Previously on the faculty of Florida State University and Florida A&M University, Paravastu specializes in the use of solid state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy for structural characterization of self-assembled proteins.

Protein self-assembly into nanostructured filaments leads to plaque formation that is the pathological hallmark of amyloid diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and type-II diabetes).

In addition to understanding the mechanisms of protein aggregation diseases, Paravastu’s research group is interested in engineering protein self-assembly for fabrication of artificial extracellular matrices, and for integration of self-assembled protein structures into hybrid nanostructured materials and nanoelectronic devices.

Holding a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, Paravastu won a National Science Foundation CAREER Award in 2011.

In 2014, he and other researchers won a $1.67 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study a specific protein in the body believed to cause Alzheimer’s disease.