News Highlights
Drs. Todd Golde and Yong Ran Honored with Emory OTT “Innovation of the Year” Award
Drs. Todd Golde and Yong Ran’s technology entitled “Therapeutic strategy to preserve muscle mass during weight loss” was selected as “Innovation of the Year” and honored at the Technology Partnership Forum: Partnering, Technology & Faculty Honors” event organized by Emory University Office of Technology.
Emory Pharmacology and Chemical Biology Ranked Top 9 for NIH Funding
Emory Pharmacology and Chemical Biology ranked number 9 for NIH Funding by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research (BRIMR) 2024. Each year, the BRIMR publishes a ranking of U.S. academic institutions and health care systems based on the research funding they received from NIH the prior year.
Congratulations to our faculty, staff, and trainees!
Wan Lab Published Articles in "Nature Communications" and "JCI"
The lab of Dr. Yong Wan published articles in Nature Communications and The Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Nature Communications: "MGAT1-Guided complex N-Glycans on CD73 regulate immune evasion in triple-negative breast cancer," April 15, 2025.
The Journal of Clinical Investigation: "4-1BB stimulation with concomitant inactivation of adenosine A2B receptors enhances CD8+ T cell antitumor response," April 3, 2025.
Fu/Mo Lab Published Article in "Nature Communications"
The lab of Dr. Haian Fu and Xiulei Mo published an article titled, "Uncovering the rewired IAP-JAK regulatory axis as an immune-dependent vulnerability of LKB1-mutant lung cancer," in Nature Communications, February 2025.
Dr. Dionna Williams Featured on the Cover of The Pharmacologist
Congratulations to Dionna Williams, PhD, Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, for being featured on the cover of The Pharmacologist, in honor of Black History Month. Dr. Williams was one of two professors at Emory to recently receive the Presidential Early Career Award, the U.S. government’s highest honor for early-career scientists. She joined ASPET in 2022 and is a member of the Division for Drug Metabolism and Disposition.
Dr. John R. Hepler Elected Secretary/Treasurer of ASPET
John R. Hepler, PhD, Professor and Vice Chair for Academic Affairs in Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, was elected Secretary/Treasurer of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET). This position on the society Executive Council is for a 3 year term and, as Secretary/Treasurer-Elect, Hepler will begin his service in June 2025. Hepler has been an active member of ASPET for 26 years, serving previously as Chair of the Molecular Pharmacology Division and was honored by selection as a Fellow of ASPET (FASPET) in 2024.
Cancer Biologist Yong Wan and Chemist Mingji Dai Featured in Emory Report for Research on Plant Extract and its New Early Lead Against Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Yong Wan, PhD, and Mingji Dai, PhD invented a reaction to streamline synthesis of a compound, phaeocaulisin A, extracted from a plant used for centuries in traditional Chinese medicine. Laboratory dish experiments on the compound at Winship Cancer Institute show it’s a promising early lead against triple-negative breast cancer.
Their work was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
Dr. Wan is a professor of pharmacology and chemical biology at Emory School of Medicine and director of basic research for the Glenn Family Breast Center at Winship Cancer Institute. Dr. Dai is Asa Griggs Candler Professor of Chemistry, is also a member of the Discovery and Developmental Therapeutics Research Program at Winship Cancer Institute.
Haian Fu Honored by the Pharmacology Leadership Award
“AMSPC President’s Award for Leadership in the field of Pharmacology”
This award was presented to Haian Fu, PhD, Professor and Chair of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University, by the AMSPC President at the 2025 Annual Meeting of the Association of Medical School Pharmacology Chairs. The President’s Award for Leadership was established to recognize a current or retired department chair who has demonstrated extraordinary commitment and accomplishment as a leader in the field of Pharmacology. Awardees are expected to have distinguished themselves in their discipline and have contributed as a leader both within their institution and beyond, particularly in positions that advance the field of Pharmacology.
Dr. Dionna Williams Received the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers
Congratulations to Dionna Williams, PhD, Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, for receiving the Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers, which recognizes scientists and engineers who show exceptional potential for leadership early in their research careers.
The Williams Lab studies how HIV compromises the brain and determines whether combining HIV antiretroviral therapies with drugs of abuse exacerbates brain damage. Additionally, Williams investigates how immunologic and pharmacologic factors affect health disparities.
The Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers is overseen by a joint commission between federal agencies and the U.S. National Science Foundation. Honorees receive an award package that includes a citation, a plaque and up to five years of funding to advance their research.
