Jeffery Kelly

Jeffery Kelly, PhD is the Lita Annenberg Hazen Professor of Chemistry at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI). He leads a research group focused on understanding protein folding and misfolding mechanisms, with applications in developing therapies for amyloid diseases like Alzheimer’s and transthyretin amyloidosis. His lab discovered tafamidis, a drug for transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy, and pioneered the use of enhanced aromatic sequons to stabilize proteins via N-glycosylation.

Education: B.S. Chemistry (SUNY Fredonia, 1982), Ph.D. Organic Chemistry (UNC Chapel Hill, 1986). Professional roles include former Chairman of Molecular and Experimental Medicine (2008-2017), Dean of Graduate Studies (2000-2008), and Vice President of Academic Affairs (2000-2006). His research integrates chemical biology, biophysics, and medicinal chemistry to target protein homeostasis networks.

Research interests center on: (1) Amyloid diseases caused by transthyretin and immunoglobulin light chains, (2) Lysosomal storage diseases via proteostasis modulation, and (3) Autophagy activators for neurodegenerative diseases. Key projects include developing second-generation transthyretin stabilizers, discovering small molecule UPR activators, and understanding N-glycan-protein interactions.

Notable achievements include over 300 peer-reviewed publications, 20+ patents, and major awards like the 2023 National Academy of Sciences election and 2022 Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences. His lab collaborates with multiple institutions and maintains an active team of 10+ graduate students and postdocs.

Awards include: Ross Prize (2025), Wolf Prize (2023), Breakthrough Prize (2022), Elected NAS (2023), and numerous ACS awards. Current lab members include researchers working on autophagy activation, enhanced sequon engineering, and drug discovery platforms.