Postdoctoral Scholar and Fellow

I am a medicinal chemist with over eight years of research experience working on small-molecule drug discovery projects in the academic setting in the laboratories of Professor Hecht and Professor John. I am interested in bringing innovation to drug discovery while leveraging diversity of thought to solve challenging unmet medical needs in our society. Since childhood, I was fascinated with science and the impact on our lives. Synthetic chemistry offered countless opportunities to connect atoms and build distinct molecules, like a Lego or 3D-puzzle. In my pursuit of new, effective approaches to AD, I am synthesizing analogs using state-of-the-art flow-chemistry with the Syrris equipment. I am working towards an antagonist library for corticotropin-releasing factor receptor 1 (CRFR1) based on a lead compound that was identified from a select panel of CRFR1 antagonists which lowered phosphorylated tau (p-tau) both in vitro and in vivo and improved cognition in AD model mice. In another project, I am involved in designing targeted and controlled drug delivery system using chemically modified elastic liposomes for encapsulation of proteins, miRNA and small molecules with low brain permeability in these nanovesicles for delivery to the brain. We are also attempting to address the problem - the lack of sensitive, noninvasive methods to follow the effect of treatment on pathology-related biomarkers - by designing a screening method for analyzing brain-derived extracellular vesicle (EVs). The ability to detect brain-derived EVs in blood opens a window into the brain and creates the possibility of development of brain-specific liquid biopsy for AD and other neurological conditions. My role in this project is to design and synthesize specific bead-based linkers for bio-conjugation using ‘click-chemistry’, which will help in isolating brain-derived EVs from biofluids such as plasma. When fully developed, our method may create a non-invasive blood-based early diagnostic test for AD, a way to monitor drug treatment effects, and to identify novel biomarkers and targets for new AD therapeutic development.