Dr. Stephen Traynelis Received the 2024 Emory SOM Innovation for Impact Award
Congratulations to Stephen Traynelis, PhD, Professor of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, recipient of the 2024 Emory School of Medicine Innovation for Impact Award. The award recognizes faculty inventors, innovators, and entrepreneurs whose contributions resulted in a significant impact on human health or have the potential to be paradigm-shifting.
Dr. Traynelis was presented the award by Sandra Wong, MD, MS, Dean of the Emory University Medical School, during the 2024 Emory Faculty Recognitions Week.
Dr. Haian Fu Received the 2025 ASPET Susan Band Horwitz Award in Cancer Pharmacology
ASPET is pleased to award Haian Fu, PhD, the 2025 Susan Band Horwitz Award Lecture in Cancer Pharmacology. The ASPET Division for Cancer Pharmacology established this award lecture to recognize excellent original research by established investigators in the area of cancer pharmacology. The award is named in honor of Dr. Susan Band Horwitz who is a pioneer in understanding the mechanism of action of cancer chemotherapy drugs many of which have been and remain mainstays of cancer therapy and whose work has changed the nature of cancer treatment.
Dr. Fu is receiving this award in recognition of his dedication to the field of cancer pharmacology and ASPET, especially his pioneering contributions to targeting protein-protein interactions in cancer.
The award will be presented by the Division for Cancer Pharmacology on April 4, 2025, during the ASPET 2025 Annual Meeting in Portland, Oregon. Additionally, Dr. Fu has been invited to deliver the award lecture on his work as part of the annual meeting.
Congratulations again, Dr. Fu!
Dr. Steve Traynelis Awarded 2025 Pharmacia-ASPET Award for Experimental Therapeutics
Congratulations to Stephen Traynelis, PhD, Professor of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, Emory University, for his 2025 Pharmacia-ASPET Award for Experimental Therapeutics by ASPET. Another well-deserved national recognition for Steve’s remarkable scientific accomplishments!
This award recognizes outstanding research in pharmacology and experimental therapeutics, basic laboratory or clinical research that has had, or potentially will have, a major impact on the pharmacological treatment of disease.
Dr. Traynelis is receiving this award in recognition of his important discoveries regarding the molecular and functional properties of the glutamate receptors and the development of novel subtype-selective ligands for glutamate receptors that are in clinical development for neurological diseases with high unmet clinical.
Dr. Renee Read Appointed Co-Leader of the Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB) Program at Winship Cancer Institute
Congratulations, Dr. Renee Read! Dr. Read was Appointed as a Co-Leader of the Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB) Program at the Winship Cancer Institute. In this role, Dr. Read will serve alongside Dr. Wei Zhou, who has co-led the CMB Program since its founding in 2020. Together they will oversee continued growth of the scientific program, pilot funding, leading monthly seminars, promoting inter- and intra-programmatic collaborations, participation in the Winship Scientific Review Council, and enhancing the scientific impact of Winship’s research on its catchment area and beyond.
Dr. Haian Fu Named 2024 ASPET Fellow
Haian Fu, PhD, Professor and Chair of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, was named a 2024 ASPET fellow. Selection as a fellow of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (FASPET) is an honor bestowed to our most distinguished members. Fellows are recognized for their meritorious efforts to advance pharmacology through their scientific achievements, mentorship, and service to the Society. Learn more about the FASPET program.
Dr. Dennis C. Liotta Received the Ray Dingledine Award
Dennis C. Liotta, PhD, Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor Chemistry, received the Raymond Dingledine Award for Research Impact in Pharmacology and Chemical Biology. Dr. Liotta was honored at an award ceremony on December 12, 2024 where he gave a talk, "Making New Drugs the Hard Way".
Ellen J. Hess, PhD, Received 2024 Emory SOM Hidden Gem Award
Besides running a vibrant research program studying the pathophysiology of dystonia, Dr. Ellen Hess is an exemplary citizen of the Emory community. Dr. Hess is first to help when needed and is a leader in the Neuroscience (NS) and Pharmacology (MSP) graduate programs. Ellen has served for many years on the NS Executive Committee including as Chair of the Admissions. When asked, Ellen took on the very demanding job of NS Program Director. Ellen also is an outstanding educator teaching extensively in both the MSP and NS programs. She has served as Course Director for the MSP grant writing class and as Co-Course director for the NS program Professional Development course guiding young students early in their careers. After stepping down from these roles, she recently very graciously volunteered to step back in and help younger faculty with the Admissions committee and the grant writing class. Dr. Hess established the Emory HPLC Bioanalytical Core, where she serves as Scientific Director. Most recently, Dr. Hess also successfully was awarded an NIH T32 training grant (Biological Discovery through Chemical Innovation) for graduate and postdoctoral training, where she serves as PI. Dr. Ellen Hess is a rare colleague who is recognized for her exemplary service and leadership to the Emory SOM and larger community.
