Paul Thompson

Paul Thompson is Professor and Endowed Chair in Biochemistry and Molecular Biotechnology at UMass Chan Medical School's T.H. Chan School of Medicine. His NIH-funded research program focuses on protein citrullination mechanisms, developing enzyme inhibitors for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Thompson earned his Ph.D. in Biochemistry from McMaster University.

Research integrates chemical biology, structural enzymology, and immunology to understand peptidylarginine deiminase (PAD) enzymes in health and disease. Current projects target PAD2 and PAD4 with selective inhibitors to treat conditions including rheumatoid arthritis, sepsis, and neurodegenerative disorders.

Thompson's publications demonstrate consistent innovation in activity-based protein profiling, irreversible inhibitor design, and therapeutic targeting of post-translational modifications. Recent breakthroughs include LB244 STING antagonists and dual-target antivirals against SARS-CoV-2.

He leads interdisciplinary collaborations to validate therapeutic targets and translate inhibitors into clinical candidates. Thompson mentors doctoral students in chemical biology and serves on editorial boards for biochemistry journals.