معرفی
Rheem Totah is Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs at the University of Washington School of Pharmacy, with additional affiliations at the Plein Center for Aging. Her leadership spans the Department of Medicinal Chemistry, Office of Research, and multiple institutional centers including the CHOICE Institute and WE-REACH commercialization hub.
Her educational foundation includes a B.S. (Honors) in Chemistry from Birzeit University (Palestine, 1995), followed by Master's (2000) and Ph.D. (2002) degrees in Medicinal Chemistry from the University of Kansas, all earned with honors.
Dr. Totah's research program investigates prescription drug side effects in cardiac, skeletal muscle, and bone tissues through the lens of drug-endogenous substrate interactions and pharmacogenetics. Her lab pioneers work on cytochrome P450-mediated arachidonic acid metabolism and thiol methyltransferases like METTL7A/B, with specific focus on hydrogen sulfide methylation pathways. This research directly informs safer drug development by elucidating chemical mechanisms of toxicity.
Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals dominant themes in drug-drug interactions (particularly with thiopurines and CYP inhibitors), pregnancy-induced pharmacokinetic changes, and cardioprotective oxylipin mechanisms. Her work consistently bridges basic enzymology with clinical applications in cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and renal carcinoma.
As an active mentor, Dr. Totah advises students across training levels including TL-1 translational research fellow Christi, dental school-bound Justin, and METTL7B researcher Ben. Her lab operates within the University of Washington's robust research infrastructure including the Mass Spectrometry Center and EDGE Institute of Translational Health Sciences.
The Totah Lab maintains a clear mission to elucidate tissue protection mechanisms through cytochrome P450 and methyltransferase pathways, with current projects investigating CYP2J2-QT interval relationships, pregnancy metabolome dynamics, and renal cell carcinoma therapeutics. Their recent discovery of METTL7B as the long-sought thiol methyltransferase represents a cornerstone finding with implications for captopril metabolism and hydrogen sulfide signaling.
