Executive committee members

Ali Andalibi, Ph.D. (Chair)
Professor and Senior Associate Dean, College of Science, George Mason University
Inflammatory diseases – genetics and drug discovery. More →

John D. Catravas, Ph.D., FAPS, FAHA, FACCP
Sentara Chair, Frank Reidy Research Center for Bioelectrics; Professor, School for Medical, Diagnostic &Translational Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Old Dominion University. Adjunct Professor, Departments of Medicine (Pulmonary & Critical Care) and Physiological Sciences, Eastern Virginia Medical School.
Antidotes against chemically-induced acute (ALI/ARDS) and chronic (Fibrosis) lung injury. Mechanisms and treatment of COVID-19 associated ARDS.

Kathryn Cole, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Molecular Biology and Chemistry, Christopher Newport Univ.
Research in my lab uses molecular modeling and protein crystallography to study the structure-function relationships of polysaccharide deacetylases and histone deacetylases for the development of antibacterial and anticancer therapeutics, respectively. More →

Umesh Desai, Ph.D.
Professor, Institute for Structural Biology, Drug Discovery & Development, Virginia Commonwealth University
Glycosaminoglycans and mimetics as modulators of coagulation, cancer, inflammation, emphysema and viral infection
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Marion Ehrich, R.Ph., Ph.D., DABT, ATS
Professor of Pharmacology/Toxicology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech, and Virginia Tech School of Medicine

Nick Farrell, Ph.D.
Professor of Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University
Platinum, anticancer drugs, zinc fingers, metalloglycomics. More →

Paul B. Fisher, M.Ph., Ph.D., FNAI
Professor and Chair, Department of Human and Molecular Genetics, VCU Director, VCU Institute of Molecular Medicine
Molecular determinants of cancer progression and metastasis, viral-based therapy of cancer (Cancer Terminator Viruses) and small molecule inhibitors of metastasis More →

John Lazo, Ph.D.
Harrison Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Departments of Pharmacology and Chemistry, and CSO of KeViRx, University of Virginia
Pharmacology, Chemical-Biology, Phosphatases, Cancer, Alzheimer’s disease. More →

Mikell Paige, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, George Mason University
Drug Discovery, Pulmonary Inflammation, Fibrosis, Traumatic Brain Injury, Medicinal Chemistry, Organic Synthesis, Enzymology, Protein Chemistry
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Webster Santos, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Chemistry, Virginia Tech
Drug Discovery, Mitochondrial Uncouplers, S1P modulators, Metabolic Diseases, Multiple Sclerosis, Kidney Diseases
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Mohamed N. Seleem, Ph.D.
Tyler and Frances Young Chair in Bacteriology, Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, Virginia Tech
Antibacterial and Antifungal Drug Discovery
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Elizabeth Sharlow, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Research, Department of Pharmacology; Co-Director, Fiske Drug Discovery Laboratory, University of Virginia
Chemical Biology, Phosphatases, Cancer, High Throughput Screening, Assay Development
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Cliff Stains, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, University of Virginia
Development of tumor site-activated small molecules

Douglas Young, Ph.D
Cornelia Brackenridge Talbot Term Distinguished Associate Professor of Chemistry, William & Mary
Development of chemical tools to address biological questions and diseases

Yan Zhang, Ph.D.
Professor, School of Pharmacy, Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Virginia Commonwealth University
Drug design and development