Patrick Griffin

Patrick Griffin is a Professor and Scientific Director at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) Scripps Florida, where he serves as the founding Chair of the Department of Molecular Therapeutics. With over 25 years of experience in drug discovery and development, Dr. Griffin has made significant contributions to protein structure research, particularly focusing on nuclear receptors and the development of synthetic small molecules to modulate protein function.

Dr. Griffin received his Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Virginia under Professor Donald F. Hunt, where he worked on methodology development in Biological Mass Spectrometry. He then completed a postdoctoral fellowship with Professor Leroy Hood at Caltech, applying mass spectrometry to systems biology. Prior to joining Scripps, he held leadership positions at ExSAR Corporation as Chief Science Officer and at Merck Research Laboratories as Senior Director of Chemistry.

Dr. Griffin's research program focuses on protein structure and function, particularly on mutational- and ligand-mediated alterations in protein structural plasticity. Using techniques including mutagenesis, HDX-MS, crystallography, proteomics and genomics, his lab investigates nuclear receptors, enzymes, and G protein coupled receptors (GPCRs). His work has significantly advanced understanding of nuclear receptor signaling mechanisms for proteins like PPARs, RORs, REV-ERBs, LRH1, VDR, ER, GR, and PR. The Griffin lab is particularly known for developing biophysical methods including HDX and XL-MS platforms for analyzing protein plasticity.

Analysis of Dr. Griffin's recent publications reveals a strong focus on nuclear receptor signaling, particularly PPAR family members and their role in metabolic disorders, bone biology, and cancer. His work combines structural biology approaches with chemical biology to develop functionally selective modulators targeting diseases including diabetes, obesity, and autoimmune conditions. A significant portion of his recent work involves applying and advancing hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) techniques to understand protein dynamics and ligand interactions.

Dr. Griffin has served as PI, Co-PI, and co-investigator on numerous NIH-funded grants. Highlights include being consortium PI of "The Comprehensive Center for Chemical Probe Discovery and Optimization at Scripps," a 6-year U54 MLPCN Roadmap initiative. He co-founded Ember Therapeutics with Bruce Spiegelman based on work from a RC4 program focused on obesity and diabetes treatments. Dr. Griffin also serves as PI on a 13-year collaboration with Eli Lilly and is involved in multiple other industry partnerships and biotech ventures including Myosin Therapeutics.

The Griffin laboratory maintains state-of-the-art facilities for structural proteomics, including advanced HDX-MS and XL-MS platforms. His research team works at the intersection of chemistry, biology, and pharmacology to develop novel approaches for understanding protein function and developing therapeutic interventions. The lab's work spans from basic protein structure research to translational drug discovery efforts, with several compounds developed in the lab advancing toward clinical applications.