Donna M. Huryn

Donna M. Huryn

Adjunct Professor of Chemistry
Organic Chemistry

Office: 528 N
Phone: 215-746-3567
Email: huryn@sas.upenn.edu

Research Statement

Identification, characterization and optimization of chemical probes of biological systems; Identification of novel agents to treat neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s Disease; Design of novel chemical libraries to probe biological systems.

Education and Academic History

  • B. A. Cornell University
  • Ph.D. Univeristy of Pennsylvania
  • Research Investigator, Hoffmann La Roche, Inc.
  • Director, Chemical Sciences Department, Wyeth Research
  • Scientific Advisor, Pittsburgh Center for Chemical Methodologies and Library Design (2004-present)
  • Adjunct Professor Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, University of Pittsburgh (2005-present)
  • Associate Director Chemistry Core, Penn Center for Molecular Discovery (2005- present)
  • Senior Scientific Fellow, Pittsburgh Molecular Libraries Screening Center, University of Pittsburgh (2005- present)
  • Chair, Organic Topical Group, North Jersey ACS Section (1993)
  • NIH Medicinal Chemistry Study Section (1997-2000)

Selected Publications

“Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Benzodioxanyl-Piperazine as Potent Serotonin 5HT1A Antagonists: The Discovery of SRA-333,” W.E. Childers, M. Abou-Gharbia, M.G. Kelly, T.H. Andree, B.L. Harrison, G. Hornby, D.M. Huryn, L. Potesto, S.J. Rosenzweig-Lipson, J. Schmid, D.L. Smith, S.J. Sukoff, G. Zhang, L.E. Schechter, J. Med. Chem. 2005, 48, 3467-3470.

“Molecular-modeling Based Design, Synthesis and Activity of Substituted Piperidines as Gamma-Secretase Inhibitors,” E. Gundersen, K. Fan, K. Haas, D. Huryn, J.S. Jacobsen, A. Kreft, R. Martone, S. Mayer, J. Sonnenberg-Reines, S.-C. Sun, H. Zhou, Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 2005, 15, 1891-1894.

“A Focused Library of Tetrahydropyrimidinones Amides via a Tandem Binginelli-Ugi Multi-Component Process,” S. Werner, D.N. Turner, M.S. Lyon, D.M. Huryn, P. Wipf, Syn. Lett. 2006, 14, 2334-2338.

“Screening of 5HT1A Receptor Antagonists Using Molecularly Imprinted Polymers,” N.A. O’Connor, D.A. Paisner, D. Huryn, K. J. Shea, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 1680-1689.

“Paclitaxel C-10 Carbamates: Potential Candidates for the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Tauopathies,” C. Ballatore, E. Hyde, R.F. Dieches, V.M.-Y. Lee, J.Q. Trojanowski, D. Huryn, A.B. Smith, Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 2007, 17, 3642-3646.

“Identification and Characterization of a Unique Thiocarbazate Cathepsin L Inhibitor,” M.C. Myers, P.S. Shah, S.L. Diamond, D.M. Huryn, A.B. Smith, Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 2008, 18, 214-218.

“Pyrimidinone-Peptoid Hybrid Molecules with Distinct Effects on Molecular Chaperone Function and Cell Proliferation,” S.M. Wright, R.J. Chovatiya, N.E. Jameson, D.M. Turner, G. Zhu, S. Werner, D.M. Huryn, J.M. Pipas, B.W. Day, P. Wipf, J.L. Brodsky, Bioorg. Med. Chem. 2008, 16, 3291-3301.

“Design, Synthesis and Evaluation of Inhibitors of Cathepsin L: Exploiting a Unique Thiocarbazate Chemotype,” M.C. Myers, P.P. Shah, M.P. Beavers, A.D. Napper, S.L. Diamond, A.B. Smith, D.M. Huryn, Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 2008, 18, 3636-3651.

“Kinetic Characterization and Molecular Docking of a Novel, Potent, and Selective Slow-Binding Inhibitor of Human Cathepsin L,” P.P. Shah, M.C. Myers, M.P. Beavers, J.E. Purvis, H. Jing, H.J. Grieser, E.R. Sharlow, A.D. Napper, D.M. Huryn, B.S. Cooperman, A.B. Smith, S.L. Diamond, Mol. Pharm. 2008, 74, 34-41.

“Molecular Docking of Cathepsin L Inhibitors in the Binding Site of Papain,” M.P. Beavers, M.C. Myers, P.P. Shah, J.E. Purvis, S.L. Diamond, B.S. Cooperman, D.M. Huryn, A.B. Smith, J. Chem. Inf. Model. 2008, 48, 1464-1472.

“Discovery of a Novel Series of Notch-Sparing γ-Secretase Inhibitors,” A. Kreft, B. Harrison, S. Aschmies, D. Atchison, D. Casebier, D. Cole, G. Diamantidis, J. Ellingboe, D. Hauze, Y. Hu, D. Huryn, M. Jin, D. Kubrak, P. Lu, J. Lundquist, C. Mann, R. Martone, W. Moore, A. Oganesian, A. Porte, D.R. Riddel, J. Sonnenberg-Reines, J.R. Stock, S.-C. Sun, E. Wagner, K. Woller, Z. Xu, H. Zhou, J.S. Jacobsen, Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 2008, 18, 4232-4236.

“Discovery of Begacestat, a Notch-1-Sparing γ-Secretase Inhibitor for the Treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease,” S.C. Mayer, A.F. Kreft, B. Harrison, M. Abou-Gharbia, M. Antane, S. Aschmies, K. Atchison, M. Chlenov, D.C. Cole, T. Comery, G. Diamantidis, J. Ellingboe, K. Fan, R. Galante, C. Gonzales, D.M. Ho, M.E. Hoke, Y. Hu, D. Huryn, U. Jain, M. Jin, K. Kremer, D. Kubrak, M. Lin, P. Lu, R. Magolda, R. Martone, W. Moore, A. Oganesian, M.N. Pangalos, A. Porte, P. Reinhart, L. Resnick, D. R. Riddell, J. Sonnenberg-Reines, J.R. Stock, S.-C. Sun, E. Wagner, T. Wang, K. Woller, Z. Xu, M.M. Zaleska, J. Zeldis, M. Zhang, H. Zhou and J.S. Jacobsen, J. Med. Chem. 2008, 51, 7348–7351.