Donald Kirsch

Donald Kirsch is an Adjunct Lecturer in Biological Sciences at Columbia University and a pharmaceutical-industry consultant with nearly 40 years of drug-discovery experience at Squibb, Cyanamid, Wyeth and Cambria. He previously taught biotechnology at Harvard Extension School and has published over 50 papers, holds 27 drug-related patents, served 30 years on NIH study sections and secured >$6 million in research grants.

Education:

• AB in Biochemistry – Rutgers College
• PhD in Molecular Biology – Princeton University
• Postdoctoral training in Pharmacology – Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
• Genetics studies – Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
• Engineering Management Certificate – Stanford Business School

Research & Industry Focus:
Kirsch’s career spans anti-infective, neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative drug discovery. His laboratories developed high-throughput receptor–ligand matching technologies, advanced ALS drug candidates into clinical trials, and contributed molecular-genetic tools widely used in pharma R&D.

Publication Trends:
Recent works emphasize translational perspectives on pharmaceutical innovation, entrepreneurship and decision analytics, while earlier papers detail mechanistic studies in neuroprotection and natural-product antimicrobials, illustrating a trajectory from bench science to strategic drug-development science.

Professional Service:

• 30-year standing member of NIH study sections
• Journal reviewer for multiple pharmacology & biotechnology journals
• Consultant to biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies

At Columbia he brings this extensive industry insight to classroom instruction and student mentoring in modern drug discovery and biotechnology entrepreneurship.