Akhil Maheshwari, M.D.

                                     Assistant  Professor of Pediatrics

                                              Phone: 205-934-4680

                                              E-mail: akhil@uab.edu

Dr. Maheshwari received his M.D. degree from the Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi, India.  This was followed by postgraduate training at the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research in Chandigarh, India in pediatrics.  He then came to the U.S., completing first a residency in pediatrics at the University of Florida at Gainesville followed by fellowship in neonatology at the University of South Florida.  He has received numerous scholastic, research and teaching awards in both India and the U.S.

Dr. Maheshwari’s research interests focus on the role of IL-8 in the development of the human small intestine and the mechanism of cytomegalovirus-induced inflammation in human intestinal mucosa.  His laboratory investigates the latter using novel tissue and primary cell models of human mucosa.

 Selected Publications

1. Maheshwari, A., Lu, W., Guida, W.C., Christensen, R.D. and Calhoun, D.A.  IL-8/CXC ligand 8 survives neonatal gastric digestion as a result of intrinsic aspartyl proteinase resistance. Pediatr. Res. 57:438-444, 2005.

2. Lu, W., Gersting, J.A., Maheshwari, A., Christensen, R.D. and Calhoun, D.A. Developmental expression of chemokine receptor genes in the human fetus. Early Hum. Dev. 81:489-496, 2005.

3. Maheshwari, A., Dimmitt, R.A., Lacson, A., Christensen, R.D. and Calhoun, D.A. Circulating CXC chemokines in a murine intestinal ischemia-reperfusion model. Fetal Pediat. Pathol. 23: 145-157, 2004.

4. Maheshwari, A., Lacson, A., Lu, W., Fox, S.E., Barleycorn, A.A., Christensen, R.D. and Calhoun, D.A. Interleukin-8/CXCL8 forms an autocrine loop in fetal intestinal mucosa. Pediatr. Res. 56:240-249, 2004.

5. El-Badri, N.S., Maheshwari, A. and Sanberg, P.R. Mesenchymal stem cells in autoimmune disease. Stem. Cells Dev. 13:463-472, 2004.

6. Condino, A.A., Barleycorn, A.A., Lu, W., Maheshwari, A., Christensen, R.D. and Calhoun, D.A. Abnormal intestinal histology in neonates with congenital anomalies of the gastrointestinal tract. Biol. Neonate.  85:145-150, 2004.

7. Maheshwari, A., Christensen, R.D. and Calhoun, D.A. ELR+ CXC chemokines in human milk. Cytokine. 24:91-102, 2003.

8. Calhoun, D.A., Maheshwari, A. and Christensen, R.D. Recombinant granulocyte colony-stimulating factor administered enterally to neonates is not absorbed. Pediatrics. 112:421-423, 2003.

9. Maheshwari, A. Role of cytokines in human intestinal villous development. Clin. Perinatol. 31:143-155, 2004.

10. Maheshwari, A., Lu, W., Lacson, A., Barleycorn, A.A., Nolan, S., Christensen, R.D. and Calhoun, D.A. Effects of interleukin-8 on the developing human intestine. Cytokine. 20:256-67, 2002.