Professor and co-Director

I am a synthetic medicinal chemist with undergraduate, master and PhD education in organic synthesis and postdoctoral training in medicinal chemistry. In the last 20 years, I have researched and published extensively on antiviral projects targeting important human viral pathogens, including mainly HIV-1, hepatitis B virus (HBV), human cytomegalovirus (HCMV), emerging viruses and monkeypox virus (MPXV). These projects entailed and enhanced my core expertise in organic synthesis, inhibitor design, in vitro assay, and ADMET profiling. My research is highly collaborative. I have a strong track record of collaborating with virologists and viral structural biologists on NIAID-funded antiviral research projects (see highlighted grant support and selected publications below). At our center, I direct and collaborate with our Pharmacology Core consisting of ADMET / pharmacokinetic and toxicology; as well as our Chem Core comprising medicinal chemistry and computational chemistry. I’m experienced in building and leading dynamic and synergistic teams required for productive multi-disciplinary research projects where my particularly strength is to direct the overall compound development plan, including the design, synthesis and optimization of new lead compounds, structure-activity relationship, structure-ADMET property relationship, and the selection of compounds for in-house ADMET / PK / Tox studies.