Research
Medicinal Chemistry
Small molecule design and synthesis for ligand-protein interactions, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, CNS neoplasms, acute/chronic neurotoxicity, depression.
C. Sean Esslinger, Research Associate Professor; Ph.D. (organic chemistry), Colorado State, 1992. Design and asymmetric synthesis of neurotransmitter and neurotransmitter precursor analogues, molecular modeling, neuroscience tool development.
Erica L. Woodahl, Assistant Professor, Ph.D. (pharmaceutics), University of Washington, 2004. Pharmacogenomics of drug transporters and drug-metabolizing enzymes in drug response, toxicity, and disease susceptibility.
John Gerdes, Associate Professor, Ph.D. (chemistry), University of California, Riverside, 1982. Synthesis, design, and computational modeling of small molecule drugs.
Keith K. Parker, Associate Professor; Ph.D. (pharmacology), California, San Francisco, 1977. Neurochemistry and molecular neuropharmacology, particularly the development of new anti-migraine drugs and studies of serotonin receptor-G protein interactions.
David M. Shepherd, Associate Professor; Ph.D. (environmental and molecular toxicology), Oregon State, 1999. Immunomodulation by nutraceuticals and dietary supplements with a special emphasis on chronic inflammatory diseases such as arthritis and asthma; mechanisms of immunotoxicity following exposure to environmental chemicals such as the halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g., TCDD and PCBs).
Jerry R. Smith, Associate Professor; Ph.D. (pharmacology), Mississippi, 1977. Cardiovascular pharmacology, drug metabolism and toxicology; development and application of ischemic-reperfusion-injured rat heart models for studying anti-ischemic agents; physiologic/toxicologic implications of nutriceuticals.
Howard D. Beall, Professor; Ph.D. (medicinal chemistry), Florida, 1991. Cardiovascular toxicology and environmental agents; anticancer drug discovery; cancer prevention.
Richard J. Bridges, Professor; Ph.D. (biochemistry), Cornell, 1984. Pharmacology and toxicology related to excitatory amino acid transporters, receptors and glutamate-mediated neuropathology.
Nicholas Natale, Professor; Ph.D. (organic chemistry), Drexel University, 1979. Isoxazoles in medicinal chemistry, especially applied towards potential anti-hypertensive anti-cancer and Alzheimer's therapeutics.
Charles M. Thompson, Professor; Ph.D. (organic chemistry), California, Riverside, 1982. Medicinal and bioorganic chemistry, neurochemistry; synthesis of novel small molecule probes of protein structure and function; protein mass spectrometry and proteomics; oragnophosphorus inhibitors; pharmacophore development.
Todd G. Cochran, Professor Emeritus; Ph.D. (pharmaceutical sciences), Washington (Seattle), 1970. Pharmacokinetics, Cytochrome P450, educational assessment.
Rustem S. Medora, Professor Emeritus; Ph.D. (pharmaceutical sciences), Rhode Island, 1966. Ethnopharmacology of bioactive plants from India and America.