Gary Piazza

Gary Piazza is a Professor and Department Head in the Drug Discovery and Development department at Auburn University's Harrison College of Pharmacy. With over 131 publications and an H-index of 51, his work bridges pharmacology, cancer biology, and drug development.

• Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (1985)
• Training in pharmacology and cancer research
• Expertise in non-COX inhibitory NSAIDs and phosphodiesterase inhibitors

His research focuses on RAS and PDE10A inhibition, revealing mechanisms for cancer chemoprevention and immunotherapy. Current projects include NIH-funded studies on RAS inhibitors (2021-2026), PDE10A targets for lung cancer (2016-2023), and PDE5/PDE10 dual inhibitors (2020-2025). Recent work highlights ADT-007, a potent RAS inhibitor that blocks effector binding and downstream signaling.

Key publications appear in Cancer Prevention Research, Oncogene, and Science Immunology, with grants from the NIH/NCI, Breast Cancer Research Foundation Alabama, and the Department of Defense. Awards include the Abraham A. Mitchell Distinguished Investigator title and directorship of the Cancer Research Center.

• Laboratory includes experts in medicinal chemistry (Dr. Xi Chen), cancer biology (Dr. Yulia Maxuitenko), and cell signaling (Dr. Adam Keeton)
• Collaborations with Augusta University and University of Alabama at Birmingham