Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology

• Congratulations to the Read Lab on two recent publications and a recent grant:

  • Publication in Neuro-Oncology, "Modeling Gliomas with Organoids: Classification, Fidelity, and Guidelines for Translational Neuro-Oncology"

  • Review article in Frontiers in Oncology, "Modeling gliomas with organoids: reconstructing the human neural microenvironment for translational neuro-oncology"

  • Rally Foundation Grant: Synergizing Innate and Adaptive Immunity for High Grade Glioma Therapy

Dr. Qi Zhang has been awarded a research grant from the BrightFocus Foundation for a project on Alzheimer’s disease, in collaboration with co-investigator Dr. Lian Li. The study aims to enable earlier detection of Alzheimer’s disease using glycosylation-based biomarkers and to open new opportunities for personalized diagnosis and treatment.

The Ivanov lab received a DoD CDMRP award for the project, “Repurposing Approved Drugs as First-in-Class Disruptors of the p38/MK2 Complex to Suppress Neuroinflammation in ALS”. Collaborators include: Jie Jiang, PhD, Cell Biology; Jimena Andersen, PhD, Human Genetics; Eric Miller, PhD, Pharmacology and Chemical Biology; and Tyler Beyett, PhD, Pharmacology and Chemical Biology.

Congratulations to Dr. Tom Kukar and Team for receiving new NIH R01 grant:​

​"Determining the therapeutic potential and mechanism ofGranulins to treat Batten disease and Frontotemporal Dementia"​

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Hongjie Yuan, MD, PhD, Associate Professor in Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, received a grant, “Genetic Rescue of Synaptic and Behavioral Deficitsin a GRIN2B Truncating Variant Mouse Model,” for 2026 from the GRIN2B Foundation to fund research to promote scientific understanding of the rare genetic condition known as GRIN2B-Related Neurodevelopmental Disorder. ​

This project tests a novel genetic rescue strategy using a specialized rescuetRNA delivered to the brain via a viral vector to bypass these faulty stopsignals and restore normal GRIN2B protein production. By preserving thegene’s natural timing and location of expression, this approach offers apotential path toward gene-based therapies for GRIN2B truncatingvariants and other rare genetic disorders caused by similar mutations.​

Congratulations to the Traynelis/Yuan lab team on their recent publication in the Brain titled, "Inhibition of GluN2B-containing N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors by radiprodil.”

This study identified key structural determinants of radiprodil binding to GluN1–GluN2B receptors using X-ray crystallography. Radiprodil inhibited over 80% of disease-associated GRIN variants and, in preclinical models, reduced abnormal activity and delayed seizures, highlighting its potential as a targeted therapy for genetically driven neurological disorders.​

Figure: Structure of the GluN1‑1b–GluN2B NTD in complex with radiprodil determined by X‑ray crystallography (left). The Fo–Fc omit map for radiprodil is shown contoured at 4.5σ, together with the modeled ligand (yellow sticks). Right: Cerebral glucose metabolism, assessed by dynamic FDG‑PET imaging, is significantly reduced in knock‑in mice carrying the gain‑of‑function GRIN2B-p.S810R variant, which was originally identified in a patient with early‑onset epileptic encephalopathy.

Several faculty from Pharmacology and Chemical Biology were featured in the winter 2026 Emory Winship magazine cover story, "From Bench to Bedside." The article explains how researchers at the Winship Cancer Institute are working to move cancer treatments from laboratory discoveries to real patient care, emphasizing the importance of collaboration across disciplines and continued support for early-stage research to maintain a strong pipeline of new treatments. The goal is to translate scientific discoveries into more effective therapies and improved outcomes for cancer patients.

Xiulei Mo, PhD, and Andrey Ivanov, PhD, were promoted to Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology (effective September 1, 2026).

Xiulei: recognized for his vital research into tumor suppressor genes, such as SMAD4. By leveraging systems and chemical biology, he is translating cancer genomics into promising new therapeutic targets.

Andrey: recognized for his innovative integration of computational/AI and experimental approaches to uncover molecular mechanisms of disease and for demonstrated contributions to team science.

Congratulations to the Ivanov lab group on their recent publication in the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry titled, "Non-Catalytic Inhibitors of the p38/MK2 Interface: Repurposing Approved Drugs to Target Neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's Disease.”

This study reports the discovery of first-in-class small-molecule disruptors of the p38/MK2 protein–protein interaction, highlighting a novel therapeutic strategy for targeting neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s disease.

First author is Maylynn Hu and other authors include Andrew Li, Payton Fleming, Julia Gralla, Kristos Negrón Terón, Ying Zhou, Eric J. Miller, Tyler S. Beyett, Zhexing Wen, Yuhong Du, Haian Fu, and Andrey Ivanov.

Yuhong Du, PhD, Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, was named a fellow in the Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening (SLAS). The SLAS Fellow Member Program launched in 2016 to recognize the exceptional contributions of SLAS’s most valued contributors. SLAS Fellow Members represent the epitome of SLAS as a mission-driven organization that focuses on serving life sciences professionals via practitioner-driven knowledge, education and peer-to-peer connections.