Emory Launches Center for New Medicines to Accelerate Development of Life-Saving Medications
Emory University’s School of Medicine is embarking on a groundbreaking new initiative to develop a drug discovery pipeline for translating fundamental biological discoveries into the next generation of life-saving treatments.
Announced during the recent 2024 Emory Drug Discovery and Development (3D) Symposium, the Center for New Medicines (CNM) will serve as an integrated one-stop hub of advanced technology, infrastructure and resources where scientists and physicians can work together to identify unmet medical needs and create solutions to improve health outcomes across a number of key disease areas.
Tyler S. Beyett, PhD, and Yong Wan, PhD, faculty members in the Pharmacology and Chemical Department, were highlighted by the Winship Cancer Institute for their work translating discoveries into new cancer therapies.
Winship Cancer Institute News Center
Former NS Student Winner of the 2024 Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award
James Olzmnn, PhD, class of 2007 Emory GDBBS Neuroscience student, is the wnner of the GDBBS 2024 Distinguished Alumni of the Year Award. He did his dissertation research under the mentorship of Drs. Lian Li and Lih-Shen Chin in Pharmacology and Chemical Biology.
Dr. Olzmann is the Doris Howes Calloway Chair and Professor, Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, at University of California, Berkeley. The research in his lab aims to elucidate the mechanisms that govern cellular lipid homeostasis, including neutral lipid storage in lipid droplets and lipid damage leading to lipotoxic cell dealth.
Dr. Olzmann gave a special seminar at Emory hosted by the Neuroscience program, "Fat, Death, and Drugs: Mechanisms of Cellular Lipid Homeostasis and Ferroptosis," on October 10, 2024. He discussed advances in the understanding of the cell biology that underlies lipid quality control and ferroptosis, a form of non-apoptotic cell death that invoves the accumulation of oxidatively damaged phospholipids (i.e., lipid peroxides). He presented recent findings highlighting the power of genetic discovery approaches to uncover therapeutically relevant mechanisms that can be targeted to regualte oxidative lipid damage and ferroptosis in health and disease.
Dr. R. Donald Harvey Appointed Vice President for Clinical Research
R. Donald Harvey, PharmD, Professor in the Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology with a joint appointment in the Department of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology at Emory University School of Medicine, has been appointed Vice President for Clinical Research (VPCR). Dr. Harvey is Executive Director of the Woodruff Industry Sponsored Clinical Trials.
As VPCR, Dr. Harvey will be responsible for advancing Emory’s reputation as an international leader in industry-sponsored clinical trials; continuing to build and align our clinical trial infrastructure; fostering partnerships and collaborations among faculty and staff; and growing research and scholarship aimed at attracting and engaging the next generation of leaders. Dr. Harvey will also be part of the leadership team within the Office of the Senior VP for Research and will work in partnership with the Vice President for Research Administration to optimize clinical trial initiation and growth.
2024 PhCB Researcher Accelerator Awards
Pharmacology and Cell Biology announced the 2024 PhCB Researcher Accelerator Awards. Recipients are Pharmacology and Chemical Biology assistant professors Nicholas Varvel, PhD and Xiulei Mo PhD. The PhCB Researcher Awards recognize excellence in research, accelerate academic development, and aid faculty in building high impact research programs. Recipients are awarded $50k each.
New NIH Grant
Thota Ganesh, PhD, Associate Professor or Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, was awarded a 5-year NIH grant, "Development of EP2 Receptor Antagonist to Treat Alzheimer's Disease". Collaborators are Dr. Paul Territo at Indiana University and Pyrefin, Inc.
New Promotion
Congratulations, Qi Zhang, PhD, former Instructor in the lab of Drs. Lian Li and Lih-Shen Chin, for her promotion to Assistant Professor.
The Zhang Laboratory dedicated to advancing glycobiology research through the development of mass spectrometry-based structural glycoproteomics methodologies, integrated with bioinformatics and systems biology approaches. Their research aims to map the structural diversity of glycans and glycopeptides to investigate how glycosylation modulates protein function in both healthy and diseased states. Their ultimate goal is to advance glycobiology and its medical applications, paving the way for new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for glycosylation-related diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.
