Chemistry Staff
Manohar Saindane
Senior Scientist
Education
Dr. Saindane earned his Ph.D. degree from Pune University in India and completed postdoctoral study at Emory University under the supervision of Prof. Dennis Liotta and subsequently under the supervision of Prof. Ziegler at Yale University.
Brief Background
Dr. Saindane has 30 years of experience in Process Research and Development within the pharmaceutical industry and has held positions of increasing responsibility in Process R & D. He joined Emory Institute for Drug Discovery in October 2009. He is currently the Director of Process Chemistry at the EIDD since October 2009. He applies the expertise gained in the industrial sector to the development of drug candidates in EIDD. He has most recently developed large-scale synthesis for the Hepatitis C (EIDD-2023)and EIDD-2749, for arenavirus, influenza and SARS-Cov-2. His expertise resulted in the process development and preparation of 50 kg of API of EIDD-2801( Molnupiravir).
Previously, he was the Director of Process R&D at Celgene Corporation, where he directed and provided strategic leadership for Process Research and Development Department.
He began his industrial career in 1984 at Sterling Winthrop Pharmaceutical research division as a Research Leader in the chemical development where he designed and developed processes for variety of development candidates. He was responsible for preparing API on multi-kilo quantities in compliance with GLP and cGMP.
In 1998 Dr Saindane moved on to Bristol-Myers Squibb as a group Leader/project Leader in Process R&D group. He directed and supervised the work of chemists and engineers to design and develop synthetic processes for new drugs in development.
Dr. Saindane has co-authored over forty scientific papers and thirty five patents.
Michael W. Hager, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist
Education
Dr. Hager graduated from the University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) with a BS in chemistry and then earned a Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry from Emory University under the direction of Professor Dennis Liotta. After a postdoctoral appointment in the Professor Frost’s research group at Michigan State University involving research in biocatalysis reactions, he completed a second postdoctoral study in dendrimer chemistry in Professor Gorman’s research group at North Carolina State University.
Brief Background
Dr. Hager joined the medicinal chemistry group at FOB Synthesis (Kennesaw, GA) in 1999 as a research scientist where he focused on anti-infective research and development. As he advanced to the position of senior investigator, he led the efforts in various projects ranging from developing a new class of beta-lactam antibiotics to developing and synthesizing phospholipid nucleoside bioconjugates as highly effective antiviral agents with enhanced cellular uptake properties. Since joining the EIDD in 2011 as a senior development scientist, he has utilized his extensive experience in nucleoside prodrug strategies toward the development of synthetically challenging antiviral nucleoside phospho- and diphospholipid conjugates. Dr. Hager also has lead chemistry efforts in providing bioanalytical standards for drug metabolic studies that were an integral part in preclinical development of both the HCV antiviral candidate EIDD-2023 and SARS-CoV-2 antiviral Molnupiravir. In his personal time, Dr Hager enjoys mountain biking and hiking with his family in the North Georgia mountains.
Shuli Mao, Ph.D.
Senior Development Scientist
Education
Dr. Mao earned her Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Emory University in 2005 with Prof. Dennis Liotta and completed the postdoctoral research at Chemistry Department of University of Pittsburgh under the supervision of Prof. Peter Wipf and Prof. Kay Brummond. She later completed her MBA in 2018 at Emory Goizuetta Business School.
Brief Background
Dr. Mao has more than 15 years of research and development experience including two and a half years within the pharmaceutical industry. She has co-authored a number of publications and patents. During her graduate study, she primarily focused on the design and synthesis of novel cyclobutyl nucleoside analogs as anti-HIV agents. At University of Pittsburgh, she designed and executed the synthesis of four chemical libraries using Diversity-Orientated Synthesis (DOS) to find biologically active compounds. She also made significant contributions towards the total synthesis of Dnacin A1 and B1. After joining FOB Synthesis, Inc., an Atlanta biotechnology company, she synthesized carbapenem analogs as antibacterial agents and two of the compounds identified by her research team were licensed to AstraZeneca. After joining EIDD in early 2011, Dr. Mao continued her research on nucleosides and prodrugs as RNA virus and DNA virus inhibitors. Since 2011, she has played an important role in the early development of EIDD-2801 (Molnupiravir), EIDD-2023 and EIDD-2749 as well as the discovery of EIDD-2992. Currently, she is leading a team focusing on designing and developing picornavirus inhibitors. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with the family, hiking, and playing tennis.
Damien Kuiper, Ph.D.
