Celia A Schiffer

Celia A. Schiffer serves as Chair and Professor at UMass Chan Medical School, holding the prestigious Arthur F. and Helen P. Koskinas Professorship in Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology. She maintains extensive affiliations across the institution, including appointments in the T.H. Chan School of Medicine's Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology and Chemical Biology departments, as well as the Institute for Drug Resistance. Additionally, she is affiliated with multiple programs at the Morningside Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences spanning Biochemistry, Biophysical Chemical and Computational Biology, Immunology, and Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs.

Dr. Schiffer earned her B.A. in Physics from the University of Chicago (1986) followed by a Ph.D. in Biophysics from the University of California, San Francisco (1992). She completed postdoctoral fellowships at ETH-Zurich (1992-94) and Genentech (1994-97), establishing her foundation in structural biology and drug design.

Her research focuses on the interface of evolution and structure-based drug design, specifically targeting the molecular mechanisms of drug resistance. Dr. Schiffer's lab combines crystallography, enzymology, molecular dynamics, and organic chemistry to develop innovative strategies that constrain evolutionary pathways leading to resistance. Her work spans viral proteases from HIV, Hepatitis C, Influenza, and coronaviruses, with particular emphasis on the substrate envelope concept which guides inhibitor design to minimize resistance potential. The Schiffer Lab (www.umassmed.edu/schifferlab) has pioneered approaches to understand how resistance mutations alter protein dynamics and substrate recognition.

Analysis of Dr. Schiffer's recent publications reveals a strong focus on viral drug resistance mechanisms across multiple pathogens, with particular emphasis on SARS-CoV-2 main protease, influenza hemagglutinin, APOBEC3 enzymes, and enterovirus proteases. Her work consistently integrates structural biology with computational approaches and medicinal chemistry to develop resistance-avoiding therapeutics. The research spans fundamental enzymology to translational applications, with increasing incorporation of machine learning and advanced imaging techniques.

• Arthur F. and Helen P. Koskinas Professor in Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology

Dr. Schiffer's work on drug resistance mechanisms has significantly influenced antiviral development strategies. Her lab employs multidisciplinary approaches to understand how heterogeneous populations of drug targets evolve resistance under selective pressure. Recent work has expanded into gene editing technologies, particularly examining how to overcome limitations in prime editing efficiency. Her research has important implications for developing more durable therapeutics against rapidly evolving pathogens and cancer.

Dr. Schiffer leads the Schiffer Lab which integrates structural biology, computational modeling, and biochemical approaches to tackle drug resistance. The lab maintains strong collaborations across virology, structural biology, and drug discovery fields, contributing to multiple high-impact studies on viral proteases and host restriction factors.