Medchem News
May 9, 2023
Alex Wiley Named 2023-2024 Magnuson Scholar
UW’s Board of Health Sciences Deans announced this week that fourth-year UWSOP Medicinal Chemistry student Alex Wiley has been named…
February 6, 2023
Barker-Haliski and Jackson Named 2023 ASPET Award Recipients
Congratulations to School of Pharmacy and Plein Center Research Associate Professor Melissa Barker-Haliski and Medicinal Chemistry post-doc Klarissa Jackson, ’13,…
October 31, 2022
Extraordinary Support
Three exceptional UW School of Pharmacy graduate students – Keiann Simon, Alex Wiley and Adi Kumar – discuss their individual journeys at the #UWSOP and offer insight on what makes the School so special.
September 25, 2022
Design of membrane-traversing peptides leads to new spinout
Led by Department of Medicinal Chemistry Assistant Professor Gaurav Bhardwaj, a team of researchers at the Institute for Protein Design, University…
April 13, 2022
Four UWSOP Faculty Each Receive $20k Innovation Award for 2022
The UWSOP Faculty Innovation Award provides financial support of up to $20,000 each for high-risk, innovative research projects. The reviewers…
February 3, 2022
Klarissa Jackson Receives 2022 ASPET Award
Klarissa Jackson, ’13, has been awarded an ASPET 2022 Division for Translational and Clinical Pharmacology Early Career Award which recognizes…
November 3, 2020
Medicinal Chemistry Graduate Fellowship Support
Graduate students are at the heart of our most innovative and impactful work in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry —…
April 8, 2020
Medicinal Chemistry Student Named 2020-21 Magnuson Scholar
UWSOP would like to congratulate Amy Li, a 4th-year Medicinal Chemistry student in the UW XuLab, on being named a…
January 31, 2020
UW’s new WE-REACH center to accelerate development of the ‘most exciting’ biomedical discoveries
With well over a billion dollars in research funding annually, the University of Washington is an engine of discovery and…
January 28, 2020
UWSOP welcomes Gaurav Bhardwaj to Med Chem faculty
Join us in welcoming Gaurav Bhardwaj, PhD, to the Faculty as Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry. Gaurav…
January 24, 2020
Faculty Legend Wendel Nelson Retires
After over 50 years of distinguished service at UWSOP and wide-ranging contributions to the profession of pharmacy, Professor Wendel Nelson…
Xu and Kelly receive SOP Faculty Innovation Award
Libin Xu and Ed Kelly take a novel approach to investigate toxicity of common household cleaners Libin Xu and Ed…
September 18, 2019
Promoted UWSOP faculty tackling tough problems facing population health with novel approaches
Recently promoted faculty are finding news ways to solve significant population health problems from Alzheimer’s and related dementias to kidney…
September 12, 2019
Using Genetics to Decode Warfarin
The potential impact of personalized medicine launched here at UW School of Pharmacy about twenty years ago, when Dave Veenstra’s…
Small Molecules, Big Health Solutions
The story of the Department of Medicinal Chemistry is of a multi-generational approach to solving big problems in population health….
September 10, 2019
The Future of Pharmacy
Celebrating 125 Years of Impact & Innovation Our mission is to develop exceptional pharmacy leaders and researchers, discover solutions to…
July 22, 2019
Nina Isoherranen named Chair of Pharmaceutics Department
On July 1, 2019, UW School of Pharmacy Professor and Dean Sean D. Sullivan appointed Professor Nina Isoherranen to the…
July 17, 2019
Ken Thummel returns to faculty after 13 years of success as Chair
After thirteen years leading the Department of Pharmaceutics to international success, Professor Kenneth Thummel will return to faculty full time…
June 19, 2019
Nath Faculty Innovation Award leads to student publications
In 2018, Abhi Nath, ’08, was named recipient one of that year’s UWSOP Faculty Innovation Awards. The awards provide financial support…
Goulet and Maldonato presented UWSOP Med Chem graduate student awards
Congratulations to UWSOP Outstanding Dissertation Award winner Dennis Goulet, Medicinal Chemistry, and Graduate Student Leadership Award for Medicinal Chemistry, Benjamin Maldonato. The…
June 18, 2019
Allan Rettie named 2019 UWSOP Outstanding Graduate Student Mentor
Professor Allan Rettie, Medicinal Chemistry, was nominated for and selected at the 2019 Outstanding Graduate Student Mentor by colleagues and…
June 17, 2019
Pharmacological Sciences Summer Diversity Program brings undergrad students to UWSOP
In summer 2019, we welcome two undergraduate student scientists taking part in the Pharmacological Sciences Summer Diversity Program. Sierra Napoleon,…
June 7, 2019
UWSOP at ISSX 2019 in Portland
Don’t miss out on these UWSOP alumni and faculty presenting at ISSX! This meeting will also mark the last meeting…
May 6, 2019
Brain cholesterol, SLOS, & autism
The UW Medicinal Chemist studied neural chemistry and biology to understand the underlying mechanism that cause birth defects, behavioral problems,…
Kidney on a Chip has gone to outer space..and returned to Earth!
