Julio A. Camarero

Julio A. Camarero is a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Southern California's Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences. He holds the John A. Biles Professorship in Pharmaceutical Sciences and leads a research program focused on protein engineering, chemical biology, and peptide therapeutics.

Dr. Camarero obtained his PhD from the University of Barcelona and completed postdoctoral training at The Rockefeller University as a Burroughs Wellcome Fellow. He served as a Distinguished Lawrence Fellow at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory before joining USC in 2008 as an Associate Professor. His research focuses on developing chemical biology approaches using protein splicing and synthetic protein chemistry to study cancer and bacterial pathogenicity.

His lab is renowned for pioneering work with cyclotides - small, disulfide-rich cyclic peptides with remarkable stability. Dr. Camarero's research has advanced cyclotide synthesis, engineering for drug design, and understanding of their folding and stability. His work explores applications as antimicrobial agents against multidrug-resistant pathogens, anticancer therapeutics targeting CXCR4, p53, and RAS/RAF pathways, and CNS drug delivery systems.

Dr. Camarero has authored over 120 peer-reviewed publications and secured substantial funding from NIH, DoD-CMDRP, American Cancer Society, Melanoma Research Alliance, and American Lung Association. His research has resulted in numerous patents for cyclotide-based therapeutics targeting various diseases including cancer, cardiovascular conditions, and autoimmune disorders.

• Recipient of NIH Big Idea Award for developing antibody substitutes
• Holds multiple patents related to cyclotide therapeutics
• Principal investigator on multiple NIH R01 and R35 grants
• Recipient of Melanoma Research Alliance Established Investigator Award
• Recipient of American Cancer Society Discovery Boost Grant

His laboratory maintains active collaborations across USC and with industry partners including Bristol-Myers Squibb. Dr. Camarero's work has been featured in USC News and other media outlets highlighting his contributions to cancer treatment research and antimicrobial peptide development.