Jeffery Kelly Elected to National Academy of Inventors
December 12, 2017
Jeffery Kelly, Ph.D., co-chair of the Department of Molecular Medicine and Lita Annenberg Hazen Professor of Chemistry at TSRI
Jeffery Kelly, Ph.D., co-chair of the Department of Molecular Medicine at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI), has been named a fellow of the esteemed National Academy of Inventors (NAI), the organization announced today.
“My research group seeks to decode the basic principles of how cells generate, fold, traffic and degrade proteins, and from this information we have been fortunate enough to envision therapeutic strategies and discover drugs that slow the progression of neurodegenerative diseases and prolong life,” says Kelly, Lita Annenberg Hazen Professor of Chemistry.
The honor recognizes Kelly’s contributions as an academic researcher, whose work has “demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development, and welfare of society,” according to the NAI.
Kelly’s curiosity-driven, fundamental research in chemistry and biology, has led to insights into the principles of protein folding. Mistakes in protein folding cause gain of toxic functions and loss of physiological functions—which in combination lead to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. Kelly’s work led to the discovery of a drug called tafamidis, the first-ever drug for the treatment of familial amyloid polyneuropathy associated with transthyretin aggregation (TTR-FAP), a fatal disease.
A TSRI faculty member since 2000, Kelly is also a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and winner of awards from the American Chemical Society and the Royal Society of Chemistry. In addition to his research, he teaches courses in TSRI’s Graduate Program and mentors graduate students in his lab.
Eight drugs have emerged from the fundamental research carried at TSRI over the past 25 years, impressive productivity reflecting the culture of merging fundamental discovery in biology and chemistry with a translational entrepreneurial spirit.
Nominated by their peers, NAI fellows must be a named inventor on at least one U.S. patent and affiliated with a university, nonprofit research institute or other academic entity. Kelly joins five NAI fellows currently at TSRI: Dale Boger, Ph.D., Chemistry Department co-chair and Richard and Alice Cramer Professor of Chemistry; Benjamin Cravatt, Ph.D., co-chair of the Department of Molecular Medicine; Professor Thomas Kodadek Ph.D.; Professor Paul Schimmel, Ph.D.; and Peter G. Schultz, Ph.D., TSRI President and CEO.
Kelly will be officially inducted into the NAI at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., on April 5, 2018.
Fixing the misfolded proteins that cause dementia and heart failure
All proteins have a correct way of “folding” themselves into their 3D structures. When this folding process goes awry, including processes leading to protein misassembly, a number of devastating diseases can result. In this Front Row lecture, Scripps Research professor Jeffery Kelly shared how he's developing novel therapeutic strategies to target these protein misfolding diseases, which lead to deterioration of the heart and brain. His multi-disciplinary research has already led to the development of an FDA-approved drug available in the pharmacy called tafamidis (Vyndaqel® and Vyndamax®): a medicine that slows the progression of the neurodegenerative disease familial amyloid polyneuropathy and the degenerative heart disease called TTR cardiomyopathy.
Tafamidis: A revolutionary drug for treating neurodegenerative and heart diseases
Scripps Research professor Jeffery Kelly received an unexpected visit from a patient whose life was dramatically improved by tafamidis—a revolutionary drug for treating neurodegenerative and heart diseases, developed by Kelly himself. Kelly is a leading figure at Scripps Research, spearheading efforts to address some of the most pressing medical challenges, including Alzheimer’s and various amyloid diseases. His cutting-edge research on protein misfolding has not only led to the development of tafamidis but has also broadened our understanding of protein aggregation disorders.
Front Row spotlight with Jeffery Kelly
Scripps Research professor Jeffery Kelly received an unexpected visit from a patient whose life was dramatically improved by tafamidis—a revolutionary drug for treating neurodegenerative and heart diseases, developed by Kelly himself. Kelly is a leading figure at Scripps Research, spearheading efforts to address some of the most pressing medical challenges, including Alzheimer’s and various amyloid diseases. His cutting-edge research on protein misfolding has not only led to the development of tafamidis but has also broadened our understanding of protein aggregation disorders.
An engine for new medicines: A century of science changing life
Calibr, a nonprofit research institute founded by Scripps Research President and CEO Pete Schultz, joined Scripps Research in 2018 as its drug discovery division. As a world-class nonprofit “bench to bedside” drug discovery engine, Calibr delivers groundbreaking solutions to unmet medical needs by uniting the creativity of fundamental discovery with highly focused R&D capabilities and expertise.