What did it take to send delicate kidney cells into space to be studied by astronauts wearing big, clunky gloves…
April 23, 2019
Henderson wins poster award at national AsPET Conference
Congratulations to PharmD and Pharmaceutics PhD student Lindsay Henderson who received the 2nd place graduate student poster presentation award for…
5/3 UPDATE: 5/3 11:48 PM PDT launch for Kidney on a Chip project to the International Space Station!
Updated May 3, 11:29 am Pacific: NASA has pushed back the launch to Friday, May 3 at 11:48 PM Pacific…
January 22, 2019
Nath lab makes progress against neurodegenerative conditions
We revisited Abhi Nath and his lab team to see how their work to improve the diagnosis and treatments of…
January 12, 2019
Werth and Xu awarded $1.86M NIH grant to continue MRSA investigation
Pharmacy’s Brian Werth and grant coinvestigator UWSOP Medicinal Chemistry’s Libin Xu will continue their novel research into antibiotic resistance mechanisms…
November 20, 2018
Werth receives prestigious Young Investigator Award from SIDP
Congratulations to Assistant Professor Brian Werth who received this year’s Young Investigator Award from the Society of Infectious Diseases Pharmacist…
September 12, 2018
UW ranks 4th world wide for pharmacology and toxicology
The UW ranks 4th worldwide in Pharmacology and Toxicology, a subject that includes pharmacy, pharmacology, substance abuse, and toxicology, according…
June 12, 2018
Baughman investigates a natural defense against Alzheimer’s
Hannah Baughman, graduate student in Abhi Nath’s lab, is first author on an article looking at molecular chaperones, which may…
April 27, 2018
Wienkers is keynote speaker at June 2018 AAPS-RMDG meeting at UW
Abstracts are due Friday, May 18, 2018 The American Association of Pharmaceutical Scientists – Rocky Mountain Discussion Group (AAPS-RMDG) Annual…
April 6, 2018
Medchem Chair Kent Kunze Retires
It’s bittersweet to announce that our long-time colleague, Dr. Kent Kunze, has stepped down as Departmental Chair and retired from…
February 6, 2018
Nath lab team takes aim at Alzheimer’s
Alzheimer’s disease affects about 5 million Americans, a number projected to roughly triple by 2050. The urgency of this grave population…
January 10, 2018
Libin Xu and Brian Werth Receive Royalty Research Fund Award
Libin Xu, Assistant Professor of Medicinal Chemistry, and Brian Werth, Assistant Professor of Pharmacy, have received a Royalty Research Fund…
December 1, 2017
SPECIAL EVENT: A talk with NPR’S Richard Harris
Panel Discussion: “From Rigor to Rigor Mortis–Good Science, Bad Science, and Patient Care” Noon-1:20pm, Tuesday, January 23, 2018 Health Sciences…
November 1, 2017
Xu Lab Awarded NSF Grant to Study Lipid Peroxidation
Lipid peroxidation is the process in which a reactive atom or group of atoms (free radicals) capture electrons from the…
October 2, 2017
Aliwarga invited to present at Gordon Research Conference
Theresa Aliwarga, a Medicinal Chemistry graduate student and researcher in Rheem Totah’s lab, was invited to give a podium presentation of…
October 1, 2017
Remembering Bill Howald, UWSOP Mass Spec Director
William “Bill” Howald passed away August 14, 2017 in Salem, Oregon at the age of 76 after a brief illness….