Senior Development Scientist
Education
Dr. Kuiper graduated from the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry with a BS in chemistry with a focus on biochemistry, and then later earned his Ph.D. in synthetic organic chemistry from Oregon State University under the direction of Prof. Richard Carter. This was followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in medicinal chemistry at Emory University under the direction of Prof Dennis Liotta.
Brief Background
Dr. Kuiper is an experienced synthetic chemist with a PhD in natural product total synthesis from Oregon State University (2010). Since graduating, he spent time as a process chemist at Exemplify Biopharma focusing on scale-up and formulation where he contributed to the CMC development of multiple drug products. He then joined the EIDD where over a seven-year time-period he has split his time between medicinal chemistry and CMC process chemistry. He has designed and synthesized hundreds of ribonucleoside antivirals leading to two patent applications and a deep expertise in the design and synthesis of ribonucleotides with masked phosphate functionalities for the treatment of flaviviruses and picornaviruses. His accomplishments as a process chemist include having led process development, preformulation and formulation development and CMC operations for the molnupiravir IND. Outside of the lab Dr. Kuiper enjoys fly fishing, cooking, brewing beer and coaching his daughter’s softball teams.
Mugunthan Govindarajan, Ph.D.
Development Scientist
Education
Dr. Govindarajan received his Ph.D. in medicinal chemistry from NIPER-M, India.
Brief Background
Dr. Govindarajan has served as an associate development scientist since Jan 2019. During his post-doctoral training in the university of Arkansas, he worked on the total synthesis, medicinal chemistry, and chemical biology aspects of anti-cancer natural products like OSW-1 and Ipomoeassin-F. During his stay as a post-doctoral fellow in EIDD, he was part of the team developing nucleosides and their prodrugs against alpha viruses and played an important role in the identification of EIDD-1931(NHC) as a broad-spectrum antiviral agent.
As a scientist in EIDD he is involved in the different stages of small molecule drug development process. Primarily responsible for hit to lead development and lead optimization. He currently leads a team working on the development of non-nucleoside against viral targets like polymerase and protease. His research interest spans across infectious diseases and cancer chemotherapy. He is specialized in carbohydrates, nucleosides, and other bioactive small molecules. For his scholarly contributions please refer to the list of publications.
In his free time, like to be an under the tree mechanic fixing cars and dreams of getting rich by imitating Buffett.
Venkata Udumula, Ph.D.
Post Doctoral Fellow
Education
Dr. Udumula earned a master’s degree in Organic Chemistry from Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, India and his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from Brigham Young University, Utah with Prof. David J. Michaelis.
Brief Background
Dr. Udumula has more than 10 years of research and development experience including three years within the pharmaceutical industry. He has authored dozens of publications experience. During his graduate study, he primarily focused on the design and synthesis of novel aminoglycoside analogs as anti-bacterial agents against gram (+) and gram (−) bacteria, and Development of reaction methodology. Prior to Joining EIDD Dr. Udumula Worked as a postdoctoral fellow at University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha on design and synthesis of novel small molecules as anti-bacterial agents against gram (+) and gram (−) bacteria as well as design and synthesis of self-assembling biomaterials with therapeutic potential against cancer and infectious diseases. After joining EIDD in 2019, Dr. Udumula continued his research on design, synthesis, and in-silico studies of non-nucleoside allosteric inhibitors of RNA-dependent-RNA-polymerase of Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), Measles Virus (MeV) and Nipah Virus.
Apart from his research, he enjoys cooking, watching movies with family, playing chess, watching volley ball and sometimes go on long drives.
Phong Truong, Pd.D.
Associate Development Scientist
Education
Dr. Truong received his Ph.D. degree from University of Maryland in 2014, under the guidance of Professor Michael Doyle. His graduate research in organic synthesis focused extensively on catalysis and stereoselective transformations that resulted in 8 peer reviewed publications. After his first postdoctoral fellowship studies on the synthesis of morphine derivatives at the National Institute of Health (NIH) with Kenner Rice, he completed a second postdoctoral research fellowship on the synthesis of unnatural nucleoside/nucleotide analogs for antiviral treatment at the Emory Institute for Drug Discovery.
Brief Background
Dr. Truong began his industrial career at FOB Synthesis (Kennesaw, GA) in 2016 as a Sr. Research Scientist, where he applied medicinal chemistry and SAR principles toward the development of a new class antibiotic carbapenem to combat with multiple drug resistance bacteria. He is currently a Sr. Scientist at EIDD focusing on the design and development of novel nucleoside analogs for the treatment of viral infection. Aside from research, he enjoys family time and outdoor activities such as hiking, fishing, golfing, and others.
