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  Drug Design and Discovery (DDD) Section


ABOUT THE DDD SECTION

Who We Are:

The DDD Section engages in all aspects of the design and discovery of molecular pharmaceutical entities, and fosters interactions at the interface between drug discovery and development. DDD provides leadership and a forum for interactions among scientists from academia, industry, and research institutions. The section invites and supports collaborative relationships with scientists in other disciplines within AAPS and other scientific and professional organizations whose efforts are directed toward the interface of drug design and discovery and drug development. The DDD Section is truly unique among scientific organizations serving the needs of medicinal and natural products chemists and scientists engaged in other emerging technologies and disciplines involved in drug development, including druggability, by providing a single organization for all members associated with pharmaceutical drug discovery and development.

What We Do:

DDD encourages the discovery, dissemination, integration and application of knowledge concerning the chemistry, biochemistry, and pharmacological actions of synthetic and naturally occurring medicinal agents. Research activities leading to this knowledge involve the study of the physicochemical properties related to the structure and function of drugs, drug design and synthesis, and drug targeting at enzyme active sites, receptors, transporters, lipid membranes and other sites at which the influence of a drug as a bound ligand influences physiologic processes. These are accomplished using high throughput technologies, computational methodologies and molecular modeling, the use of microbial or mammalian enzyme systems for the prediction and production of mammalian drug metabolites, isolation of biologically active natural products from plant, animal, and microbial sources and their characterization through modern spectroscopic methods, and the relation of chemical structure and subsequent modification to the pharmacological activity of small molecules and macromolecules.

How We Do It:

DDD encourages joint membership with other sections of AAPS to foster greater understanding of the primacy of discovery and design in all aspects of the pharmaceutical development pipeline. The multidisciplinary nature of this section and of AAPS is conducive to a productive interaction between all segments of the pharmaceutical sciences. For this reason, the DDD Section is committed to joint symposia and other programs with various AAPS Sections in an effort to provide an atmosphere for the professional growth of its member scientists.

Drug Discovery Development Interface:

The Drug Design and Discovery Section is closely involved in the AAPS initiative concerning ways to characterize and optimize the drug-like properties of structural hits and leads, referred to as the Drug Discovery Development Interface (D3I). The DDD Section will assist in the creation of a D3I Collaborative, which should include representatives from basic, science-oriented sister organizations; and participate in the generation of a Drug Discovery-Development Roadmap, which will guide scientific programming and educational offerings.


Resources

   ACS Division of Medicinal Chemistry

AAPS Section Connection

The "Section Connection" is intended to serve as a conduit for the exchange of information between the AAPS Executive Council (EC) and Sections. This information will be assembled by Staff and the Section Member-at-Large following each EC meeting to provide a summary of pertinent actions that are relevant to Section leaders. Likewise, the Member-at-Large will transmit important Sectional information to the EC and use "Section Connection" as the recording mechanism of Section interests shared with the EC.

  Section Leadership

Committee Descriptions

Chair
Nurulain T. Zaveri, Ph.D.
Astraea Therapeutics, LLC
Saratoga, CA United States


Chair-Elect
Thomas E. Prisinzano, Ph.D.
University of Kansas Department of Medicinal Chemistry
Lawrence, KS


Vice Chair
Lee Jia, Ph.D.
National Cancer Institute
Rockville, MD UNITED STATES


Secretary/Treasurer
Susan L. Mercer, Ph.D.
Lipscomb University College of Pharmacy
Nashville, TN United States


Past Chair
Christopher R. McCurdy, Ph.D.
University of Mississippi
University, MS UNITED STATES


Member at Large
Gary A. Thompson, Ph.D.
GA Thompson Consulting, LLC
Cincinnati, OH United States


Annual Meeting Screeners Committee
Shridhar V. Andurkar, Ph.D.
Midwestern University
Downers Grove, IL United States


National Biotechnology Conference Screeners Committee
Cornelis J. Van der Schyf
Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Pharmacy
Rootstown, OH


Annual Meeting Program Committee
Thomas E. Prisinzano, Ph.D.
University of Kansas Department of Medicinal Chemistry
Lawrence, KS


Awards Committee
Alexandros Makriyannis, Ph.D.
Northeastern UniversityCenter for Drug Discovery
Boston, MA United States


Content Advisory Cmte
Robin M. Zavod, Ph.D.
Midwestern University
Downers Grove, IL UNITED STATES


National Biotech Progrming Committee
Chang-Guo Zhan, Ph.D.
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY UNITED STATES


Student/Postdoc Committee
Cornelis J. Van der Schyf
Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Pharmacy
Rootstown, OH


Fellows Committee
Rao S. Rapaka, Ph.D.
NIDA
Gaithersburg, MD UNITED STATES


Nominations Committee
Nurulain T. Zaveri, Ph.D.
Astraea Therapeutics, LLC
Saratoga, CA United States


Program Coordination Committee
Christopher R. McCurdy, Ph.D.
University of Mississippi
University, MS UNITED STATES


Webmasters Committee
Edward B. Roche, Ph.D.
Univ. of Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, NE United States


Student Rep
Swapnil J. Kulkarni
University of Mississippi
University, MS


Member Strategic Oversight Committee
Annette Bak, Ph.D.
Merck & Co
Rahway, NJ United States


Staff Liaison
Stacey Anne May
AAPS
Alexandria, VA United States


Staff Liaison
Maria Nadeau
AAPS
Arlington, VA United States


CRO Focus Group
Lee Jia, Ph.D.
National Cancer Institute
Rockville, MD UNITED STATES


Computational Drug Design Focus Group
Herschel J.  R. Weintraub
CADDinformatics, Inc.
Sun City, AZ United States


Natural Products Chemistry Focus Group
David A. Colby, Pharm.D., Ph.D.
Purdue University
West Lafayette, IN United States


Nutraceuticals Focus Group
Jairaj Mehta
JM Pharma, LLC
Peoria, AZ UNITED STATES


Pharmacogenomics (PGx) Focus Group
Okezie I. Aruoma, MBA, Ph.D., D.Sc.
Touro College of Pharmacy
New York, NY


Targeted Drug Delivery and Prodrug Focus Group
Victor R Guarino
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Princeton, NJ UNITED STATES


JOIN THE DDD LISTSERVE

To join the DDD Section Listserve click here.

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ISSX Conference on Genetic Polymorphisms in Drug Disposition
4/11/2010

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Development of Ligand Binding Analytical Methods to Support Immunogenicity Testing: Theoretical to Practical Considerations
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