July 5, 2017
Sager, Bounthavong, Seguin, Weber, & Shen receive inaugural UWSOP Graduate Program Awards
To recognize extraordinary excellence among our graduate students and faculty, UW School of Pharmacy established three new award programs in…
May 30, 2017
Inaugural Plein Symposium advances geriatric pharmacy
“Celebrating Today, Planning Tomorrow” brought together a host of disciplines to discuss healthy aging Decades ago, geriatric pharmacy pioneers Joy…
May 24, 2017
A conversation at the College Inn leads to Faculty Innovation Award, possible breakthrough in combating MRSA
There is a rich tradition of stories that begin with…“we were sitting in a bar talking, when we got this…
Hu and Lee combine forces to design novel HIV vaccine
Pharmaceutics Professor Shiu-Lok Hu and Kelly Lee, Associate Professor of Medicinal Chemistry, received funding for research to create a vaccine…
April 4, 2017
Med Chem’s Mike Guttman Receives Royalty Research Fund Award
The Royalty Research fund (RRF) is sponsored by UW’s Office of Research to help faculty establish new research programs. The…
April 3, 2017
Scott Grimm Scholar Dennis Goulet is named UWSOP’s Magnuson Scholar 2017-2018
Scott Grimm Scholar and Medicinal Chemistry graduate student Dennis Goulet (Bill Atkins lab) has been awarded the prestigious Magnuson Scholarship…
January 24, 2017
Dennis Goulet receives first Scott Grimm Memorial Scholarship
Scott W. Grimm was a long-time friend of Medicinal Chemistry and the School of Pharmacy. A Corporate Advisory Board member…
October 31, 2016
Amy Li awarded ARCS Fellowship
Congratulations to Medicinal Chemistry graduate student, Amy Li, who was recently awarded an ARCS Fellowship. The Seattle Chapter of ARCS…
October 26, 2016
Sid Nelson’s legacy lives on in science and collaboration
Busulfan is one of our oldest anticancer drugs. Today, it is often used to prepare a patient’s body for a…
May 26, 2016
Lee lab uses 3D electron microscopy to visualize influenza virus invasion
For the first time, researchers have images showing how a virus pries its way past host membranes Three to five…
April 15, 2016
UW Symposium on Past Present and Future of ADME Sciences Dedicated to Deans Sid Nelson and Tom Baillie
“Thanks to the strong academic programs in the Department of Pharmaceutics and Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Washington, I…
February 24, 2016
Pelletier wins AFPE Fellowship renewal
The American Foundation for Pharmaceutical Education’s Pre-Doctoral Award in Pharmaceutical Science has been awarded again to Med Chem graduate student…
February 2, 2016
Professor and Dean Emeritus Thomas Baillie announces retirement from UWSOP
Dr. Thomas Baillie, Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Dean Emeritus for the UW School of Pharmacy, has announced that he…
January 25, 2016
Totah and CHRU collaborate to find novel treatments for cardiovascular disease
UW School of Pharmacy and UW Medicine bring population and basic science together for novel approach to drug research Heart…
January 21, 2016
Award season comes to UWSOP!
It’s award season–not just for film, also for the UW School of Pharmacy! Many of our School’s faculty, students, post docs and…
December 16, 2015
Kelly Hines Named USP Global Fellow
Kelly M. Hines, Ph.D., senior fellow in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry (Libin Xu lab), is one of three recipients…
October 12, 2015
Rettie Seeds the Future of Precision Medicine
“It’s a micro-farm,” said Allan Rettie recently, talking of the home where he and his wife, Shannon, nurture a menagerie…
October 2, 2015
Med Chem Welcomes 2015 Students
At a combined 2015 orientation event with the department of Pharmaceutics, Medicinal Chemistry chair Kent Kunze welcomed four new students…
September 23, 2015
2015 Summer Diversity Program Wraps
It was a summer of hard work and discovery for four undergrads who participated in the Pharmacological Science Summer Diversity…
September 21, 2015
Benhaim Appointed to Molecular Biophysics Training Program
Medicinal Chemistry graduate student Mark Benhaim (Lee lab) has been accepted into the NIH-supported Molecular Biophysics Training Program. His proposed…
August 27, 2015
Med Chem Student Interns with Janssen Pharmaceuticals
Dennis Goulet (Atkins lab), graduate student in Medicinal Chemistry, is completing a summer internship with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a Johnson…
August 14, 2015
Med Chem Student Receives Barnes Fellowship
Medicinal Chemistry graduate student Mavis Li (Atkins lab) has received an award from the Hope Barnes Fellowship Fund. Hope Barnes…
August 7, 2015
Med Chem Group Attends P450 Conference in Japan
Cytochrome P450 enzymes are found in all living organisms and are essential in metabolizing a wide range of substances including…
July 30, 2015
Maldonato wins TL1 research grant
Ben Maldonato is busier than usual this summer. The Medicinal Chemistry grad student is one of the 2015 cohort of…
June 17, 2015
Scenes from Commencement 2015
Friday was a day of recognition and celebration! Over 100 graduate and PharmD students received their degrees and began a…
May 7, 2015
Lee lab pursues clues to HIV, flu in the moment of infection
In a basement lab deep within the Magnuson Health Sciences Building, a group of scientists works to decode the mysteries…
May 1, 2015
Pelletier Wins AFPE Award to Study Acetaminophen Toxicity
Robert Pelletier left a career in industry to pursue his PhD in Medicinal Chemistry and follow his passion for teaching…
December 29, 2014
Dr. Libin Xu Joins Med Chem Faculty
LIBIN XU, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry. He graduated with a B.Sc. from Nakai University,…
October 29, 2014
Klarissa Hardy Receives Major NIH Grant
Congratulations to former UW School of Pharmacy Department of Medicinal Chemistry post-doctoral fellow, Klarissa Hardy, who received a $660,000 National…
October 15, 2014
North American ISSX Meeting will award two of our faculty.
