Scientist Profiles - Philip LoGrasso

Philip LoGrasso, Ph.D.
Senior Scientific Director,
Discovery Biology
Professor (with tenure),
Molecular Therapeutics

Professor LoGrasso received a B.A., Chemistry, New York University 1985; M.S., Biochemistry, Florida State University 1988; Ph.D., Pharmacology, University of Florida 1992; and postdoctoral training at Sandoz Research Institute (now Novartis). He joined Merck as a research fellow; his duties there included the biochemical evaluation of preclinical drug candidates and oversight of the firm’s novel target discovery efforts. After leaving Merck, he headed the preclinical research and development group at Avera Pharmaceuticals, a central nervous system drug development company, where he supervised all pharmacology, toxicology, metabolism, and pharmaceutics as well as the evaluation of in-licensing candidates.

Prior to joining The Scripps Research Institute in early 2005, Dr. LoGrasso was a Program Director at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) responsible for $50 million research funding in medicinal chemistry, chemical biology, and pharmacology. In February 2010 Professor LoGrasso was promoted to the rank of full professor. He also holds the title of senior scientific director of the Translational Research Institute at Scripps Florida, which studies structure–function relationships of enzymes for drug discovery and development.

The Discovery Biology group develops biochemical, cell biological, and pharmacological assays to advance lead candidates against validated drug targets.  The team uses scientific tools from a host of disciplines including cell biology and biochemistry, medicinal chemistry, drug metabolism, and pharmacokinetics to develop promising drug candidates that will attract biotech or pharmaceutical firms willing to invest in the pre-clinical process required before advancing the drug to clinical trials in human subjects.

Read more about the LoGrasso lab.