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ACS Award For Team Innovation: Matthew F. Brown, Paul S. Changelian, Mark E. Flanagan, Michael J. Munchhof, and Chakrapani Subramanyam
by Linda Wang
January 4, 2016
| A version of this story appeared in
Volume 94, Issue 1
Sponsor: ACS Corporation Associates
Citation: For work leading to the invention of Xeljanz (tofacitinib), the first JAK inhibitor to be approved for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.
What their colleagues say: “I sincerely believe that their landmark discovery of the first successful JAK inhibitor as an oral medicine for the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis is a dramatic medical advance, which will benefit countless humans for many years to come. I have followed this field and their work for more than a decade and can testify to the scientific excellence, persistence, dedication, and determination of this team.”—Elias J. Corey, Harvard University
Matthew F. Brown
Current position: associate research fellow, Pfizer Worldwide Medicinal Chemistry
Education: B.S., chemistry, Hope College; Ph.D., chemistry, University of California, San Diego
Brown on what gets him inspired:“Data and time to think. I’m most productive when I can carve out several hours of quiet time without meetings or distractions to analyze data, read literature, and formulate new hypotheses. I also find that new ideas often come to me when I’m working out.”
Paul S. Changelian
Current position: director of biology, Confluence Life Sciences
Education: B.S., chemistry, University of Michigan; Ph.D., immunology, Harvard University
Changelian on his current scientific goals:“The understanding of the interplay between the immune system and the development of cancer continues to grow exponentially. My goals for the next 10 years are to acquire greater understanding of these interactions, and to be able to apply my small-molecule drug experience to the development of novel therapies that will further augment the immune response against hard-to-treat tumor types.”
Mark E. Flanagan
Current position: associate research fellow, Pfizer Worldwide Medicinal Chemistry
Education: B.S., chemistry, New York University; Ph.D., chemistry, Colorado State University
Flanagan on what gets him inspired: “Being on a new project; having the sense that our team may be one of the first to work on a newly discovered target or to take a new approach to an existing problem.”
Michael J. Munchhof
Current position: medicinal chemistry consultant, Michael J. Munchhof LLC
Education: B.A., chemistry, Indiana University Southeast; Ph.D., chemistry, University of California, Berkeley
Munchhof’s scientific role models: “There are thousands of scientists around the world who are dedicated to finding medicines that benefit those suffering from various diseases. Drug discovery is a challenging and, at times, frustrating endeavor. The majority of research ends in failure with the occasional victory. My role models are the scientists who continue in this challenging field, inspired by knowing that what they do matters.”
Chakrapani Subramanyam
Current position: associate research fellow, Pfizer Worldwide Medicinal Chemistry
Education: M.Sc., chemistry, University of Madras; Ph.D., chemistry, Pennsylvania State University
Subramanyam on his current scientific goals: “I want to continue to innovate and be associated with discovery of drugs to treat cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.”
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