Not one, but two of our faculty were selected to receive the only awards given by The International Society for…
July 14, 2014
Dean Emeritus Baillie Is Top Cited Researcher
Dean Emeritus Thomas Baillie was recognized as one of the topmost cited researchers in the area of Pharmacology & Toxicology….
June 26, 2014
UW Pharmacy Huskies Lead the Pack
As a School of Pharmacy consistently in the Top 10 nationally, we’ve come to expect our students, faculty, and alumni…
May 14, 2014
Dr. Allan Rettie Steps Down as Chair
Dr. Allan Rettie has decided to step down as Chair of the Department of Medicinal Chemistry, effective June 13, 2014,…
April 22, 2014
AACP Honors Med Chem PhD Brendan Stamper
The American Association of Colleges of Pharmacy (AACP) recently honored Dr. Brendan Stamper and his colleagues at the 2014 AACP…
April 21, 2014
Eric Evangelista Appointed to Clinical Research (TL1) Training Grant
The Institute of Translational Health Sciences TL1 Multidisciplinary Predoctoral Clinical Research Training Grant is a year-long training experience funded by…
April 20, 2014
Nath Lab Welcomes New Student
The Department of Medicinal Chemistry is pleased to announce that Hannah Baughman, a graduate student in the Biological Physics, Structure…
Brianne Raccor to Teach at Campbell University
Dr. Brianne Raccor, Senior Fellow in the Rheem Totah laboratory and a Elmer M. and Joy B. Plein Fellow, has…
April 19, 2014
Congratulations, Med Chem Class of 2014
Nick Au, Jean Dinh, and Eri Nakatani-Webster wait for their moment on the stage during graduation exercises at Meany Hall….
April 18, 2014
Med Chem Alumnus Appointed Dean at Campbell University
The Department of Medicinal Chemistry is proud to congratulate alumnus Michael Adams, Ph.D. for his recent appointment as Dean of…
April 17, 2014
Ryan Seguin is Magnuson Scholar 2014-2015
Medicinal Chemistry graduate student Ryan Seguin (Kent Kunze lab) has been awarded the prestigious Magnuson Scholarship for 2014-2015. The University…
April 16, 2014
Klarissa Hardy Receives AACP Award
Former Medicinal Chemistry postdoctoral fellow Klarissa Hardy has received a 2014 New Investigator Award from the American Association of Colleges…
April 15, 2014
Med Chem Welcomes New Faculty Member
The Department of Medicinal Chemistry welcomes Abhinav “Abhi” Nath, PhD, as its newest faculty member. Dr. Nath joins the department…
April 14, 2014
Bill Atkins and the Legacy of Sid Nelson
Dr. William Atkins has been named the first Sid Nelson Endowed Professor in Medicinal Chemistry. Bill joined the Med Chem…
Nick Au on Winning Team for Business Plan Contest
Med Chem student Nick Au (Allan Rettie lab) was recently part of a team of UW graduate students who won…
April 13, 2014
Medicinal Chemistry Hosts International P450 Conference
The Department of Medicinal Chemistry is excited to host the “18th International Conference on Cytochrome P450s: Biochemistry, Biophysics, and Structure,”…
April 12, 2014
Med Chem Professor Wins MLK Volunteer Award
Carlos is camera-shy, but Nanci Murphy makes great cookies! Dr. Carlos Catalano, Professor in Medicinal Chemistry, was awarded a Volunteer…
May 23, 2013
Student on Winning Team for Business Plan Contest
PharmD/PhD student in medicinal chemistry Nick Au was recently part of a team of UW grad students to take the…
May 2, 2013
Bill Atkins Named Inaugural Sid Nelson Endowed Professor
In a fitting tribute to our late colleague, mentor and friend, the School of Pharmacy is humbled to share that…
November 16, 2012
Leadership Award Given Posthumously to Sid Nelson
The Washington State Pharmacy Association has given its Distinguished Leadership Award to our late Dean Emeritus and Professor of Medicinal…
June 20, 2012
