Charles S. Craik

Charles S. Craik is a Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). He holds a joint appointment in the Department of Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology within the School of Medicine. His research focuses on defining enzyme roles in biological processes, particularly in infectious diseases, cancer, and neurodegeneration, while developing innovative technologies for disease detection and therapeutic intervention. Craik earned his PhD from Columbia University and has held leadership roles in major initiatives like the Quantitative Biosciences Institute (QBI) and the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Education:

• PhD in Chemistry, Columbia University, 1981
• BS in Chemistry, Allegheny College, 1978
• MA in Chemistry, Columbia University, 1978

Research Interests: Craik’s work bridges enzymology and chemical biology, emphasizing proteases and their inhibitors. Key areas include:

• Development of protease inhibitors targeting HIV, herpesviruses, and cancer
• Non-invasive imaging of proteolytic activity for diagnostics
• Structure-based drug design for antiviral and antifungal therapies
• Protease-driven mechanisms in neurodegenerative diseases

Scientific Awards:

• 2016 Emil T. Kaiser Award, Protein Society
• 2017 Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• 2015 Member, National Academy of Inventors
• 2011 Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science

Grants & Collaborations: Craik has led projects funded by NIH grants, including a $67.5M initiative for pandemic preparedness. His lab pioneered antibody engineering and activity-based probes, with applications in imaging (e.g., PET tracers for PD-L1) and therapeutic development (e.g., uPAR-targeted antibodies).

Labs & Teams: The Craik Lab at UCSF is a hub for interdisciplinary research, collaborating closely with the Tetrad Graduate Program and Quantitative Biosciences Institute. Current projects include SARS-CoV-2 protease inhibitors and imaging tools for cancer and infectious diseases.