: 304-293-1474
f: 304-293-2576
e: jhuber@hsc.wvu.edu

Research Interests

Under normal physiological conditions, the blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a physical and metabolic partition between the systemic circulation and the microenvironment of the brain, which serves to establish and maintain a highly regulated environment necessary for optimal neuronal function. The BBB is situated at the level of the cerebral microvasculature and is characterized by a lack of pinocytotic activity and the presence of "epithelial-like" tight junctions that allow the endothelium to closely regulate the passage of solutes into and out of the brain. In addition, the BBB has a number of channels and transporters that regulate the passage of nutrients into and wastes and toxins out of the brain. However, these same attributes that are necessary for proper neuronal function create a formidable obstacle for the entry of pharmaceutical agents into the brain; therefore, many CNS-associated pathologies (neurodegenerative diseases, multiple sclerosis, and stroke) are under-treated or not treated at all. My research focuses on two facets of BBB research: improving drug delivery to the CNS and characterizing the functional and structural integrity of the BBB in health and disease.