Experience
Discovery programs, approved medicines, and the work between.
From Paratek through Nurix, the through-line is the same: design compounds that can be made, interpret data that actually change a series, and keep programs honest about what they know.
- 25+ years of pharmaceutical and biotechnology R&D
- Major contributor to two FDA-approved medicines: Nuzyra® and Seysara®
- 2019 ACS Heroes of Chemistry Award, Paratek team
- $3.5M DoD-funded drug discovery program
- 25+ patents, publications, and presentations
- AI/ML, CADD, and DNA-encoded library discovery experience
- Pharmaceutical patent and litigation support
2020 — present
MedSyn Solutions
Drug Discovery Consultant
Independent advisory practice for biotechnology, pharmaceutical, AI, and discovery organizations: strategy, medicinal and computational chemistry, AI/LLM scientific evaluation, diligence, and pharmaceutical IP support.
2023 — 2025
Nurix Therapeutics
Associate Director, Medicinal Chemistry
Senior medicinal chemistry guidance for early targeted-protein-degradation programs in oncology and metabolic disease. Partnered with AI/ML, computational chemistry, and DNA-encoded library teams on feasibility, SAR, properties, novelty, and progression.
2020 — 2023
Rutgers University
Associate Research Professor
Translated emerging biological targets into actionable discovery strategies. Guided design, synthesis, SAR, computational work, and CRO activity across programs, and contributed to preliminary data and grant proposals.
2020 — 2021
Frontier Scientific
Director, External Research
Coordinated discovery projects and contract research. Advised on screening-library design, compound sourcing, and building-block selection for DNA-encoded libraries.
2015 — 2020
Echelon Biosciences
Director, Medicinal Chemistry
Scientific strategy leadership for early programs in neurological disease and oncology — cytoprotective, anti-inflammatory, and mitochondrial-targeted work. Set progression criteria and allocated research effort.
2012 — 2015
Kalyra Pharmaceuticals
Director, Medicinal Chemistry
Led medicinal and computational chemistry strategy for infectious-disease and oncology programs: target evaluation, hit identification, SAR, lead optimization, and portfolio priorities.
2002 — 2011
Paratek Pharmaceuticals
Principal Scientist
Scientific leadership for infectious-disease and CNS programs from discovery through preclinical development. Contributed medicinal and process chemistry supporting the FDA-approved medicines Nuzyra and Seysara.
Education
Ph.D., Synthetic Chemistry
University of Utah · 1992 — 1998
B.S., Chemistry
Iowa State University · 1988 — 1992
Certifications
- Introduction to Molecular Modeling in Drug Discovery, Schrödinger, October 2020
- High-Throughput Virtual Screening for Hit Finding and Evaluation, Schrödinger, May 2022