Takashi Tomioka, Ph.D.
Development Scientist
Education
Dr. Tomioka obtained his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry in 2004 working with Professor Bruce Lipshutz at the University of California, Santa Barbara, focusing on the study of atropselective synthesis of vancomycin biaryl. His postdoctoral training was subsequently in the group of Professor Amos Smith at the University of Pennsylvania where he was intimately involved in gram-scale synthesis of spongistatin.
Brief Background
In 2006, Dr. Tomioka was appointed as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the University of Mississippi. His research group’s efforts have successfully established a number of new synthetic methodologies, including an NSF-funded project based on the use of a uniquely design alpha-diaminoboryl carbanion species. In addition, multiple interdisciplinary projects, including drug discovery from marine natural products, have been undertaken with various collaborators. In 2014, Dr. Tomioka joined pharmaceutical industry job at FOB Synthesis as a Senior Scientist II, which then promoted to Director of Chemistry. During this time, he was responsible for delivering compounds necessary in the antibacterial project as well as optimizing the leads through SAR for improved potency, toxicity, and pharmacokinetic properties. Dr. Tomioka recently joined the Emory Institute for Drug Development focusing on the discovery of future antiviral drug.
Besides research, he enjoys spending time with his family, going for a walk/hike, and watching college football and MLB.
Jean-Marc Lawrence, Ph.D.
Post Doctoral Fellow
Education
Dr. Lawrence earned his B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Connecticut. He earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Pittsburgh under the supervision of Dr. Paul Floreancig.
Brief Background
During his graduate career, Dr. Lawrence’s primary focus was on synthetic methodology, where he developed two successful methods. The first was the activation of 1,3 and 1,5-monoallylic diols towards the synthesis of 2,6-trans dihydropyrans via oxo-rhenium catalysis. The other focused on a kinetics-based approach to developing electrocatalytic variants of slow oxidations for hydride abstraction-initiated cyclization reactions. He is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the EIDD working on nucleoside and prodrugs, with a primary focus on the synthesis of picornavirus inhibitors.
In his free time, he enjoys cooking, baking, working out, and playing golf and softball.
Cody L. Padgett, Ph.D
Post Doctoral Fellow
Education
Cody earned his B.S in Chemistry from Kennesaw State University in 2016. He received his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2022, working in the laboratory of Prof. Jeffrey S. Johnson.
Brief Background
Cody became interested in exploring a career in drug discovery after spending a summer during his undergraduate studies working on a medicinal chemistry project in the Petasis lab. He moved on to work in the field of asymmetric catalysis for his graduate degree, studying complex molecule synthesis enabled by cyclopropanation of aromatic chemicals. Cody joined the EIDD in 2022 as a post-doctoral fellow, and is currently researching nucleoside pro-drugs that target Flaviviridae. Outside of the laboratory, he is very passionate about mountain biking and goes on annual trips to destinations like British Columbia and Utah for epic downhill biking adventures with his friends.
Brett Virgin-Downey, Ph.D.
Post Doctoral Fellow
Education
Brett earned his BS in Chemistry from Rice University. He earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Washington University in St. Louis in the lab of Dr. Timothy Wencewicz.
Brief Background
After his undergraduate degree, Brett spent two years working for the Institute for Applied Cancer Science within the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center doing small molecule drug development against cancer targets. He shifted his focus to antibiotics for his doctoral work, developing a novel mechanism for β-lactam antibiotics as folate pathway inhibitors. He is a post-doctoral fellow at the EIDD, working on mono-phosphate pro-drugs for various nucleosides to treat viral infections. Brett played water polo starting in high school and continuing through undergraduate and graduate school, winning two DIII Club Water Polo National Championships with the Washington University in St. Louis Men’s Club Water Polo team. Along with his wife Taylor, Brett welcomed his first child, Jack, into the world in December 2022.
Austin Ryan, Ph.D.
Post Doctoral Fellow
Education
Dr. Ryan graduated from Cornell College with a BA in Chemistry before earning his Ph.D. in organic chemistry from Washington State University in the lab of Dr. Rock Mancini. During this time, his research was focused on the development of immunomodulator prodrugs targeted to enzymes relevant to cancer and bacterial metabolism.
Brief Background
Dr. Ryan joined the EIDD in November 2022 as a postdoc where he is focused on development of novel antiviral nucleosides. Outside of the lab he enjoys spending time with his family, playing video games, hiking, and playing guitar.