Dr. Dionna Williams Named in 10 Scientists to Watch List
Dionna Williams, PhD, Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, has been honored by Science News as one of the 10 top young scientists in the country (“10 Scientists to Watch” list). Dr. Williams joined Pharmacology and Chemical Biology January 2024 from Johns Hopkins University.
New Multi-PI NIH Grant
Congratulations to the Golde lab group on their NIH grant, “Searching for the Goldilocks Zone of Innate Immunity in Alzheimer's Disease,” a multi-PI award with Dr. Yona Levites, Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, and Dr. Matthew Rowan, Assistant Professor of Cell Biology.
2024 Brodie Award from ASPET
Edward T. Morgan, PhD, Professor Emeritus, received the 2024 Bernard B. Brodie Award in Drug Metabolism and Disposition from ASPET. The Bernard B. Brodie Award in Drug Metabolism and Disposition has been established to honor the fundamental contributions of Bernard B. Brodie in the field of drug metabolism and disposition.
2024 SOM Researcher Appreciation Day
Congratulations to Yong Wan, PhD, Professor of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, for being recognized for 2024 Emory School of Medicine Researcher Appreciation Day.
Dr. Wan leads a globally recognized research program that investigates the roles of posttranslational modifications (PTMs) in biology and human diseases. Dr. Wan's recent paradigm-shifting discovery of PTM mechanisms that control immune checkpoint proteins will accelerate the development of the next generation of anticancer immunotherapeutic agents.
Drs. Todd Golde and Yona Levites Publish Paper in "Cell Reports Medicine"
New findings out of Emory University are challenging existing theories about the origins of Alzheimer’s, the leading cause of dementia in the elderly worldwide. A team led by researchers at the Goizueta Brain Health Institute has found strong evidence supporting a new understanding of the mechanism behind Alzheimer’s disease.
In a paper published August 9 in Cell Reports Medicine, Todd E. Golde and Yona Levites explain how the amyloid beta deposits long known to build up in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients serve as a kind of scaffold for the accumulation of other proteins. Because many of these proteins have known signaling functions, their presence around the amyloid accumulations, known as plaques, could be the culprit causing brain cell damage rather than the amyloid itself.
Drs. Todd Golde and David Weinshenker Launch T32 Alzheimer's Training Program
Todd E. Golde, MD, PhD (Pharmacology and Chemical Biology and Neurology) and David Weinshenker, PhD (Human Genetics) are MPIs in a new T32 training grant, "AD Big Data to Biology Training Program (ADBDB-TP)".
The training program seeks to recruit and rigorously train highly qualified and motivated postdoctoral fellows (MD, MD/PhD and PhD) and predoctoral candidates in big data” science associated with ADRDs. The training will bidirectionally provide i) big data-focused trainees with more biological insight into ADRDs and ii) more neurobiologically-focused trainees with the ability to access, understand and analyze, and use big data sets.
Learn more about the program and open positions
Traynelis and Liotta Labs Publish Paper in "Nature"
Congratulations to Drs. Steve Traynelis and Dennis Liotta and all the authors for their new paper in Nature, "Molecular mechanism of ligand gating and opening of NMDA receptor".
Wan Lab Publishes "Advanced Science" Article
Congratulations to the Wan Lab for their publication, "Tuning Immune-Cold Tumor by Suppressing USP10/B7-H4 Proteolytic Axis Reinvigorates Therapeutic Efficacy of ADCs," in Advanced Science, August 2024.
Authors include: Lidan Zeng, Yueming Zhu, Xin Cui, Junlong Chi, Amad Uddin, Zhuan Zhou, Xinxin Song, Mingji Dai, Massimo Cristofanilli, Kevin Kalinsky, and Yong Wan*.
Wan Lab High Impact Publications
Congratulations to Dr. Yong Wan and his team for two recent high impact journal publications in the Journal of Clinical Investigation:
"CD8+ T cells sustain antitumor response by mediating crosstalk between adenosine A2A receptor and glutathione/GPX4," published March 5, 2024
"Pharmacological Suppression of the OTUD4-CD73 Proteolytic Axis Revives Antitumor Immunity against Immune-Cold Breast Cancers," published March 26, 2024.
ASPET President 2024
Randy Hall, PhD, Professor of Pharmacology and Chemical Biology, was recently elected to serve as the next President of the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET). Dr. Hall will officially be ASPET’s President-Elect on July 1st, 2024, and his one-year term as ASPET President will begin on July 1st, 2025.
Perspective Published in "Science"
Congratulations to Drs. Todd E. Golde and Allan I. Levey for their recent perspective on immunotherapies for Alzheimer's disease published in Science.