Drug Discovery + Development
Our researchers provide the end-to-end expertise needed to move a drug from concept to clinic, integrating every specialized stage of the drug discovery and development process to accelerate the path from laboratory discovery to life-changing patient care.
Our faculty integrates every critical stage of the research lifecycle—from the initial spark of target discovery and medicinal chemistry to advanced pharmacokinetics and translational application. By pioneering the next generation of therapeutic compounds and delivery technologies, we are addressing critical gaps in disease management and accelerating the delivery of safe, effective medicines to the global community.
Target Identification + Validation
Understanding disease mechanisms and identifying therapeutic targets
Faculty researchers investigate molecular pathways, enzymes and receptors involved in disease progression to identify viable drug targets.
Research Expertise Includes
- Molecular pharmacology
- Disease biology
- Cellular signaling pathways
Faculty Experts
- John Ussher – Metabolic disease pathways and therapeutic targets for obesity.
- John Seubert – Cardiovascular disease biology, mitochondrial dysfunction and aging-related cardiac disease, and translational models.
- Claire Kamaliddin – Molecular biology, parasitology and mycology.
- Khaled Barakat – Computational drug design and molecular modeling.
- Paul Jurasz – mRNA and peptide therapeutic development.
Drug Design & Discovery
Designing and optimizing novel therapeutic compounds
Using medicinal chemistry, computational modeling, and structure-activity relationships, pharmacy researchers design compounds with optimal efficacy and selectivity.
Research Expertise Includes
- Medicinal and synthetic chemistry
- Molecular modeling and in silico drug design, and AI
- Lead compound optimization
Faculty Experts
- Khaled Barakat – Computational drug design and molecular modeling.
- Carlos Velázquez-Martínez – Medicinal chemistry, chemical biology and functional genomics.
- Amir Tabatabaei Dakhili – Drug discovery and medicinal chemistry.
- Paul Jurasz – mRNA and peptide therapeutic development.
Preclinical Drug Pharmacokinetics, Metabolism and Pharmacodynamic Evaluation
Assessing efficacy, pharmacokinetics, and safety
Before clinical use, compounds undergo rigorous preclinical testing to understand absorption, distribution, metabolism, toxicity, and therapeutic potential.
Research Expertise Includes
- Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics
- Drug metabolism and toxicity
- Bioanalytical method development
Faculty Experts
- Dion Brocks – Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and drug metabolism.
- Ayman El-Kadi – Drug metabolism and toxicology, cardiovascular and women’s health.
- Tony Kiang – Bioanalytical pharmacology, clinical pharmacology, toxicology, pharmacotherapy, and pharmacometric (population and physiologically-based PK/PD) analyses.
- Arno Siraki – Toxicology, biomechanical mechanisms of adverse drug reactions.
- Michael Doschak – Bone drug delivery, medical imaging contrast agents and advanced delivery systems and therapeutic optimization.
- Neal Davies – Molecular mechanisms of drug action.
- Sherif Mahmoud – Translational pharmacotherapy and drug delivery research.
- Forughalsadat Sanaee - pharmacokinetics, formulations and nanomedicine.
Drug Delivery & Formulation
Enhancing bioavailability and targeting
Innovative delivery systems are developed to improve stability, targeting, and therapeutic outcomes for small molecules and biologics.
Research Expertise Includes
- Nanomedicine and targeted delivery
- Advanced dosage forms
- Controlled and sustained release systems
Faculty Experts
- Afsaneh Lavasanifar – Nanomedicine and targeted drug delivery.
- Raimar Loebenberg – Formulation science and regulatory, biopharmaceutics.
- Michael Doschak – Bone drug delivery, medical imaging contrast agents and advanced delivery systems and therapeutic optimization.
- Neal Davies – Molecular mechanisms of drug action.
- Forughalsadat Sanaee - pharmacokinetics, formulations and nanomedicine.
Translational & Applied Drug Development
Moving discoveries toward clinical and real-world application
This stage bridges discovery and patient impact, emphasizing scalability, regulatory science, and industry partnerships.
Research Expertise Includes
- Translational pharmacology
- Regulatory science
- Applied pharmaceutical innovation
- DDIC
Faculty Experts
- Raimar Loebenberg – Formulation science and regulatory, biopharmaceutics.
- Sherif Mahmoud – Translational pharmacotherapy and drug delivery research
- Paul Jurasz – mRNA and peptide therapeutic development.
- Michael Doschak – Bone drug delivery, medical imaging contrast agents and advanced delivery systems and therapeutic optimization.
- Claire Kamaliddin – Molecular biology, parasitology and mycology.
- John Seubert – Cardiovascular disease biology, mitochondrial dysfunction and aging-related cardiac disease, and translational models.
- Dion Brocks – Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and drug metabolism.
- Ayman El-Kadi – Drug metabolism and toxicology, cardiovascular and women’s health.
- Tony Kiang – Bioanalytical pharmacology, clinical pharmacology, toxicology, pharmacotherapy, and pharmacometric (population and physiologically-based PK/PD) analyses.
- Afsaneh Lavasanifar – Nanomedicine and targeted drug delivery.
- Khaled Barakat – Computational drug design and molecular modeling.