Pipeline

CNM supports early-stage drug discovery projects from Emory leaders to advance novel therapeutics towards the clinic. Read more below about projects currently in our pipeline as well as opportunities to apply for a Therapeutic Advancement Award.

COMING SOON: 2026 Competitive Project Selection

Project selection for the next cohort of CNM Therapeutic Advancement Awards will start soon (Summer 2026). Check back to this page for next steps. If you have a project you would like to discuss, please email us at any time at newmedicines@emory.edu or click here to set up a time to meet with us.  

The 2026 funding call will be disease-agnostic, seeking promising (i.e. well-established disease biology and mechanistic insight) early-stage drug discovery projects, including assay development and miniaturization, high-throughput screening, hit identification, lead optimization (medicinal chemistry), and preliminary pharmacological analyses. Projects will receive funding, clinical guidance, project management, access to enabling resources and expertise, and IP coaching. 

Through the financial and programmatic support provided, CNM aims to advance both the progression of projects towards the clinic as well as the value of their intellectual property at each stage of the pipeline.

A magnifying glass with binary numbers "101" under it, symbolizing data analysis or search, on a blue background.

CNM Pipeline Projects

Potrait of Rafi Ahmed
Enhancement of Adoptive Cell Therapy (ACT) in Oncology and Infectious Disease

Rafi Ahmed, PhD, Professor, Department of Microbiology and Immunology

Pipeline Stage: Discovery (Biologic)

Potrait of Tyler Beyett
Targeting EGFR and HER2 Insertion Variants for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Tyler Beyett, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology

Pipeline Stage: Hit Identification (Small Molecule)

Portrait of Mingji Dai
Development of Small Molecule CaV3.2 Inhibitors for the Treatment of Osteoarthritic Pain

Mingji Dai, PhD, Asa Griggs Candler Professor, Department of Chemistry

Pipeline Stage: Hit-to-Lead Identification (Small Molecule)

Portrait of Huw Davies
Small Molecule Inhibitors of Oncogenic STAT Transcription Factors

Huw Davies, PhD, Asa Griggs Candler Professor, Department of Chemistry

Pipeline Stage: Hit-to-Lead Identification (Small Molecule)

Portrait of Haian Fu
Molecular Glue Discovery to Restore Tumor Suppressor Function in SPOP-Mutated Cancer

Haian Fu, PhD, Professor and Chair, Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology

Pipeline Stage: Hit-to-Lead Identification (Small Molecule)

Portrait of Andrey Ivanov
Development of PPI Disruptors to Overcome Acquired Resistance to EGFR Therapy in Lung Cancer

Andrey Ivanov, Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology

Pipeline Stage: Hit-to-Lead Identification (Small Molecule)

Portrait of Sumin Kang
Identification of a Promising AASS Inhibitor and Anti-Metastatic Drug

Sumin Kang, PhD, Professor; Division Director of Basic and Translational Science, Department of Hematology and Medical Oncology

Pipeline Stage: Hit Identification (Small Molecule)

Portrait of Dennis Liotta
Development of Novel Cannabinoid Derived Therapeutics for the Treatment of Refractory Epilepsy

Dennis Liotta, PhD, Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor, Department of Chemistry

Pipeline Stage: Lead Optimization (Small Molecule)

Portrait of Xiulei Mo
Discovery of First-In-Class Inhibitors of TGFβ/SMAD4 Signaling Pathway

Xiulei Mo, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology

Pipeline Stage: Hit Identification (Small Molecule)

Portrait of Eric Ortlund
Examining the Effect of LRH-1 Inhibitors for Cancer Treatment

Eric Ortlund, PhD, Professor, Department of Biochemistry and the Emory Vaccine Center

Pipeline Stage: Hit-to-Lead Identification (Small Molecule)

Portrait of Stephen Traynelis
Subunit-Selective NMDA Receptor Modulators for the Treatment of Neuropsychiatric Indications

Stephen Traynelis, PhD, Professor, Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology

Pipeline Phase: Hit-to-Lead Identification (Small Molecule)

Portrait of Yong Wan
Targeting the N-Glycans Pathway as a New Immunomodulatory Anti-Cancer Therapy

Yong Wan, PhD, Professor, Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology

Pipeline Stage: Hit-to-Lead Identification

Potrait of Yong Wan
Developing an OTUD4-CD73 Inhibitor for Immunotherapy

Yong Wan, PhD, Professor, Department of Pharmacology & Chemical Biology

Pipeline Stage: Hit-to-Lead Identification (Small Molecule)

Potrait of Chunhui Xu
Small Molecules for Cardioprotection

Chunhui Xu, PhD, Professor, Department of Pediatrics

Pipeline Stage: Hit Identification (Small Molecule)