Nisanne Ghonem, Pharm.D., Ph.D.

Nisanne Ghonem
  • Associate Professor
  • Office: 395M Lab: 320
  • Phone: 401.874.4805
  • Email: nghonem@uri.edu
  • Office Location: Avedisian Hall, 7 Greenhouse Road, Kingston, RI 02881
Research Website

 

Biography

Nisanne Ghonem, PharmD ’04, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences, specializing in translational pharmacology.

Research

Dr. Ghonem’s research focuses on the regulation of nuclear receptors for the treatment of liver and kidney diseases, including cholestatic liver diseases and ischemia-reperfusion injury during organ transplantation. Research includes cell culture, animal models, and clinical studies.

Education

Postdoctoral fellowship, Yale University
Ph.D., Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Pittsburgh
Pharm.D., University of Rhode Island

Selected Publications

Deng R, Ghonem NS, Achour B (2027). Metabolism, Metabolic Health, and Diseases. RIMJ, accepted  

Hayes CM, Cross DC, Achour B, Ghonem NS (2026). Targeting PPAR-Regulated Pathways to Treat Cholestatic Liver Diseases: Novel Applications of Liquid Biopsies. Cells 15(16), 1442;  

Dahal A, Sierra T, Hayes CM, Assis DN, Rostami-Hodjegan A, Ghonem NS, Achour B (2026). A Liquid Biopsy-RNAseq Method for Monitoring the Expression of Genes Involved in Drug Disposition: Proof-of-Concept Application to Cholestatic Liver Disease. JPBA, Feb 15:269:117244  

Hayes CM, Gallucci GM, Boyer JL, Assis DN, Ghonem NS (2025). PPAR agonists for the treatment of cholestatic liver diseases: over a decade of clinical progress. Hepatol. Comm. Jan 9(1) e0612  

Gallucci GM, Hayes CM, Barbier O, Boyer JL, Assis DN, Ghonem NS (2024). PPAR-mediated bile acid glucuronidation: therapeutic targets for the treatment of cholestatic liver diseases. Cells Aug:1296 

Gallucci GM, Oladepo M, Ding M, Gohh R, Ghonem NS (2024). Quantification of treprostinil concentration in rat serum, human serum, and human plasma using a novel validated and rapid liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method: Experimental and clinical applications in ischemia-reperfusion injury. Clini Chim Acta 561:119837 

Gallucci GM, Alsuwayt B, Auclair AM, Boyer JL, Assis DN, Ghonem NS (2022). Fenofibrate downregulates NF-κB signaling to inhibit cytokine secretion in human THP-1 macrophages and during primary biliary cholangitis. Inflammation, Dec;45(6):2570-2581 

Hou J, Tolbert E, Birkenbach M, Ghonem NS (2021). Treprostinil alleviates hepatic mitochondrial injury during rat renal ischemia-reperfusion injury. Biomed Pharmacother, Nov:143:112172  

Ding M, Tolbert E, Birkenbach M, Gohh R, Akhlaghi F, Ghonem NS (2021). Treprostinil reduces mitochondrial injury during rat renal ischemia-reperfusion injury. Biomed Pharmacother. 111912  

Gallucci GM, Trottier J, Hemme CL, Boyer JL, Assis DN, Barbier O, Ghonem NS (2021). Adjunct fenofibrate up-regulates bile acid glucuronidation and improves treatment response for patients with cholestasis. Hepatol. Comm., Dec;5(12):2035-2051  

Ding M, Birkenbach M, Tolbert E, Gohh R, Akhlaghi F, and Ghonem NS (2021). Treprostinil, a prostacyclin analog, ameliorates renal ischemia-reperfusion injury: preclinical studies in a rat model of acute kidney injury. Nephrol Dialysis Transplant, Jan 25;36(2):257-266. 

Ghonem NS, Auclair AM, Hemme CL, Gallucci GM, de la Rosa Rodriguez R, Boyer JL, Assis DN, (2020). Fenofibrate improves liver function and reduces the toxicity of the bile acid pool in patients with primary biliary cholangitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis who are partial responders to Ursodiol. Clin Pharmacol Ther Dec;108(6):1213-1223