Dean Receives Award for Contributions to Chemistry
This August, School of Pharmacy Dean and Professor of Medicinal Chemistry Thomas Baillie will receive the 2012 Founders’ Award from…
April 25, 2012
Kelly Lee Receives NIH Grant to Study Influenza Virus
The Lee lab, L-R: Long Gui, Mike Guttman, Natalie Garcia, and Tad Davenport, discuss membrane fusion at a recent conference…
March 30, 2012
Med Chem Student Named UW Magnuson Scholar
Eri Nakatani Awarded Magnuson Scholarship Med Chem graduate student Eri Nakatani (Carlos Catalano lab) has been awarded the prestigious Magnuson…
March 5, 2012
Faculty Member’s Spin-Off Looks to Improve Mass Spectrometry
Last year, the director of the UW School of Pharmacy Mass Spectrometry Center, Dave Goodlett, developed a method to make…
December 12, 2011
Remembering Dean Emeritus Sid Nelson
Special Announcement: Sid Nelson Endowed Professorship Inaugural Recipient Announced May 6, 2013: Professor of Medicinal Chemistry Bill Atkins is the…
November 22, 2011
Group Works Toward Greater Diversity in the Sciences
The UW chapter of the Society for the Advancement of Chicanos & Native Americans in Science has received the 2011…
August 3, 2011
Baillie Named Fellow of American Chemical Society
The American Chemical Society (ACS) has named Dean Thomas Baillie one of its 2011 fellows. This honor goes to distinguished…
March 22, 2011
Nelson Receives AACP Research Achievement Award
Sid Nelson, professor of medicinal chemistry and dean emeritus of the School of Pharmacy, has received the Volwiler Research Achievement…
April 22, 2010
Medicinal Chemistry Student Named 2010 Magnuson Scholar
John Chapman, Ph.D. candidate in the School of Pharmacy’s Goodlett Lab, is a 2010 Magnuson Scholar. This award is given…
December 3, 2009
William F. Trager, Ph.D: In Remembrance
By Dean Emeritus Sid Nelson Professor and Chair Emeritus of Medicinal Chemistry William “Bill” Trager lost his short battle to…
August 18, 2009
Remembering Alain Huitric
By Bill Trager Alain Huitric, professor emeritus of medicinal chemistry, passed away in late July at his home in Brittany,…
February 19, 2009
Faculty Contribute to International Drug Study
Faculty Contribute to International Drug Study (February 19, 2009) Read full study: Estimation of the Warfarin Dose with Clinical and…
October 16, 2008
CFD volunteer protects kitties through all nine lives
UW Showcases Volunteer Efforts of Med Chem Employee (October 16, 2008) Link to Medicinal Chemistry archived news
December 13, 2007
Elmer Promotes Probiotics on ABC News
Elmer Promotes Probiotics on ABC News (December 13, 2007, interview on ABC News) Link to Medicinal Chemistry archived news
December 3, 2007
UW School of Pharmacy Ph.D. Research Programs Rank #1
The University of Washington School of Pharmacy medicinal chemistry and pharmaceutical sciences research programs are the best in the nation…
August 1, 2006
UW Hosts 30th National Medicinal Chemistry Symposium
The University of Washington School of Pharmacy was honored to host the 30th National Medicinal Chemistry Symposium from June 25-29…
December 1, 2005
Professor Daggett Wins $2 Million INCITE Award to Further Research on Protein Folding
Valerie Daggett, professor of medicinal chemistry at UW School of Pharmacy, has received one of three Innovative and Novel…
September 1, 2005
Rettie Receives Internationally Recognized ISSX Achievement Award
Allan Rettie, professor and chair of Medicinal Chemistry, has received the 2005 North American Scientific Achievement Award from the International…
August 2, 2005
UW Professors Identify Genetic Basis for Variation in Patient Response to Warfarin
Dr. Allan Rettie, professor and chair of medicinal chemistry in the UW School of Pharmacy, Dr. Mark Rieder, research assistant…